" Republicans’ so-called Cut, Cap & Balance plan doesn’t have 1 chance in a million of passing" Reid

[The Straight Story]

snip:


“If you want to know how important this issue is, listen to the words of Ronald Reagan. This is why he said about the importance of averting this kind of default:
“‘The United States has a special responsibility to itself and the world to meet its obligations. It means we have a well-earned reputation for reliability and credibility – two things that set us apart from much of the world.’

“President Reagan took the threat of default seriously. So do reasonable Republicans in Congress today.

“Yet I fear the closer we get to disaster, the further we get from a deal.

“Democrats have shown they are willing to work with Republicans on any serious, reasonable plan that averts default and cuts the deficit in a balanced way.

“Now it’s time for House Republicans to show they are also willing to get serious, too.

“A plan that would decimate Social Security, Medicare and every other federal benefit while protecting hundreds of billions of dollars in special interest tax breaks is not a serious plan. Republicans’ so-called Cut, Cap and Balance plan doesn’t have one chance in a million of passing the Senate.

“The moment for partisan games is long since passed. It is time patriots on both sides of the aisle joined hands to actually govern.

“I ask, will reasonable Republicans to join us in forging a compromise that is good for the county?”

http://reid.senate.gov/newsroom/pr_072111_compromise.cfm

[FreakinDJ]

1. If DEMs say NO - Pres. is obligated to invoke 14th amendment solution

I don't know how these deluded TeaFuck RATpubliCONs think they have all the power much less a majority of the voters behind them but they are about to get a "Swift Kick in the Pants of Reality"

[Speck Tater]

2. Don't bet on it. Not from a president who has made caving his hallmark. nt

[The Straight Story]

3. I wanna see if Reid fights or just barks well

:)

[Confusious]

5. Not to mention Reid.

two peas in a pod if you ask me.

[Volaris]

4. Yeah, and I wanted to ask a question about that BTW..

Scenario 1) is that the Congress' accepts McConnell's cave position, and the President gets to raise the debt ceiling with out an "approval" from Congress...
Scenario 2) is the Congress fucks this up until it's too late, and the President invokes executive authority to enforce the 14th Amendment, and the debt ceiling goes up by (solely) the Executive action of Law Enforcement.

In EITHER case, the Congress has NOT laid out a framework for how much money can be borrowed, OR for what purpose...

Now, presumably, the President would use that newly-borrowed cash to pay interest on the debt (preventing an ACTUAL default, which is what the whole damn thing is about in the first place) but what if he DIDN'T???

What if the President, having no LEGALLY BINDING instruction from Congress on how much money to borrow, AND no instruction on where to appropriate those funds, just up and decided to borrow what he needed and spent it on whatever the hell he wanted? What if, since Congress decided that they were not going to appropriate the funds for the the President to say, close GITMO like he said he wanted to do, or borrow the funds to cover the cost of opening Medicare to anyone who wants to sign up for it, or any number of things he can't get Congress to pay for at this point in time, he just BORROWED whatever funds he needed to get that done, and fuck what Congress thinks of it, they TRANSFERRED the power to decide what to do with the Nation's borrowed money (either by conscious legislative action, OR BY DEFAULT--hahaha--OF INACTION) TO THE EXECUTIVE BRANCH, so FUCK their opinion ('cause that's ALL it would be, at that point) on where and how all that money gets spent....

I want it noted FOR THE RECORD that I think handing this kind of power to a sitting President, (ANY President) is a REALLY dumb thing to do, as it MASSIVELY expands not only the power but also the functional IDEA of The Imperial Presidency, and I'm fairly well convinced that I've seen enough of that nonsense to last me the rest of my life, NO MATTER how much it might be used in MY/OUR favor rather than THEIRS...

I KNOW that the above scenario is not something that the sitting Executive would ever consider doing, but is such a thing POSSIBLE, legally?

[FreakinDJ]

6. Not really True

no instruction on where to appropriate those funds, just up and decided to borrow what he needed and spent it on whatever the hell he wanted

Congress has already appropriated the funds in Legal and Binding Legislation - the whole argument is how to FUND those obligations

[Volaris]

9. ahhhh ok got it..

in the case of the 14th amendment argument, the Executive can ONLY use any further monies borrowed to pay off ALREADY existing debts, said Executive would NOT be able (legally) to incur NEW ones, is what your getting at. OK cool.

Many thanks=)

[d_b]

7. "...but this other piece of shit bill..."

[provis99]

8. yeah, ok Reid.

Reid barks like a dachshund and acts like a chihuahua.