Tick, tick. August 2nd is the Debt Limit Armageddon. Or Not.

Democrats want tax increases, Republicans want Medicare cuts. The two sides can trade hostages, neutralizing their best attack ads in exchange for a big whack at the deficit. Or they can shoot their hostages, hammer each other in 2012 for raising taxes and killing grandma, and risk spiralling debt. They're doing the latter. The risk is that the 2012 campaign will put Medicare off limits for years. Call your office, Sen. Dole.

I think blame rests primarily with the Republican side, because I think that a critical mass of congressional Democrats would have squawked and squirmed but would, in the end, have voted for a grand bargain—whereas Tea Partyized Republicans just would not. But let's not kid ourselves: what we're seeing here is a result of the systematic underrepresentation of moderates in both parties, because moderates are the constituency for a hostage trade: they would rather solve the problem than stay pure and score political points. If you want bold solutions, vote for the least radical candidate in your party's congressional primary next year.

Obama is trying to use this fake crisis to raise taxes... this arrogant hack needs to go.

H2O MAN wrote:

Obama is trying to use this fake crisis to raise taxes... this arrogant hack needs to go.

A fake crisis?
That's funny because it is the Tea Party that is creating the crisis.

Boehner: No Debt Limit Solution Til After Vote On Balanced Budget Amendment
Brian Beutler | July 15, 2011, 11:03AM

Whatever the ultimate outcome of the debt limit fight, the theatrics will continue in the House of Representatives for another week or so.

Scores of House Republicans say they won't vote to raise the debt limit unless a Constitutional balanced budget amendment has been sent off to the states for ratification. And so whatever Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) and other Congressional leaders decide about the real path ahead, he'll hold votes next week on major spending cuts, a spending cap, and, separately, a balanced budget amendment. The latter would require a two-thirds vote in both the House and Senate and, in its current form, stands little chance of passing either chamber.

At a Friday press conference after a meeting with the GOP caucus, Boehner let slip, subtly, that the plan will go nowhere.

"The cut cap and balance plan that the House will vote on next week is a solid plan for moving forward," he said. "Let's get through that vote and then we'll make decisions about what will come after."

This effort is running parallel to the one leaders of both parties are putting together on the Senate side, in conjunction with the White House. That's where the real solution lies. Boehner's offer is a consolation prize, of sorts, for House conservatives, whom GOP leaders feel they must appease.

Hearing Boehner talk about it, you might think they had all the time in the world for symbolic votes.

"Senator McConnell pointed out that his plan is being put on the table as a last-ditch effort," he said. "We're far from the time for a last ditch effort."

"Ignorance and arrogance are a very dangerous combination."

I think the disagreement has more to do with how government actually works. What that means is that if a policy is correct but doomed -- if there is NO WAY to make it happen -- then getting something imperfect accomplished is much better than getting nothing accomplished.