Time to Draw the Line

Now that the debt ceiling crisis has been placed on the back burner it's time to step back and survey the scene. The picture isn't pretty, and not just because "the parties can't work together" or "government seems dysfunctional." These things may be true, but the salient point to keep in mind is that the reason this is so is because the Republican Party wants it that way.

Raising the debt ceiling has always been a rather pro forma exercise. Yes, speeches have always been made to score political points, but the process has heretofore been a stand alone yes or no proposition, where the obvious answer has been "yes." Should the United States be authorized to pay the bills for things it has already purchased, and the salaries of the people to whom pay has been promised, or not? That has been and was this time the question at hand. It has never before been tied to future spending and projected budgets. No party has resorted to courting default and the ruination of the nation's credit--until the Republicans this time. The American, European and Asian markets are still in turmoil and losing money over this. It has been an exercise in raw extortion without regard for the consequences. The place to debate the budget is during the budget process, not the debt ceiling consideration.

In a similar vein, the 60-vote Senate threshold to overcome a filibuster used to be a rare occurrence, reserved for major matters of great importance. With the Republicans, this has now become routine, applied to every bill and appointment, regardless of whether it is controversial or not. The purpose is to bring operations to a halt. Click here to see a graph on how the use of the filibuster has quadrupled with the current Republican minority in the Senate. It is to the point where a Nobel Prize-winning economist, Peter Diamond, recently withdrew his name for nomination to the Federal Reserve Board in disgust. Sen. Richard Shelby, (R-Ala.) said he felt Diamond was "unqualified" for the job, and was backed by the typical lockstep Republican junta in support. A Nobel Laureate economist unqualified for a job as an economist? Seriously?

The President did get further debate on the debt ceiling proper delayed until 2013. But don't think the same strong arm tactics won't be employed again. As part of the settlement, a twelve-member Congressional "super committee" will be charged to report out ways to help balance the budget November 23. If they can get a majority, their report and recommendations will have to get an "up or down vote." If they cannot come to majority agreement, automatic cuts will happen to defense and discretionary spending. Social Security, Medicaid and Medicare recipients will be immune. Supposedly, Republicans will not want defense cuts and so will have an incentive to deal in good faith, including finding new revenues as well as cuts. Don't count on it. The Bush tax cuts are scheduled to expire at the end of 2012. Expect any deal to be held up unless President Obama and congressional Democrats cave in on this. The President says this time he will not budge, but since he has already given in on this before he will be tested on it again. Calamity and a government shutdown will be the threat in November. If the minority party, without even enjoying popular support for these stances in the polls, (60% feel there should have been some tax revenues in the settlement) can brazen its way on this, then the Obama presidency will be in serious jeopardy.

Sometimes it isn't enough to be the adult in the room. When one side doesn't care how much harm they do the country in order to get their way and can count on the other side being
"responsible" and giving in to prevent that harm, then the cutthroats have taken over the neighborhood. The Republican goal is to paralyze governance and then blame Obama and the Democrats for it. Sometimes you have to dig in your heels and say no. Obama and the Democrats had better start doing that. Now.