By Steve Hynd
Let's see now: $1 trillion in initial cuts from domestic discretionary spending, Medicare cuts on the table in the second $1.5 trillion phase of cuts, no guarantees of increases in taxes or revenue, and a "Super Congress" commission to decide whether there will be any revenue rises and what will be further cut in the second round. Oh, and if the Republicans try to extend the Bush tax cuts in the second round, Obama says he'll veto any such move - but why should we believe him? He's always caved before.
Krugman calls it "a catastrophe on multiple levels", the New York Times says the deal is "nearly complete capitulation to the hostage-taking demands of Republican extremists", the WSJ says it's a "Tea Party Triumph". The best even apologists can find to say is that "it could have been a lot worse." Sure it could - but that's like telling a man dying of hunger he could have been dying of thirst.
The statement by Progressive Co-Chair Rep. Ra� Grijalva is spot on yet in the end utterly meaningless:
Today we, and everyone we have worked to speak for and fight for, were thrown under the bus. We have made our bottom line clear for months: a final deal must strike a balance between cuts and revenue, and must not put all the burden on the working people of this country. This deal fails those tests and many more.
The Democratic Party, no less than the Republican Party, is at a very serious crossroads at this moment. For decades Democrats have stood for a capable, meaningful government � a government that works for the people, not just the powerful, and that represents everyone fairly and equally. This deal weakens the Democratic Party as badly as it weakens the country. We have given much and received nothing in return. The lesson today is that Republicans can hold their breath long enough to get what they want.
In my opinion, the best thing the Progressive caucus could do now would be to desert the Democratic party en masse and form themselves into the core of a new populist left party. Progressives and lefties won't get any meaningful portion of their agenda enacted or defended by voting for and standing with the agenda of corporatist Whigs. The Progressive Caucus is the largest single power block in Congress, yet is ignored and sidelined constantly. As the core of a new third party it could instead become an essential powerbroker as it voiced the needs of those who are not rich and over-privileged. That they won't do so and will instead get behind the corporatist Whig cries of "most important election EVAH!" to re-elect Obama in 2012 is one of the biggest disasters of this Great Debt Debacle.
Update: Go Bernie!
Hate to say it Steve but most Democrats will cave, as usual. BO will be out shortly scolding, those that don't support him in his attack on working people, for not appreciating his hard work at screwing the average American. At some point you'd think that people might have had enough shit dumped on them. But what was it the schmuck mayor of Chicago said: "F them they have nowhere to go". He gets to show his utter contempt for average Americans because he thinks they are worthless and because they act that way by not demanding real reform. Frankly the country maybe too large and regional to form any type of serious resistance to the elites destructive power.
ReplyDeleteI await with baited breath the load of old malarkey that will spew literally from BOs mouth as he whines, berates, lies and, you can hope, ultimately begs as a result of this "bridge too far". It should also be interesting to see which of the so-called progressives comes out and supports him. I would think that a GOP POTUS, come 2013, can't be any worst than having a Democrat who is really a quisling or 5th columnist in the WH. Least everyone should know they hate the average citizen.
"Oh, and if the Republicans try to extend the Bush tax cuts in the second round, Obama says he'll veto any such move"
ReplyDeleteNo, actually he said he would veto any attempt to extend the Bush tax cuts on the upper income level, that is to say, on the rich. That is pure fantasy land, because he will never be offered an opportunity to veto an extension on only the top bracket, since no Congress of either party would pass such a bill.
Anybody know if the tax-cuts will expire at the end of 2012 or will that be part of the Sword of Damocles?
ReplyDeleteTwo things:
ReplyDelete1. There's only nowhere to go if you allow yourself to be a hostage. You really don't have to. You can register with some other party and tell the Dems why. Tell them you'd rather be boiled in oil than help them dismantle the social safety net. You probably won't do that because you think you have no choice.
2. Because of this deal a whole lot of people are going to starve. It's that simple. No euphemisms: starve. If we don't get out in front of that, we will be in the kind of trouble not seen in America since the thirties. What will you do to head off this completely foreseeable disaster?