Durbin to GOP: 'You break it, you own it’

[kpete]

Source: The Hill

Durbin to GOP: 'You break it, you own it’
By Alicia M. Cohn - 07/24/11 12:18 PM ET

......................

On Sunday, Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) said he had six words of warning for House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio): “If you break it, you own it.”

Republicans and the White House have argued the case that the president “owns” the economy, along with its recovery.

Durbin slammed Boehner for calling off debt-ceiling negotiations with the White House on Friday.

“The president negotiated with you in good faith,” Durbin said he would tell Boehner. “You walked away from it. Twice.”

Read more: http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/173149-durbin-warns-boehner-you-break-it-you-own-it

[movonne]

1. I like that answer....

[DesertFlower]

40. so do i.

[peace frog]

46. Yep

[madokie]

62. Yep so do I

I like Dick Durbin,

[salinen]

64. I dislike that answer

In other words, go ahead and ruin the economy, but you'll take the blame. The republicans always ruin the economy, and since they own the media, the democrats take the blame.

[DocMac]

67. Exactly

And just when are we going to have some estimates on who suffers the most when this default occurs?

I know for a fact that the people who live on little can cook some survival stew....but what about the wealthy?

I don't think they could stand a week of the downturn! I'm serious!!

[Gregorian]

2. I thought they already owned it. It was their president who made this mess.

It's Bush's recession. There isn't even an argument. Wars and tax cuts. That's owning it.

We're just trying to clean up their room. And now they won't even help with that.

[left on green only]

18. How conveniently the right wing seems to forget

that when Clinton left office, he left it with a surplus in the treasury. And all along after that, there were no complaints from the right wing, or their even farther right, inbred, single digit IQ lackeys (spelled t e a b a g e r s) about the selling out our childrens' future by incurring federal debt. The reason was because the money was desperately needed to fight wars and give tax breaks to the wealthy (sorry....job creators). But now that the money is being spent to try and grow our economy, while at the same time actually providing for our needy children, as well as care for our poor who have been hardest hit by Bush's destruction of our economy, all of a sudden having the debt has now become the biggest crime imaginable.

I try very hard to be a tolerant man, but in this case I will never be able to forgive these people, such is their overwhelming aura of evil.

[Lorien]

52. The MSM never reminds anyone of these basic facts, nor to the "post partisan"

Democrats, at their own peril.

Love the Durer hare, and welcome to DU! :hi:

[marieo1]

57. economy

the right wing is so worried about our national debt now. where were they when our last president was spending money like crazy. not a one of them complained then!!!

[renate]

59. exactly--and welcome to DU!

:hi:

[DocMac]

68. To be honest!

I think when the Republicans come into power, they have this need to run up everything involving corporations and military, and damned the topedoes!!

Their twisted view is slowly becoming apparent. My cousin just posted about a tea party town hall on facebook! YEAH...bout blew my mind! I called her and her husband and I let them know what they get for their vote...since both are on SSDI! I was on the phone for 45 min. but at least they understand now!

[GoCubsGo]

23. And, they helped him. It's their recession, too.

This mess started on when they controlled Congress from 2001-2007. You can blame it on the handful of compliant Dems, too, if you wish. But, I recall that the Democrats were pretty impotent at that point.

[wizstars]

43. I'm with ya! We gotta pound this home!!!

It's THEIR wars, THEIR tax cuts, THEIR banking de-regulation leading to THEIR Wall Street bailouts....

WE had to be the adults and CLEAN UP THEIR MESS!!!


DON'T BLAME US!!!

[Beavker]

63. K&R

Exactly, polls still show that people blame Bush. I'd like for the Dems to have the same free license to do whatever they wanted to get it going like Bush has killing it. Not that we'd have the balls to do it, or that Obama wouldn't keep throwing the GOP fat, meaty bones, but just give the Left the reins for 8 years and see where our country goes.

-No Wars (big $$$ saved)
-Bush Tax Cuts gone (big $$$ earned)
-Single Payer (big $$$ saved, suck it Wall Street)
-SS funded up the ass because there would be no ceiling and the richies would help fund retiring at a middle class level at the age of 50!
-A society run to benefit the society, not the 'free market' which is not in the constitution as far as I know. People are.

[Gregorian]

69. A society run to benefit the society

I was just riding my bike, and thinking about freedom. There is good and bad freedom. The jungle is free. We worked hard to get out of it.

If we follow the wrong kind of freedom, then we end up right back in the jungle. Democrats care about reducing suffering in the world. Conservatives are centered on their own self interests.

[Liberalynn]

3. Good for him!!

[peace frog]

44. Right on

But do be careful, don't want to sound too complimentary of Durbin. The ugly squad is on patrol.

