4th January 2013, 2:48 PM
I put my thoughts on this deal here: http://tcforums.com/forums/showthread.ph...extremists!
Yeah, basically I don't like the deal much at all. The biggest problem is that it leaves the sequester to come back in two months, but without the leverage of tax hikes coming to get Republicans to compromise, which means that the Democrats are probably going to let the Republicans set the narrative again and are probably going to let them win again, as usual (Democrats, actually standing up for what they supposedly believe in? Hah!). Obama's already saying that he refuses to discuss the debt limit again, but when teh Republicans force his hand, what's he doing to do? Will he discuss it anyway, or will he go against his prior opinions on the matter and raise it without Congress's approval, something that is maybe constitutional but he's said he doesn't think he should do? And I am certain that the Republican House WILL force his hand on this, as they will with the sequester.
So yeah, this deal on its own wasn't too bad, but in two months, things will get ugly, and I have no confidence in the Democrats' ability to actually stand up for themselves and push back. They have, after all, rarely done it so far. And given that the stakes include Social Security and Medicare, this is important.
Yeah, basically I don't like the deal much at all. The biggest problem is that it leaves the sequester to come back in two months, but without the leverage of tax hikes coming to get Republicans to compromise, which means that the Democrats are probably going to let the Republicans set the narrative again and are probably going to let them win again, as usual (Democrats, actually standing up for what they supposedly believe in? Hah!). Obama's already saying that he refuses to discuss the debt limit again, but when teh Republicans force his hand, what's he doing to do? Will he discuss it anyway, or will he go against his prior opinions on the matter and raise it without Congress's approval, something that is maybe constitutional but he's said he doesn't think he should do? And I am certain that the Republican House WILL force his hand on this, as they will with the sequester.
So yeah, this deal on its own wasn't too bad, but in two months, things will get ugly, and I have no confidence in the Democrats' ability to actually stand up for themselves and push back. They have, after all, rarely done it so far. And given that the stakes include Social Security and Medicare, this is important.
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