- Jan 12, 2005
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Yes, it's from Mother Jones - a "liberal rag," but it really hits the nail on the head:
http://www.motherjones.com/kevin-drum/2013/10/john-boehner-cruzified-cross-tea
Why on earth would anyone expect Democrats to "concede" anything under the current circumstances? Let me put this another way: If the situation were reversed, and Democrats were holding the Republican-controlled government hostage and demanding "concessions" on tax rates ("We want to raise the top marginal rate on the top 1% only 0.5%"), and in return the Democrats agreed to fund the government for six weeks (but wouldn't negotiate a full-year budget), do you think that Republicans would go along with that strategy?
Of course not.
http://www.motherjones.com/kevin-drum/2013/10/john-boehner-cruzified-cross-tea
I understand that I'm writing from a partisan perspective and might be as blinkered as the next guy. But this strikes me as jaw-droppingly naive.
Here's the thing: I agree with our unnamed congressman about the device tax. It's a fairly small thing ($2-3 billion per year) and completely nonessential to Obamacare. It could be eliminated without harm, and it would give Boehner a small bit of face-saving that might allow him to pass a budget. If this had been the GOP's initial ask, Democrats probably would have given in.
But after weeks and weeks of tea party rage and intransigence, that became impossible. By the end of September, the Republican strategy had become crystal clear: demand unceasing concessions from Democrats at every opportunity without offering anything in return and without any negotiation. A month ago, Democrats might have shrugged over the device tax. Today, they know perfectly well what it would mean to let it go. It means that when the debt ceiling deadline comes up, there will be yet another demand. When the 6-week CR is up, there will be yet another. If and when appropriations bills are passed, there will be yet another. We've already seen the list. There simply won't be any end to the hostage taking. As their price for not blowing up the country, there will be an unending succession of short-term CRs and short-term debt limit extensions used as leverage for picking apart Obamacareand everything else Democrats care aboutpiece by piece.
There's no way that any political party anywhere in the world would willingly put itself in this position. Does this mean that Democrats are "jamming" Boehner, leaving him no way to save some face? Yes it does, and human nature being what it is, that's truly unfortunate. But what other choice do they have? The newly Cruz-ified Republican Party has left them with no alternative.
Why on earth would anyone expect Democrats to "concede" anything under the current circumstances? Let me put this another way: If the situation were reversed, and Democrats were holding the Republican-controlled government hostage and demanding "concessions" on tax rates ("We want to raise the top marginal rate on the top 1% only 0.5%"), and in return the Democrats agreed to fund the government for six weeks (but wouldn't negotiate a full-year budget), do you think that Republicans would go along with that strategy?
Of course not.