[DesertDiamond]

4. Wow. I'm floored.

[EvolveOrConvolve]

5. "If you break it, you own it."

Isn't that 7 words?

[Liberalynn]

10. Maybe that's the problem with the economy!!!!

The people running it don't know how to count? :shrug:

[AlbertCat]

28. The people running it don't know how to count?

They proved that with Bush and the 2000 election.

[russspeakeasy]

11. 6 words, one lie. They already own it..

Dick Durbin is no hero either.

[Frank Cannon]

16. Bush bought it for them when he cut taxes while involving us in two wars.

Something that had never before been done in the history of this planet, and for obvious reasons.

[swilton]

33. Obama extended the tax cuts

If he would just have let the tax cuts for the rich expire - end of problem. The Democratic Party enabled this mess.

[Frank Cannon]

35. No argument there.

But for Republicans to try to lay this mess entirely at Obama's feet is ridiculous. I know that most Americans don't have the attention span of a housefly, but I'm pretty sure most of us remember what has happened over the last ten years.

[pansypoo53219]

48. i think he gave it to them to prove they don't work.

10fuckinbg years of NOTHING. job creators my ass.

[Rozlee]

51. The Repubs were holding unemployment benefits hostage unless Obama extended the tax cuts

Keep giving our billionaires their millions in tax cuts or we'll throw poor, unemployed families out of their homes to live under bridges. They've drawn the line in the sand over and over: tax cuts for billionaires, hardship and poverty for the rest of the country. With their threats of filibusters, they can keep holding up progressive reforms indefinitely.

[catgirl]

15. Six words- you is used twice.

[muriel_volestrangler]

29. Five, in that case - 'it' is also used twice

:evilgrin:

[lavenderdiva]

32. this was my first thought as well..... 7 words

perhaps none of them can count!

[nxylas]

58. He omitted the "if"

So it's 6 words.

[Firebrand Gary]

6. I like that I am hearing this.

I realize that in the spirit of bipartisanship, out leaders our reserving their rhetoric. That said, I sure would feel a lot better if I heard more of this language considering whats on the chopping block.

[elleng]

22. Now is the time for it. They've been diplomatic until now.

From now on, no more Mr./Ms. nice guys.

[SaveAmerica]

7. Ooooh, I like it!

[Kingofalldems]

8. Kick and Rec one time for the teabaggers

Durbin is absolutely right.

[peace frog]

9. Goddamn right

Well said, Mr. Durbin.

[russspeakeasy]

12. He will fold as soon as he finds time and gets done patting

himself on the back for stealing a good line. Check old Dicks record before you jump on his bandwagon.

[peace frog]

14. "Bandwagon", HELL

I agreed with the sentiment of his words. I suggest you restrain yourself from jumping to unfounded conclusions.

[Name removed]

37. Deleted sub-thread

Sub-thread removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Politicalboi]

13. I don't like that answer

Does this mean they will do what the Repukes want, and hope the American idiots will know who to blame come Nov 2012? They are sadly mistaken on that.

[Doctor_J]

17. Clever, and meaningless in this situation

no one is going to hold them accountable, or get any concessions from them, so this is silliness.

[Hotler]

19. Sure wish president Obama said those words. Then again he..

does not like laying blame or pointing fingers. Sure wish the president had balls like Dick Cheney.
Would be great for him to tell Boner and Mitch to go fuck themselves.

[Lorien]

53. No, he was happy to point his finger at unhappy Liberals and blame us for the poor

turnout during the 2010 midterms.

[KamaAina]

20. KamaAina to Durbin: This is why I thought you would have made a better majority leader than Reid

right up until you joined the Cat Food Commission, then made it official by collaborating with the "Gang of Six" repukes, including the vile Sen. Coburn. :eyes:

[reformist2]

21. The Big Question: Are the Republicans hostage takers or are they bluffing?

This is what we need to figure out before moving forward.

[ixion]

24. their owning it is the plan

so....

[kestrel91316]

25. That is their INTENT. To OWN the government, and this country, lock, stock, and barrel.

[totodeinhere]

26. Durbin is just posturing. As a member of the Catfood Commission he was more than willing

to sign off on decimating Social Security and Medicare. I lost all respect for him after that.

[Ed Suspicious]

27. ... and isn't the phrase "You break it, You bought it."?

Fucking hacks, the lot of them.

[muriel_volestrangler]

30. Wording is "...you own it" in this Colin Powell interview

http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2007/04/a-conversation-with-colin-powell/5873/

or here:

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=1844476

Wikiquote says that's the version in the Bob Woodward book: http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Colin_Powell

[Ed Suspicious]

31. I guess I'll settle for all variations.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pottery_Barn_rule

My crack research team uncovered relevant info in the link above.

