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gab13by13

(20,849 posts)
Tue May 16, 2023, 08:08 AM May 2023

Was It A Good Idea For Biden To Negotiate With McCarthy?

I mean the negotiations are being billed as an attempt to break the log jam to raising the debt limit.

Shouldn't raising the debt ceiling be a separate issue from negotiating future spending?

The 2 issues are now combined and I fear that when no agreement is reached on spending it will be portrayed as a failure to negotiate raising the debt ceiling.

Is there even a remote possibility that Kevin McCarthy has the power to negotiate a spending deal with President Biden?

Sorry, but that's my take.

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Scrivener7

(50,773 posts)
2. I think Joe has been to this rodeo before and didn't do well. He knows how to
Tue May 16, 2023, 08:54 AM
May 2023

do it this time.

This was the optics part. But so far, I haven't seen any indications that Biden is offering anything. Which is the correct way to approach it.

gab13by13

(20,849 posts)
3. All that I am saying
Tue May 16, 2023, 09:03 AM
May 2023

is that these negotiations will be billed by the MSM as a failure by both parties to raise the debt limit.

I am not that smart but I don't see how these negotiations reach any kind of agreement, so why do it?

Scrivener7

(50,773 posts)
5. As I said, optics. He has to appear to be willing to negotiate.
Tue May 16, 2023, 09:06 AM
May 2023

If he didn't, they would plaster that all over the press in a second and then be free to trash the economy and blame him for it.

ProudMNDemocrat

(16,468 posts)
4. The debt on what has been spent as determined by Congress
Tue May 16, 2023, 09:04 AM
May 2023

And what has yet to be spent are 2 different entities.

Cutting the heart out to save the body makes NO sense. Joe knows that. Kevin does not.

Chainfire

(17,304 posts)
10. Cutting the heard out of the body does make sense if you plan to charge your
Tue May 16, 2023, 10:57 AM
May 2023

opponent with the murder.

wiggs

(7,788 posts)
7. I have faith in Biden...but in general dems, pundits, and journalists have been terrible at
Tue May 16, 2023, 10:06 AM
May 2023

providing context, explaining processes, and properly framing issues around the debt.

Very little mention of taxes

Very little discussion of congress's role in solving problems that arise and that the gop wants to go back to not solving problems. Easy to conclude that the gop makes problems, dems solve them.

The 'credit card' analogy that the gop brings up is not accurate...a strawman

Very little correction when false claims about SS 'bankruptcy' and contribution to debt is thrown out there

Trump is often credited for 8 trillion of the debt...implying that the rest is the responsibility of...dems? As it happens, GOP administrations are responsible for much more but the discussion usually ends with Trump

The successes of social security and medicare are not discussed nearly enough...along with the horrific alternatives if they weren't around

Much more discussion is needed of the great and/or necessary programs the feds do spend on. Infrastructure, education, yes military to some degree, foreign aid to help keep the world stable, research, public health, funding of states' ability to address critical problems, regulation...etc

and much much more. Sometimes I think dem leaders assume that the public knows how government works...not the case at all. THIS IS NOT A HARD CASE TO MAKE and yet I think much of the public remains misinformed

ProudMNDemocrat

(16,468 posts)
12. The Senior Living facility I currently live in
Tue May 16, 2023, 11:18 AM
May 2023

More than half the residents rely on Social Security and Medicare. How much they have in liquid assets, investments, retirement savings, I do not know. The average age is 83.

Any cuts in Social Security and Medicare will be felt hard.

maxsolomon

(32,975 posts)
14. If those happen, they fall on younger people who don't collect yet.
Tue May 16, 2023, 11:30 AM
May 2023

Republics are dumb, but they're not that dumb.

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