WaPo - "The Morning Plum: The GOP’s debt limit strategy is insane. People should say so."

[TomCADem]

Another article that for a change, calls out the false equivalency being used by the corporate media to prop up the GOP and hammer Democrats:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/plum-line/wp/2013/09/26/the-morning-plum-the-gops-debt-limit-strategy-is-insane-people-should-say-so/

So here’s the question that is, or should be, central to grasping the true nature of the current fight over the GOP drive to block Obamacare. How, exactly, would Republicans be making any concessions in agreeing to raise the debt limit?

This morning brings new details about the GOP’s strategy. With the Senate set to send a “clean CR” stripped of Obamacare defunding back to the House, Republicans are close to accepting that the shutdown push will fail. So they will ask for a comical list of concessions in exchange for raising the debt limit – including an Obamacare delay.

* * *

It remains to be seen whether major commentators and news orgs will clearly and forthrightly reckon with — and convey to readers — how insane the GOP position here really is. I laid out the reasons for this yesterday, but the short version is that Democrats are not asking Republicans to give up anything in requesting that they support a debt limit hike. They are not asking Republicans to agree to more spending. They are not asking for new taxes. They are simply asking Republicans to join them in making it possible for Congress to pay obligations it has already incurred, and in so doing, avert economic catastrophe for the whole country. There is no rationale for giving Republicans anything in return for this.

Yet story after story portrays this as a battle in which both sides are asking the other to make concessions, and in which it remains to be seen whether a compromise will be reached. But the real ”compromise” position here is one in which Republicans and Dems cooperate to avert economic catastrophe for the country. It is not a “compromise” if Dems unilaterally give up concessions in exchange for Republican cooperation in making it possible to pay debts already incurred and thus averting economic disaster for all of us. In this scenario, Republicans aren’t giving up anything. Only Dems are.

[djean111]

1. No, it is not insane at all.

The Dems always blink.

[TomCADem]

2. Blame the hostage note recipient, not the kidnapper?

I think your view is widespread and that it enables Republicans. Rather than holding Republicans accountable for threatening to shoot the hostage, we blame Democrats for the possibility that they would pay the ransom. The rationale is that "Republicans are crazy." For goodness sakes, Republicans are not special needs kids who need reasonable accommodation, they are elected leaders who have as much responsibility for our Nation's well being as Democratic elected officials. Given them a free pass enables Republicans to engage in such irresponsible acts. Worse, by blaming Democrats for the crises caused by Republicans, it further encourages Republicans to engage in such behavior.

[djean111]

3. I have no control over the Republicans.

What exactly does "giving them a free pass" entail, anyway? I cannot withdraw my support, they know they do not have my vote.
All I can really do is observe what actually happens.
I see posts complaining that we should spend our time criticizing the GOP instead of criticizing what the Dems do about the GOP.

I am damn sure the GOP knows we hold it in contempt; they don't care what we say.

We have the little hope that perhaps we can have a tiny voice in what our "side" does - that is what is happening here, I think.
Constant praise no matter what the Dems do seems stupid, really. And yeah, blame the GOP - but the GOP does not care, it emboldens them. They are not working their ill will for anyone but their base and their paymasters. That's kind of a funny thing - we progressives are admonished that politicians must consider ALL the people, but the GOP is quite clear about only helping their base and their bosses. And we are supposed to accept that - and think things will get better.
The GOP base gets mad at the GOP, the GOP dances to its tune. The Dem base gets mad, we are told to sit down and shut up.

I am waiting to see what happens to the extortion note - if we give in to an iota of it, they have won, they will just strike something off the list as done, and resubmit the list next time. Why have a "grand" (now there is a loaded word) bargain, anyway?

[TomCADem]

4. Fox and Right Wingers Share This View

They are relentless in attacking Democrats, liberals, gays, immigrants, etc., which is why I think they can unify in their opposition despite the fact that their are huge disparities within their own coalition. Look at the Pope's recent statements on poverty and immigrants, which is conveniently ignored by the media, thus prominent Republicans Catholics like Paul Ryan get no heat whatsoever.

In other words, I think right wingers and their media apparatus are effective despite the fact that they are wildly out of the mainstream because they focus most of their attention on their adversaries. When there is infighting, it is big news, because it is relatively rare. Of course, it means that they are ineffectual when it comes to compromise, because their whole coalition is built on opposing Democrats, thus they can't unify when it comes to actually reaching a workable deal.

Finally, the one thing that I think moderates, independents, Democrats, etc., should be able to unify around is the idea that you do no threaten to plunge the country into a depression or shut it down to achieve a political end that you cannot achieve because you are in the minority. That is borderline treasonous. It is one thing to disagree. It is another thing to actively threaten to cause harm if everyone does not accept the narrow political agenda of a minority.

The problem I see is that rather than condemning their tactics, the public has been conditioned to admire such tactics as good negotiating. This is what needs to come to an end, because it threatens our entire system of government as well as our economy. It is a dangerous false equivalency to blame Democrats for the actions of Republicans. We need to hold all of our elected officials accountable for their own actions. Thus, while I demand that Democrats not give in on this extortion, I am most mad at Republicans for trying to blackmail Democrats with their threats to plunge the Nation into depression.

[djean111]

5. Of course I am most mad at the GOP.

But I am now just waiting to see the results of their extortion.
There is nothing to praise as yet, and I have gotten very wary and cynical.
Can't be helped.