McConnell's Non-Plan Plan

It seems Mitchy is a wittle upset and doesn't have the stomach for the debt ceiling fight. However what doesn't make sense is, why now? Why is Mitch throwing in the towel?

Steve Benen has the beat:

The one question I can’t find a solid answer to is what, if anything, would be cut and by how much. The Hill reported the administration would be required to “suggest spending cuts” to accompany three separate requests to raise the debt ceiling, “but would not require such cuts.” Obama could not, under this scenario, recommend new revenue.

If that’s right, then McConnell seems to be blinking awfully hard.

In other words, in this little scenario, President Obama would have to offer proposals for spending cuts, with no corresponding measures to raise revenue. But it also appears that these proposed cuts from the White House need not even be serious — Obama could present plans he doesn’t take especially seriously, with the full expectation that Congress could and probably would reject them.

It would make the process needlessly ugly and stupid, but McConnell’s plan would seem to allow for a debt-ceiling increase with no guarantee of any spending cuts at all. Republicans would get a bunch of chances to grandstand, and rant and rave about Democrats, while putting all of the onus on the White House, but that’s not much. Republicans were going to grandstand, rant, rave, and point fingers anyway.

This does seem odd because well..."rant, rave and point fingers" is what Republicans do. So is there something I'm missing? Did Mitchy realize the House GOP didn't have the votes? Or did his Randian overlords aka Wall St. finally tell him enough? Regardless, this is a rather big development in the debt ceiling debate. Perhaps, he didn't like Obama punching back...

I am Frank Chow and I approved this message

Comments

New Deal democrat said…
Let's suppose this plan is adopted.

Do you think Obama would propose ridiculous cuts? No, he will propose serious cuts, and in the last week he finally crossed the Rubicon and signed on to cuts in both SS (lower inflation indexing) and Medicare (raise the qualification age to 67). You just turned 30, but ask your or your fiance's folks how they feel about an average of $1000 less a year for SS, and having to work two more years before they can get Medicare.

When Obama proposes those cuts, who is the joke on then?
July 13, 2011 at 6:26 AM
Asian-American Pundit said…
Do you honestly think he'll raise the qualification age? I see that as political suicide. Are you saying the Republicans are betting Obama will propose cuts as to be seen as the "serious adult"? If so I could see that scenario playing out and then the joke would not only be on Obama, but the American people. I hope that isn't the case, but it's also why I have many questions. McConnell isn't known to be THAT savvy.

My fiance's folks will be fine, however it's my father I worry about. He's a blue collar guy who is counting on SS to ease his retirement with all the damage his pension fund has taken. And my father is also someone whose medical health has been shaky over the years. Problem is it seems like there is not a single party who fights for him anymore.
July 13, 2011 at 7:55 AM
New Deal democrat said…
Frank, of course there is no written proposal we can know for sure, but it appears that in return for raising the debt limit, the proposal would shift the burden of selecting budget cuts to Obama.

Why do you think Obama would select different cuts than those he has already floated in conference?
July 13, 2011 at 2:59 PM
Asian-American Pundit said…
Because the ideas floated in conference were meant to entice the Republican caucus into voting. With the debt ceiling raised, he can simply move on or make cuts to programs less damaging to the middle-class and poor (dumb move, but it's the Dems).

I fear this is the point where you say I have too much faith in the man and the Democratic Party...
July 13, 2011 at 4:02 PM
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