Senate GOP leadership aide: Obama killed 'Gang of Six' by embracing it

[whosinpower]

snip - --A Senate Republican leadership aide emails with subject line “Gang of Six”: “Background guidance: The President killed any chance of its success by 1) Embracing it. 2) Hailing the fact that it increases taxes. 3) Saying it mirrors his own plan.”

http://www.dailykos.com/


I am not sure about the authenticity of this statement, given that it originates from Politico...but thought it might be interesting conversation.

[Bok_Tukalo]

1. The perfect Catch-22

The House cannot pass a bill Republicans believe the President would sign.

[Richardo]

2. That's it in a nutshell.

Nicely put! :patriot:

[unblock]

6. by design, of course.

their primary mission is to oppose obama at every turn; to obstruct, derail, delay, deny, filibuster, and object. if obama's for it, they're against it; if obama's against it, they're for it. if obama flip-flops, they flop-flip. if obama's black, they're wh... heeeeeyyyyy! :evilgrin:

what happens to the american economy is fairly low on their list of priorities.

[Cali_Democrat]

3. LOL

What a bunch of clowns.

[emulatorloo]

4. Love it, thanks for posting.

[barbtries]

5. well of course.

the republicans are not interested in working WITH this president. hasn't that been made abundantly clear already?

what a crappy reason to shitcan a course of action! and i am not endorsing the plan i cannot speak to that, i'm just saying no matter how wonderful it was if it comes from the president or he's on board with it the mofos are running in the other direction. screw what's good for the country.

if anything i find it mildly surprising that someone would say that out loud. but then mcconnell (right?) did say out loud that all he wanted from this congress was for Barack Obama to be a one-term president, so i shouldn't be surprised at all.

[jenmito]

7. That's exactly right. Obama's no fool. He KNEW that would happen. n/t

[CakeGrrl]

11. Yep. They're so easily played because they're such reliable obstructionists. -nt

[Cali_Democrat]

14. So Obama didn't really like the gang of six plan?

Obama said the gang of six proposal is broadly consistent with the approach he wanted.

You're saying Obama said this knowing that it would kill the plan?

[BklnDem75]

15. Considering he hasn't really looked at the plan...

when he made that statement, I think that's a safe bet.

[jenmito]

21. Correct. n/t

[CakeGrrl]

29. Anyone paying attention to Republicans since Obama took office would know

that they have been steadfast and unified in their opposition to him.

It's been said again and again.

And yes, the President is AWARE of this and is taking advantage of it.

[Armstead]

17. No I tghink he wants the GOP and Democrats to go along with it

[jenmito]

20. No he doesn't. He knows they won't go along with it. He's for it-they're against it. n/t

[Raine1967]

8. Could you provide a permalink? EOM

[BklnDem75]

12. Daily News link

President Obama's embrace of a bipartisan breakthrough on contentious debt talks may have doomed the deal.

Obama went out of his way to hail a $4 trillion proposal unveiled Tuesday by a bipartisan "Gang of Six" senators, calling it "a very significant step" that mirrors the balanced, pain-for-all approach he has pressed in negotiations to raise the $14.3 trillion debt ceiling and curb runaway spending.

But a high-ranking Republican aide told Politico.com that Obama's cheerleading would immediately turn off conservatives in the Republican-controlled House.


http://www.nydailynews.com/news/politics/2011/07/20/2011-07-20_gop_will_nix_bipartisan_gang_of_six_debt_proposal_because_obama_took_credit_for_.html

[Raine1967]

28. Thanks!

I've been hearing rumours that Obama is set to cave into a short term debt ceiling resolution. I don;t know what to think, since everything is happening so fast and furiously.

This, once again, proves my theory to wait until the dust settles. Lotsa things are happening all at once right now. EVERYTHING in my opinion is being leaked as a simple matter of politics.

[Celebration]

9. Funny

They have been trying to make him come out with his own plan, so by doing that he killed its chances. :rofl:

[EC]

10. So I guess he has to do what so many parents do around the

world...reverse psychology...approve of what he doesn't and disapprove of that that he does...what a bunch of 2 year olds...

[CakeGrrl]

31. Exactly. Consider who he has to deal with in Congress. -nt

[Lucky Luciano]

13. It has gotten to the point that if Obama wants something to pass, he must publicly oppose it.

If he does not want something, he must embrace it.

As ridiculous as that sounds, it is the closest strategy to working with the repubs that I can think of. They are fucking crazy.

[Bobbie Jo]

16. This makes infinitely more sense than the

"he wants to serve catfood to old people" theory. :tinfoilhat:

[freshwest]

46. +1

[mzmolly]

18. LOL - sounds like what Larry O'Donnell said would happen. If Obama is for something

they're against it. :rofl:

Though I didn't see the embrace, I'm glad the media has spun it that way if this is the end result.

[jenmito]

22. Yup. O'Donnell said it days ago. He, unlike Ed Schultz, gets it. n/t

[tblue37]

47. I like the DU post that phrased Obama's comments as

"smearing his cooties all over" the Gang of Six plan so that the Republicans would have to oppose it.

[ClarkUSA]

19. I was saying that all yesterday. Nice to have more confirmation of Pres. Obama's strategic genius.

Obama supporters and other politically savvy types like Steve Benen and Lawrence O'Donnell are smart enough to have known this all along.

