When I was on Mark Thompson’s show last week, the fill-in host was one of these “let’s back the administration no matter what” kind of people. He was indignant that I said the budget deal was nothing to brag about, and he took umbrage at that.
Locking in austerity in order to prevent the Republicans from shooting themselves in the foot again is NOT a win, no matter how you slice it. Sounds like Digby’s on the same wavelength.
How could the host be indignant? That was a horrible “bipartisan” deal. Any theoretical cuts on the DoD side will be restored in the Senate, leaving only elements of Team ‘D”s base getting stuck for the “shared” sacrifices.
I’m checking on appearances of my congress critters over the Xmas break, so that I can convey just that sentiment. Bipartisanship and ‘able to work across the aisle’ are just other ways to say “let’s fuck the working person.”
How are Republicans “shooting themselves in the foot” if allowed to get the budget they actually want? Their strategy is far less focused on the White House than the lefts is and at the state and local level the bulk of the Republican extremists are doing well. There is little evidence any sitting conservative senator, rep, governor or state senator/rep is in any danger.
How are Republicans “shooting themselves in the foot” if allowed to get the budget they actually want?
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How did you get that meaning out of that statement? The alternative to Dem austerity doesn’t need to be Republican austerity. The Dems could, you know, offer something besides the shit sandwich in order to contrast themselves from the R’s. They could offer a good budget and every time Ted Cruz shoots it down, they could offer a bigger and better budget until “compromise” becomes a two way street again. Instead we’ve got a budget that is worse than what Paul Ryan ran unsuccessfully on.