The party of no-

[we vs us]

-thing but tax cuts. 

GOP vows to block all bills until tax bill resolved.

"Washington (CNN) -- Senate Republicans promised Wednesday to block legislative action on every issue being considered by the lame-duck Congress until the dispute over extending the Bush-era tax cuts is resolved and an extension of current government funding is approved.

All 42 Senate Republicans signed a letter to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nevada, vowing to prevent a vote on "any legislative item until the Senate has acted to fund the government and we have prevented the tax increase that is currently awaiting all American taxpayers."

I'm sure digging on this new GOP governing style.  All about rolling up your sleeves and getting down to some serious ideologically-based obstruction. 

Can't wait for 2012!

[Gaspar]

Me neither!

[heironymouspasparagus]

It will probably swing back a ways.

People are going to realize that the economy has been getting better for quite a while and that the same 'job elimination' policies that have destroyed our manufacturing base are still in place.  Look for the "Made in USA" label.  And if possible, look for the "Made in Oklahoma" label - even better!!


As long as Congress and the Presidency are held by different parties, I'll be a happy camper!  Worst of all worlds is when both held the same.

[Hometown]

Two things come to mind.  Clinton when the Republicans shut down government and it backfired on them.  And wondering if Mr. "I don't get into partisan squabbles" Obama is going to finally make all the making nice work.

I'm one of those Democrats that wanted Hillary because she knows how to play hard ball.  I mean where is Stalin when we need him.  (Joke)  But I've recently thought folks are going to be so sick of Republican acrimony that Obama's constantly extended olive branch strategy might actually pay off.   Dumb luck or strategy?  If it works it would probably fall under "dumb luck."

Is there anyone else out there that finds the Republican position generally brittle and wondering when the Left will produce a leader who will knock over their house of cards?

[heironymouspasparagus]

The Republicontins are just not able to stay with their alleged principles (can anyone even still spell "balanced budget amendment").  The allure of the money to be had with the sellout of the American people was just too big a temptation.

And the Dummycrats can't get their chaos under control enough to get anything effective done.  They can't even collectively understand the concept of a subordinate clause, as in "A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed."  The allure of the money to be given away with the sellout of the American people was just too big a temptation.

[Gaspar]

Two things come to mind.  Clinton when the Republicans shut down government and it backfired on them.  

They shut it down because he refused to sign the Balanced Budget Bill or the supplemental omnibus they set before him.  After two days of shut down he signed the supplemental omnibus. . .and it DID backfire on Republicans. 

Clinton brilliantly came out later in a press conference and claimed to have signed a measure that would keep the Federal Government running.  The measure, that Bill signed, was the temporary omnibus spending bill also penned by Newt and Rep Bob Livingston H.R.3019. 

Newt was a pansy.  He should have immediately had a press conference and said "Yeah, we had to shut down the federal government to get you to sign anything Mr. President."  Instead he made some under the cuff comment about Clinton ignoring him, and being rude, that made him sound like an ineffective child.

Clinton won in the realm of PR big time, without actually passing a single bill of his own (or of his parties).  The supplimental spending resolution kept things going until Clinton signed Rep. John Kasich's Balanced Budget Act of 1997 that he also later took credit for.  Clinton was the absolute best at using the word "I".  He did however have a problem with the word "is".  I suppose because "is" tends to refer to current reality.

No one really took notice that the bill proposed by Clinton and the Democrat party was never considered. It simply faded into obscurity. Bill would sign just about anything at that time and few of his fellow Democrats would make too much stink about it, because all eyes were on his actions with a certain White House intern.

I guess you could say that without Monica Lewinsky we may have never had a balanced budget act.  I'm just glad she didn't blow it. . .wait a minute. . .

[guido911]

Me neither!

Yep.

[we vs us]

Yep.

It's gonna be pretty fun to see what two years of no governance looks like. 

[Conan71]

It's gonna be pretty fun to see what two years of no governance looks like. 

I'm buying more stock in Marshall's in the meantime.  Can you guys start a collection for my eventual trip to re-hab?

[Gaspar]

It's gonna be pretty fun to see what two years of no governance looks like. 

We are not subjects.  We are the self governed. . . or at least that was the intension.

After this tax hike thing is resolved, I invite gridlock. 

When there is gridlock, and when Congress is out of session, are the only two times we are actually safe.

This country has come to feel the same when Congress is in session as we do when the baby gets hold of a hammer. – Will Rogers

No man's life, liberty, or property are safe while the legislature is in session. – Mark Twain (1866)

Obama will be ready to rule on day one! - Valerie Jarrett

[Conan71]

We are not subjects.  We are the self governed. . . or at least that was the intension.

After this tax hike thing is resolved, I invite gridlock. 

When there is gridlock, and when Congress is out of session, are the only two times we are actually safe.

This country has come to feel the same when Congress is in session as we do when the baby gets hold of a hammer. – Will Rogers

No man's life, liberty, or property are safe while the legislature is in session. – Mark Twain (1866)

Obama will be ready to rule on day one! - Valerie Jarrett

I'm borrowing that first quote.  I'd never heard it before.

[nathanm]

How about this for a tax plan: Another tax cut. Change current law to reduce the rate on the bottom three or four tax brackets by a further 5%. Since you Republicans are so intent on tax cuts, let's make them the most effective tax cuts they can be. Corporations and the wealthy are hoarding cash right now, so giving them more of a break than we give to the people who don't have cash to hoard doesn't make sense.

Note that contrary to the rhetoric of the usual suspects, everyone would get this tax break. A "middle class" tax cut is also a tax cut for rich people. They just get extra when we drop the higher brackets, too.

[Gaspar]

How about this for a tax plan: Another tax cut. Change current law to reduce the rate on the bottom three or four tax brackets by a further 5%. Since you Republicans are so intent on tax cuts, let's make them the most effective tax cuts they can be. Corporations and the wealthy are hoarding cash right now, so giving them more of a break than we give to the people who don't have cash to hoard doesn't make sense.

Note that contrary to the rhetoric of the usual suspects, everyone would get this tax break. A "middle class" tax cut is also a tax cut for rich people. They just get extra when we drop the higher brackets, too.

I'm good with that, only if there are intelligent Spending Cuts, and a freeze on all new programs.   

[nathanm]

I'm good with that, only if there are intelligent Spending Cuts, and a freeze on all new programs.   

Oh, the sound of moving goalposts. Interesting how your tax cuts don't have to be paid for, but mine do.

[Conan71]

Oh, the sound of moving goalposts. Interesting how your tax cuts don't have to be paid for, but mine do.

I don't know that I've ever heard Gaspar say that the extension of the Bush cuts should not be paired with a cut in spending.