Breaking news - from “Roll Call”: “Bipartisan legislation to suspend the debt limit until after the 2024 elections cleared its first critical hurdle Tuesday night, when the House Rules Committee backed the terms for floor debate that is scheduled for Wednesday.
From Jennifer Rubin's column today. Progressive Democrats should read and comprehend, since it's accurate.
"Democrats, as they frequently do, confused PR with substance. They fretted that McCarthy was getting more and better media coverage. They worried Biden was giving in to Freedom Caucus demands. Biden and his team understood something they did not: The momentary spin McCarthy produced is irrelevant. His right-wing crazies still hate the deal; Democrats still get the deal they wanted all along. Biden — like a prosecutor who lets his filings do the talking — lets his deals do the talking.
"Moreover, Biden could not very well run to the press to tell them McCarthy wasn’t getting much of anything. The “play” here was to allow McCarthy to spin his way out of the corner that he and the Freedom Caucus had painted themselves into. Letting McCarthy boast that his great achievement was “getting Biden to negotiate” was a small price to pay for avoiding economic catastrophe and landing the best deal one could hope for in divided government.
"The media coverage both during the process and after predictably took the frame of horse-race politics. Who won? Who lost? It’s hard to avoid the conclusion that Biden got a far better deal than the media expected or gave him credit for.
"In underrating Biden’s accomplishments, the mainstream media is able to maintain the pretense of neutralism. And portraying McCarthy as a rational dealmaker feeds the fiction that the Republican Party is not controlled by MAGA radicals. (It very much is, which is why Democrats will need to get the bill over the finish line.) In this instance, at least, the media’s false balance probably makes it easier for McCarthy to sell his deal.
"And if, after all this, the deal still blows up, there will be no question that the MAGA extremists are out to wreck the economy."
Lawrence O'Donnell's and Jennifer Rubin's commentaries tonight on The Last Word, about the Debt Limit/Budget agreement, were delightful! Jennifer even grinned more than once. No link available as yet but look for it tomorrow.
Ya know, there is a reason I usually refer to Biden as "Smokin' Joe"......and the Repubs just found out that reason. Nicely done..... Under the rotten circumstances, we got the best deal we could. With a new Congress in 2024 with the Dems in charge of both houses, most of this damage can be alleviated.
The fact that the far left and far right are upset means it's all right.
Rep. Jayapal was making unpleasant noises, and while I agree with her only about 99% of the time on what the world should be like, I'm wondering why it never occurred to her to drop legislation into the hopper on the debt ceiling when Democrats controlled the House. By the way, as a Nevadan, I'm going to say it: If Harry Reid had been Senate leader last year, he would have acted on this to cut them off. He was the Senate leader in 2011 when Obama had Biden go around him to get a deal, and the only thing about the republican party that had any connection to Reid was the elephant--he never forgot things.
I don't doubt it for a second. I keep telling people, Biden's the best pres of my lifetime, which began under Eisenhower. (Technically under Truman if you count in utero.) The prog dems can complain all they want.
Trump hasn't piped off about this yet, has he? Someone must have informed him that Vote for the Daddy of Default is not a good campaign slogan going into 2024, a post-default period over which no one would want to govern.
Biden chalked up a great win!! It is time for the country (esp. dissident Dems) to wise up to the great leader who is bringing greatness (not MAGA greatness, so to speak) to America again!!
From Jennifer Rubin's column today. Progressive Democrats should read and comprehend, since it's accurate.
"Democrats, as they frequently do, confused PR with substance. They fretted that McCarthy was getting more and better media coverage. They worried Biden was giving in to Freedom Caucus demands. Biden and his team understood something they did not: The momentary spin McCarthy produced is irrelevant. His right-wing crazies still hate the deal; Democrats still get the deal they wanted all along. Biden — like a prosecutor who lets his filings do the talking — lets his deals do the talking.
"Moreover, Biden could not very well run to the press to tell them McCarthy wasn’t getting much of anything. The “play” here was to allow McCarthy to spin his way out of the corner that he and the Freedom Caucus had painted themselves into. Letting McCarthy boast that his great achievement was “getting Biden to negotiate” was a small price to pay for avoiding economic catastrophe and landing the best deal one could hope for in divided government.
"The media coverage both during the process and after predictably took the frame of horse-race politics. Who won? Who lost? It’s hard to avoid the conclusion that Biden got a far better deal than the media expected or gave him credit for.
"In underrating Biden’s accomplishments, the mainstream media is able to maintain the pretense of neutralism. And portraying McCarthy as a rational dealmaker feeds the fiction that the Republican Party is not controlled by MAGA radicals. (It very much is, which is why Democrats will need to get the bill over the finish line.) In this instance, at least, the media’s false balance probably makes it easier for McCarthy to sell his deal.
"And if, after all this, the deal still blows up, there will be no question that the MAGA extremists are out to wreck the economy."
Governing is messy and requires compromise
Leadership requires knowing how to play the hand you’re dealt
You win the negotiation when you let the other guy think he won
Lawrence O'Donnell's and Jennifer Rubin's commentaries tonight on The Last Word, about the Debt Limit/Budget agreement, were delightful! Jennifer even grinned more than once. No link available as yet but look for it tomorrow.
Ya know, there is a reason I usually refer to Biden as "Smokin' Joe"......and the Repubs just found out that reason. Nicely done..... Under the rotten circumstances, we got the best deal we could. With a new Congress in 2024 with the Dems in charge of both houses, most of this damage can be alleviated.
The fact that the far left and far right are upset means it's all right.
Rep. Jayapal was making unpleasant noises, and while I agree with her only about 99% of the time on what the world should be like, I'm wondering why it never occurred to her to drop legislation into the hopper on the debt ceiling when Democrats controlled the House. By the way, as a Nevadan, I'm going to say it: If Harry Reid had been Senate leader last year, he would have acted on this to cut them off. He was the Senate leader in 2011 when Obama had Biden go around him to get a deal, and the only thing about the republican party that had any connection to Reid was the elephant--he never forgot things.
And he let McCarthy live another day. Kevin should kiss his feet (quietly, of course)
Thanks TC, you have clarified that bucket of mud considerably.
I don't doubt it for a second. I keep telling people, Biden's the best pres of my lifetime, which began under Eisenhower. (Technically under Truman if you count in utero.) The prog dems can complain all they want.
Trump hasn't piped off about this yet, has he? Someone must have informed him that Vote for the Daddy of Default is not a good campaign slogan going into 2024, a post-default period over which no one would want to govern.
If only Joe had lied about his age...
Biden chalked up a great win!! It is time for the country (esp. dissident Dems) to wise up to the great leader who is bringing greatness (not MAGA greatness, so to speak) to America again!!
YES!!!