Obama’s Genius Labeling of GOP Demands Extortion Has Already Won The Debt Ceiling Fight

[Tx4obama]

Obama’s Genius Labeling of GOP Demands Extortion Has Already Won The Debt Ceiling Fight

Obama use of the term extortion to describe the House Republican debt ceiling demands was a step forward in a strategy that has already made it a near certainty that he will win this standoff.

-snip- (video)

-snip- (transcript)

President Obama effectively ended any Republican hopes of getting a political victory on the debt ceiling when he called their demands extortion. Nobody likes being extorted. The American people don’t like feeling like they are being shaken down. The White House knows this, which is why they are using such strong language to criticize the Republicans. Obama is doing the same thing to House Republicans that he has been doing to the entire party for the last few years. The president is defining them before they can define themselves.

Obama is taking the same tactics that he used to define Mitt Romney in the summer of 2012 and applying them to John Boehner and his House Republicans. While Republicans are fighting among themselves and gearing up for another pointless run at defunding Obamacare, the president is already winning the political battle over the debt ceiling. His comments today were a masterstroke of strategy that will pay political dividends now and in the future. If the president is successful anytime a Republican talks about defunding Obamacare, the American people will think extortion. Republicans keep insisting on unconstitutional plots to kill Obamacare, and the president is calling them out on it.

Republicans haven’t realized it yet, but while they are chasing the fool’s gold of defunding Obamacare they have already lost on the debt ceiling. By caving to the lunatic fringe in his party, John Boehner may have handed control of the House of Representatives back to Democrats on a silver platter.

-snip-

Full post here: http://www.politicususa.com/2013/09/18/obamas-genius-labeling-gop-demands-extortion-won-debt-ceiling-fight.html

[Wilms]

1. Go get 'em!

That's the guy we all Hope for.

[cui bono]

2. Finally. I hope it works!

We've known it was extortion and called it out as such the last go around.

Glad to see Obama taking it up a notch.

[blkmusclmachine]

3. Meh.

Too little, and too late. By years.

[cliffordu]

13. Hmm....Grapes that sour??

[lefairhill06]

19. Never Too Late

Every time the House GOP does something foolish, or the Congress fails to take appropriate or even sensible action there seems to be a new groundswell against the President. Last time I checked, he gets one vote for each of a limited number of Illinois legislators -- and Senator Kirk notwithstanding, they do not represent the crux of the problem. Too many Americans of all stripes, including progressives, gave the GOP a standing 30-year start on local elections in many States -- now, when it appears there are some people beginning to understand the need for progressive action at the Federal (as well as the more local) levels, they seem to expect a President, any President, to speak instead of them. Voting is democracy's voice -- and we're not doing enough of it; in any district in any State of this nation, there are many people who believe in democratic principles and many, if not all, of the policies of this Administration. How many progressives, even if at this moment they live in "safe" blue districts or States are actively working to run for office, advocate for changes they believe in, and/or finding new voters?

[Iliyah]

4. Issa is one of them leading

the charge to defund Obamacare and shutdown the Government. These effers don't give a sh** about America nor the welfare of its people. Call them effers out!!!!

[dem in texas]

5. One of GOP's Sugar Daddy's is asking them to call it off.

The National Chamber of Commerce, one of the big money haulers for the GOP, is calling for them to stop the shut-down threats. I am glad that Obama is calling it like it is. About Time!

[Sheepshank]

11. If I remember correctly Chamber of Commerce tried to warn off the GOP last time too n/t

[libdem4life]

14. There are thousands of small town Chambers they represent, as well. In the rural, non-suburban

areas, small business, individual business attitudes are different.

[freshwest]

6. Obama and all the Democrats knew what it was just as we did all along. He knows the monsters in DC.

Naturally, the media will not give him any credit for standing up for the ones most affected, as he always has done. The poor, elderly, disabled; those in need of a job, food, a home or healthcare do not have the leisure to bloviate for tens of millions of dollars as most of the worst of the shills. Those people are invisible, not in their class or whatever. But dammit if we didn't show up and vote, and we'll do it again.

[Triana]

7. IMO it IS extortion! n/t

[Enrique]

8. I say stick with rope a dope

nothing beats rope a dope.

[sheshe2]

9. Good for Obama!

I hope this crushes the GOP.

GOTV 2014!

[Rain Mcloud]

10. Boner is holding the health and welfare of America

Hostage to appease the Medical industry donor's.
What else though would you expect from the mental midgets in the house which hence forth shall be known as the Recalcitrance Party.
Good luck in the mid-terms dumb asses!

[libdem4life]

12. Thanks for a thread of Hope for Change with the heavy hand of power behind it.

[hue]

15. Repuke's obstructionism has to stop!! Shine the light of truth President Obama!!

[SleeplessinSoCal]

16. Here's hoping that the insanity on the right will finally subside.

It's been extortion since he was elected. How on earth Obama has managed multiple world crises and an angry right wing mob is truly amazing.

[Cha]

17. And, chuck todd is crying in his

martinis.

thanks Tx!

[Doctor_J]

18. can we wait until it's over to declare victory?

I seem to remember lots of celebration during the Bush tax cut debate, claiming the president had painted them into a corner. Remember how that turned out

[cui bono]

20. Actually, when I read your heading it made me think of all the posts about Summers

and how he wasn't nominated, just wait and see. And now the TPP is getting the same meme, it hasn't happened yet, nothing to not like since it doesn't exist.

And basically anything else that is being considered that people post concern about, the response is usually "wait and see" or "you don't know what will happen" but now all of a sudden it's okay to praise Obama (for calling something what we called it a year ago) and declaring victory before it has happened.

Same old black and white thinking. Praise good, criticism bad.

[Scurrilous]

21. K & R

[quadrature]

22. another bus tour...just wonderful ...

the ninth one this year, I believe.
the issue is, fiscal cliff, sequester, shutdown.

yah, whatever

[yurbud]

23. why didn't he say it last time?