[swilton]

34. The only progressives on the Sunday morning talk shows

were Raul Grijalva (D Ariz) and Donna Edwards (D Md.). All others were Republicans or corporate Democrats like Durbin.

Just love the way he tries to make this a Republican issue when he betrays his own constituency.

[alcibiades_mystery]

36. That's seven words. Just sayin'

Aren't these people professional writers?

:rofl:

[Kall]

38. Don't tell the GOP that in backroom negotiations

while saying they're well-meaning folks with a different point of view in front of the public. Tell them that out in the open in front of the country where people can see it. And act like you mean it. Otherwise, you are going to own the economy.

JFC, this from the Senator on the GD Gang of Six. Don't get me started on that...

[dionysus]

39. that's 7 words. nice editor thehil....

:rofl:

[godai]

41. So, they give Obama an increase good for 6 months. He vetoes this?

Then, who owns it? Knowing the games being played, I think that this is likely, with Obama signing the smaller increase.

[Maineman]

42. Hell, they broke it long ago. And, they already own it.

[unkachuck]

45. the pukes break....

....things all the time like Iraq, Afghanistan, our economy, the environment, etc. and they never 'own it'....as a matter of fact, with the help of their MSM corporate propagandist buddies, the make us 'own it'....

....and guys like Durbin are too chicken-shit to go toe-to-toe with the pukes and their corporate masters, to make them 'own it'....

[AsahinaKimi]

47. The Party of "No" doesn't care...

They want this country to Fail.. The bastards would let the citizens of this country starve to death.
baka tare! Jigoku e ike!

[laylah]

49. That is MY

Senator. Tho' he has pissed me of of late, this is gold! You go, Senator Durbin! :bounce:

[progressoid]

50. They break it, they own it. We have to pay to fix it.

[Kablooie]

54. I wish but history has shown they break it, we own it.

Dems just don't have the ability to place blame where it belongs.
They always let the GOP blame them and then simply play defense.
They don't know how to play offense.

[toddwv]

55. +100

Definitely. The Republicans have been breaking it for the last 30 years.
They've been breaking it DELIBERATELY!
They've been telling everybody that they want to break it!

And yet the Dems lose the House in 2008.

I keep hoping that the American people wake up and actually listen to what the right-wing is saying that they want to do to this country and the American people keep disappointing me.

[nolabels]

56. The dude is calling out the wrong guy

If wants to make issue he should be calling out President Obama for not being firmer with the House Speaker Boehner. In street psychology Johnny boy is the kind of guy who doesn't do what he supposed to until he gets his ass whipped good. Kind of a pouty guy who needs stimulation

[glinda]

60. Isn't the intention to break it so they can own it?

[MessiahRp]

61. Me to Durbin: Who gives a fuck? If it's broke, we all own it... and suffer.

This isn't about political gamesmanship this is about making sure that the Government doesn't default. Obama was saying SS checks wouldn't go out. Why? SS has NOTHING to do with the debt. It's completely unrelated and self sufficient. But of course that's who he would attack first. Republicans don't give a fuck about anybody but their rich friends. That is clear. So for them, it means nothing to destroy America. For Democrats though, all this, 'let's get an extension but not push for tax increases' nonsense that they're doing now is enabling the Republicans to get their way and if they do it will still be broken, even if the debt ceiling is raised.

Obama needs to use the 14th Amendment, raise the debt ceiling and then Democrats need to go after tax raises on the rich - NOT CUTS TO SS OR MEDICARE, with Media Buys, on every TV show, in every speech, they need to get the affiliated third party groups to start hammering it as well. Let's go to war with this. Over 80+% of the American public AGREES with our side. FIGHT FOR THIS and we can both do the right thing AND score political points. Instead of always ONLY worrying about political points, which is why Obama caves every fucking time out.

Rp

[RickFromMN]

65. What matters is how this sordid affair gets spun just before the election.

Most people only know there is a problem raising the debt ceiling.
They don't know, and don't care about the details.

Come election time, the Republicans will try to place the blame on Obama and the Democrats.

Will Obama be tough enough to shove back when this happens?
I'm afraid Obama will try to be accommodating, conciliatory, and won't shove back.
I'm afraid the people who don't pay attention to politics will believe the Republicans.

Why doesn't Obama show a spine to anyone besides the left?
It feels like Obama is always on the run from the right, always afraid to fight the right.

Is the country really this far right? Does Obama believe most of the country is to the right?

[pam4water]

66. Bah humbug they GOP and everything else is already owned by at top 0.4% :(