[great white snark]

23. You were saying but it was falling on deaf ears.

Except for us savvy Obama supporters.

:toast:

[FrenchieCat]

25. Correction!

Us Savvy Stupid M*therf*kers, you must mean.

[Armstead]

26. Huh? So now we're fighting something by supporting it?

And I guess now we'll also supporting something by opposing it?

Okay, let's send those awful unions to oblivion because they are so corrupt.

That'll do a lot to revive the labor movement.

Hey, while we're at it, let's get rid of that horrible Clean Air Act. That'll do a lot to deal with climate change.

Lire gets quite bizarre in this new world of 24-Dimensional Chess.

[great white snark]

27. Yes, within the confines of this debate. (nt)

[CakeGrrl]

32. It's pretty basic reverse psychology.

As I said above, it's been clear to anyone paying attention since the President took office that Republicans were committed to opposing him in lockstep (something that Dems just aren't able to do).

And do it they've done.

They're so predictable about it that the President can use their behavior to his advantage.

[Armstead]

37. Duplicate post

Oops

[Armstead]

38. If he doesn't believe in what he says, that is a bad long term strategy

If he starts parroting GOP talking points, then it is going to be mighty hsrd for him -- and all Democrats -- to actually generate support for the opposing positions.

Nobody will know what they actually believe.

NOt to mention that it adds to the mistrust of politics and government, ehich ultimately also gives rhe advantage to the corporate oligarchs and wild eyed wingnuts.

[CakeGrrl]

39. The bottom line is the RESULT.

And that will be one thing that will be parsed for clarity up and down.

Everything else going on right now is political maneuvering to get to the end result.

The President has said over and over what he wants. The problem on DU is some people simply choose to think he's lying. That's their prerogative and we'll find out who was on the right speculation track soon enough.

[Armstead]

42. Tbe result will be an even more muddled message that validates...

....right wing and corpirate premises.

Maybe this will succeed in getting the debt ceiling passef but it is further tightening the straightjacket that prevents real solutions and reinforces the Norquist and Rove crowd.

Clarity? This tosses another bucket of mud into the water.

[TheBigotBasher]

36. President Obama should declare full support for the

Bush tax cuts, propose no more troop reductions in Iraq and Afghanistan and come out in opposition to carbon trading.

Within minutes the Teabaggers would become environmental peaceniks in comparison.

[Ikonoklast]

24. But...but...but...HE SAID... I HEARD...OR READ OR SOMETHING!1!!!!!

RIGHT HERE ON DU!!!!!!!1111!SENIORS WERE GONNA DIE!1!!!1!!OBAMA CAVED!!!!1!!!!!!CAPITULATOR!!!!!!!!!11111!1!!!11!1!1










Mr. Obama, once again, drinks their milkshake, he drinks it aaaaaaalllll up!

[Raine1967]

30. Tee and a hee. I tell ya this:

with all these theories, someone is gonna be proven right. Right now, I want to see what happens.

Politics is much more than punditry.

[woolldog]

33. that's funny

I could've sworn ClarkUSA was defending the gang of 6 plan as a good plan just yesterday.

[ClarkUSA]

35. Prove it. Quote?

[woolldog]

43. seriously?

you were extolling some of the virtues of the plan just yesterday.

:spank:

[ClarkUSA]

44. Again, quote where I was "defending the gang of 6 plan as a good plan".

Hmm?

[whosinpower]

34. Have you guys read the cut, cap and balance bill?

It makes the gang of six proposal look very moderate.

I'm just saying.....I remain somewhat skeptical whether Obama is playing 11 dimensional chess, or if he really wants the gang's plan.

And if I were to weigh the consequences of a default vs the CCB, or the gang of six...I am not sure which is worse for America. They are all bad choices. And for President Obama....they will all carry a burden to his presidency. What to do?

McConnell does not want to do ANYTHING to help the president - so we can know right up front that he places America at the bottom of the pit - party first. CCB is horrific. Trully horrific - and it was made that way on purpose. Because they know up front that it will not pass.....I think the democrats should all vote present the day of the vote in the senate. Force the republicans to vote against their own bill. And if they don't - then they OWN it. If they do vote it down - there is always the stinking backup McConnell plan.

[Liberal_Stalwart71]

40. Another kick in the ass from Obama to the Rethugs!!! Come on, DU, use your brains!

Rachel Maddow has spent the better part of the year explaining to us this strategy:

The Republicans put forward a plan. As soon as Obama/The Dems embrace their ideas, the Teabaggers/Repukes rally against it!!

[Proud Liberal Dem]

41. So

The Republicans will oppose ANYTHING- even if some of their members happened to help put it together- if and when President Obama embraces it?

:wtf:

I guess they really don't expect to ever get anything signed into law? Well, that should make things simpler for President Obama. Maybe he should announce that he supports the Ryan plan too and Republicans will abandon their support for that as well. Maybe he should say that he supports the RNC platform and get them to abandon that as well!

:crazy:

[demgrrrll]

45. There was another tell yesterday when both Pelosi and Hoyer

made statements that they would not support the plan and without some democratic support the plan was doa. I have been around here since the first fish crawled to land and I have never seen anything like this some of the comments amaze me.