Jane Hamsher called Obama's supporters "the dumbest motherfuckers in the world" yesterday. Here's what I wrote in response.
I know I’m just one of the “dumbest motherfuckers in the world,” but this latest from Jane Hamsher seems like a pretty laughable bit of sophistry.
[T]he Obamabots are so out of touch with who Obama is and what he wants they don’t realize that by cheering for the McConnell deal, and his prowess in making McConnell “blink,” it amounts to twisting the knife for him. It makes it impossible for him to reject the deal [sic] the end — which empowers the GOP to hold out.
This doesn’t even make sense on its own. How exactly does support for accepting McConnell’s offer – which amounts to a “clean bill” to raise the debt ceiling, albeit in phases and with opportunities for Republicans to raise symbolic objection – make it “impossible” for the president to do anything?
Rhetorical question, of course.
More from the Firebag Queen:
Cantor offered a temporary extension three times last night, and by both Democratic and GOP accounts, that’s what made Obama snap. He wouldn’t be rejecting it “even if it brings my presidency down,” and taking his case to the American people, if he thought he had scored some big victory.
So, at the expense of every other element of this debate, Lady Jane comes to the conclusion – based only on the reported dynamics of the discussion with Cantor – that Obama is running scared on this deal. This conclusion doesn’t hold up to even the barest scrutiny.
Way back in April, when it became clear that for the first time ever there would be a big fight over the debt ceiling increase, the White House made it clear that their desire was to pass a “clean bill” on the debt ceiling, without it being attached to any budgetary demands.
Over the next three months, no such bill emerged, due to Republicans' insistence on reducing the budget deficit by spending cuts exclusively. No tax increases, even on millionaires and billionaires "job creators," could be even considered as part of what they apparently thought of as "negotiation."
So from the outset, it was obvious that the Republican caucus did not intend to budge. But here's a funny thing about negotiation: Taking up intransigent positions can be used as leverage against the party taking them up. And that's exactly what has happened.
Through each round of negotiations since Obama became involved in brokering an agreement, he has apparently moved closer and closer to the Republican position, even -- to the outrage of hack liberal pundits everywhere -- going so far as to dangle cuts to Social Security and Medicare (two favorite conservative bugbears) in front of House Majority Leader John Boehner. However, every offer also included revenue increases as well -- some in the form of tax increases on the wealthy, others in the form of loophole-closing tax code reforms -- which Republicans of course had said they would under no circumstances accept.
When you're heading toward a brick wall that requires a deal to avoid, rounds of negotiation that do not result in a deal are damaging to both parties. But this damage isn't always shared equally -- and while Obama has been able to come across as a willing, good faith negotiator interested in a shared solution over personal interest, the GOP has made it this far looking exactly the opposite.
[Edit: In case the point wasn't quite getting through, Sen. Harry Reid brought a measure to the Senate floor Tuesday, which would have called for increased taxes on individuals making more than $1 million per year. Republicans unanimously voted against it.]
Establishment Republicans like Boehner and McConnell are acutely aware not only of this, but of the increasing urgency to reach some deal. That's the only possible reason that McConnell made the offer he did -- he wasn't going to be able to get entitlement cuts without raising revenues, he wasn't going to be able to take a plan that raised revenues back home, and he and his caucus were bleeding political capital by the day. His solution amounted to about the best he could do given the circumstances: Give up on the budget fight (the time had run out to work out "Grand Deals" and "Small Deals"), allow the absolutely necessary debt ceiling increase, but maintain some shred of conservative dignity by building in a way to complain about Democrats' profligate spending a few times before the 2012 elections.
The result was that the White House got exactly what it said it wanted in the beginning: a clean debt ceiling bill, with no cuts to Social Security or Medicare. And Obama emerges looking the better for it -- a fact confirmed by a Quinnipiac poll released today. By a margin of 48-34, voters will blame Republicans over Obama if the debt ceiling isn't raised (there are more interesting optics in the poll, so check it out).
The only thing standing in the way now is Eric Cantor, of whom the nicest thing that can probably be said is that he is a simple brute who doesn't even realize the fall he's setting himself up for at the hands of his congressional colleagues, who he has taken every opportunity to undercut.
So, that's just one dumb motherfucker's take on this. Thoughts?