TPM: Obama & Dems' "colossal failure" in not reminding the public where fiscal problems originated

[highplainsdem]

http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2011/04/its-a-deal-dems-republicans-strike-spending-deal-to-avoid-government-shutdown.php

TPMDC
It's A Deal: Dems, Republicans Strike Spending Deal To Avoid Government Shutdown
Brian Beutler | April 8, 2011, 11:15P

-snip-

That the government will stay open should come as little solace to Boehner -- who to his credit knew the political fallout would harm Republicans. This was a little fight. Puny even. It was the easiest test he'll face all year, and he barely passed. In just a few weeks, he'll have to convince the same petulant bloc in his party to support raising the debt limit, or force the country into default. When that's done, he'll have to run point on yet another spending fight -- to keep the government running next year. In both looming battles, Boehner will demand more spending cuts. But the remaining accounts are much larger, and they pay for programs that have defined Democrats for multiple generations of liberals -- popular entitlements like Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security. The former two in particular are issues where there's no common ground between the two parties. And yet they're where all the money is.

This means the legislative politics in America have whipsawed over the course of a year from whether and how to provide universal health care in the United States, to which social programs ought to be cut or annihilated. That the focal point of policy on Capitol Hill is on what should be cut -- and not when to cut, or whether cutting is even wise -- illustrates just how brief the progressive moment lasted after Obama's election in 2008. It also represents a colossal failure of government.

To the extent that the United States does have an immediate fiscal problem, it can be traced to three causes -- two systemic, one acute, and none Obama's fault: Bush tax cuts, unfunded Bush administration spending policies (the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and Medicare Part D) and plummetting tax revenue following the 2008 financial crisis and ensuing recession.

These problems helped Obama get elected. They also required him and Democrats, politically, not to let the public forget where the problems came from. When they failed at that, Republicans took an albatross that rested rightly with them and hung it around the Democrats' necks.

-snip-

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

1. "...the progressive moment ..."

I'd laugh if I wasn't crying.

[highplainsdem]

9. +1

[Bozita]

2. Amen!

[kentuck]

3. I'll be the first to say....

I don't think Obama should be on the negotiating team.

[indepat]

4. The President knows exactly the major causes of the fiscal problems and could easily have

hung this albatross squarely around the Republicans necks with stinging, eloquent excoriation had he so chosen, so how about none of this selling him short. :patriot:

[Kablooie]

5. Obama's about keeping the waters smooth.

He's not about cracking the whip or laying blame or serving justice.

As a result, in each successive uproar the waters will become increasingly turbulent because everyone knows there are no negative repercussions to extreme, destructive, criminal behavior.

[pansypoo53219]

6. hopefully keeping their powder dry for the campaign.

during the conventions and REMIND people about the 90's.

[SolutionisSolidarity]

7. But telling the truth about Republicans isn't post partisan!

You mean fighting with both hands tied behind your back while blindfolded has somehow proven to be a poor strategy? Who could have foreseen this?

[gratuitous]

8. Oh, like Obama could just, go on national television or something

Gee whiz, he's just a man, people. Not a messiah not the savior. How in the world could he get a message across about what the cause of our fiscal crisis is? He'd have to call all the media people together in some kind of a conference or something. How could he possibly do anything like that?

Besides, we'll get a chance to watch the whole sorry spectacle again in about three weeks. We'll see if it's those greedy poor people or those uppity women who take the hit this time around.