The Norquist Strategy: Part 2 Of The Deal Is Spending Cuts

By Big Tent Democrat, Section Economy
Posted on Mon Dec 13, 2010 at 05:49:32 PM EST
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David Dayen:

Republicans see [The Deal] as the impetus to cut spending and essentially cancel out the stimulative properties.

In remarks prepared for the Senate floor, Republican leader Mitch McConnell [said] “This bipartisan compromise represents an essential first step in tackling the debt,” McConnell said. “[B]ecause in keeping taxes where they are, we are officially cutting off the spigot.”

Exactly. This is the entire conservative project in a nutshell – starve the beast. That’s what the most conservative Congress in history wants to do and what they will seek to do. [. . .] This deal faces a future of savage cuts to needed public services, which will diminish its positive impact. The talk of stimulus doesn’t take into account the full picture.

Precisely. The Deal is a terrible mistake by President Obama.

Speaking for me only

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The Norquist Strategy: Part 2 Of The Deal Is Spending Cuts | 16 comments (16 topical)

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Agreed. Now we go back (5.00 / 3) (#1)
by KeysDan on Mon Dec 13, 2010 at 06:52:54 PM EST

to the deficit problem: With bipartisan acknowledgement it is not a revenue problem it is a spending problem. Hence, the government needs to tighten its belt just like householders. Boy, the Republicans probably can't believe it: a chance to wield their axe always at the ready on programs they always hated. Even their idea of a payroll tax holiday plays into their scheme to gut and/or privatize it. And, of course they can't believe their good luck with the estate tax. What was Obama thinking? I know, I know, getting re-elected, but..

Yes, Hoyer was talking about (5.00 / 3) (#2)
by masslib on Mon Dec 13, 2010 at 07:02:14 PM EST

the "hard truths" and the "hard choices" just today. I had to laugh and laugh and laugh at the open hypocrisy.


: It's quite amazing how Dems have learned to use (5.00 / 2) (#4)
by jawbone on Mon Dec 13, 2010 at 10:13:51 PM EST

Repub talking points. Rep. Jim Himes, CT-4th, was on The Brian Lehrer Show on WNYC this morning talking about the Obama Republican tax plan, and he would say a few Democratic sounding things, then justify voting against them because the Grand Giveaway Compromise had to, had to, had to be passed.
Otherwise there would be no aid for the unemployed! And...and...stimulus!
Commenters were not happy with him.

Do you really think (5.00 / 1) (#9)
by CST on Tue Dec 14, 2010 at 10:22:52 AM EST

that this was dependant on tax cuts?

I saw this coming as soon as Republicans won the house. With or without the tax cuts. If they didn't get the tax cuts they were threatening to shut government down. That's one way to cut spending...

This isn't an excuse for the tax cuts, which isn't good policy on it's own. I just don't think the two issues are necessarily that related. They don't care about deficits (see 2000-2008). They care about federal spending on social programs - cutting it in any way possible.

The problem is that I don't (5.00 / 1) (#10)
by Anne on Tue Dec 14, 2010 at 10:50:02 AM EST

think Obama believes the deal is a mistake; I mean, after all, HE "negotiated" the deal without Democratic input, which pretty much makes this his deal, doesn't it?

That being said, I think it has been clear for some time now that, whether or not the GOP picked up seats in the Congress, spending cuts were on the way; you can't read or listen to Obama on the issue of spending, can't pretend he didn't convene a deficit commission whose report he now cites on a regular basis, can't ignore the "tough choices" rhetoric that almost always signals that pain is coming for the 98% of us who aren't wealthy: the fix is most definitely in.

And if Democrats completely roll over on the Deal, there is no reason to believe they won't fall into line with what's coming in the next Congress; this is their pattern.

This one-two punch that Obama is delivering, with the able assistance of the GOP and conservative Democrats is going to just KO the economy and push millions of people right off the cliff. How does one continue to be associated with a president and a party that would go along with this?

I'm disgusted with pretty much all the Dems (5.00 / 1) (#11)
by tworivers on Tue Dec 14, 2010 at 10:59:46 AM EST

The only person who seems to have the courage of his convictions on this matter is Bernie Sanders

The tax cuts for the wealthiest 2% are bad enough (they add to the deficit, but have almost zero effect on job creation).

But the estate tax and the payroll tax cut (which seems like a back-door method by which Republicans hope to undermine and eventually dismantle Social Security) are equally awful in their way.

What happened to the party of FDR? Do they have any core principles anymore?

They are gone... (none / 0) (#12)
by masslib on Tue Dec 14, 2010 at 11:25:13 AM EST

The Party of FDR is dead.


Not while I draw one breath (none / 0) (#13)
by jeffinalabama on Tue Dec 14, 2010 at 12:03:12 PM EST

into my body, it isn't.


Come on... (none / 0) (#14)
by masslib on Tue Dec 14, 2010 at 12:44:07 PM EST

I meant the clowns running the Party these days, not the Democratic voters.


If you read (5.00 / 1) (#15)
by jeffinalabama on Tue Dec 14, 2010 at 12:59:59 PM EST

the cheeto, or other sites, it would make you wonder, you have to admit.


: LOL.... (none / 0) (#16)
by masslib on Tue Dec 14, 2010 at 01:01:49 PM EST

You've got me there. I'm a true blue FDR Democrat, and I didn't leave the Democratic Party, they've left me.

"a terrible mistake by President Obama" (none / 0) (#3)
by Yes2Truth on Mon Dec 13, 2010 at 07:59:53 PM EST

IMO, without knowing O's motivation, it's
not possible to know if it was a mistake.

Maybe he has post POTUS plans...come 2013.

It's a mistake (5.00 / 5) (#5)
by cal1942 on Mon Dec 13, 2010 at 11:05:17 PM EST

in reference to the state of the nation and its people.

He's President of the United States and should be cognizant of how his actions affect the nation.

It's a mistake, a huge mistake.

If he's done any of this for post-office gain then damn him all to hell. But, I doubt post office gain is the reason.


: He's ensuring support (5.00 / 2) (#8)
by observed on Tue Dec 14, 2010 at 08:44:10 AM EST

from bank laborers and stockbrokers' unions.

Will it be about "Starving the Beast"... (none / 0) (#6)
by EL seattle on Tue Dec 14, 2010 at 08:12:23 AM EST

... or will it be about "Taming the Out of Control, Overpaid, and Wasteful Public Employee Unions"? I have a suspicion that this will be the sort of phrasing that the republicans will use to communicate this sort of thing towards the public over the next year or so.

: All of the above. n/t (5.00 / 1) (#7)
by inclusiveheart on Tue Dec 14, 2010 at 08:30:10 AM EST