Mitch McConnell Thinks You’re Stupid

[babylonsister]

http://talkingpointsmemo.com/cafe/mitch-mcconnell-thinks-you-re-stupid


Mitch McConnell Thinks You’re Stupid
Seth D. Michaels – January 30, 2014, 6:00 AM EST


Imagine, for a moment, that Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll were to go on ESPN with an unusual announcement about Sunday's Super Bowl. He says his team will refuse to kick off to the Broncos unless the Broncos spot them a field goal in exchange.

snip//

Shouldn't the political press weigh in when someone makes an equally absurd demand about something more substantive than a football game?

On Sunday, Sen. Mitch McConnell did exactly that.

What I’m saying is we ought to attach something significant for the country to {President Obama's} request to increase the debt ceiling…it’s irresponsible not to use the discussion — the request of the President to raise the debt ceiling — to try to accomplish something for the country.

That's right: once again, the Senate minority leader insisted congressional Republicans have to use the debt ceiling to extract concession. McConnell's brilliance is just how much dishonesty he can pack into so few words.

At the heart of McConnell's audacious bull is his reference to "the request of the President to raise the debt ceiling," in order to give the impression that a debt ceiling increase is a favor to President Obama. It's not and he knows it.

This is actually pretty simple. Congress sets revenue levels. Congress sets spending levels. That's how the system works, as laid out in the Constitution.

The Obama administration has to spend at the levels Congress sets. Obama can't just decide to spend more or less or tax more or less. The one quirk is that the Treasury Department technically has to get authorization from Congress to borrow if the spending levels Congress has set are above the revenue levels Congress has set. "The president's request" to raise the debt ceiling is essentially permission to do what Congress -- including McConnell -- has already legally and Constitutionally required the president to do.

McConnell is saying it would be "irresponsible" to allow the President to do what Congress already mandated that he do.

snip//

Mitch McConnell thinks we're stupid enough to let him get away with this. Political reporters shouldn't help him out.

[sendero]

1. Well..

.... the feeling is mutual. Enjoy your last days in office, "sir".

[Jackpine Radical]

8. Dammit. Someone always jumps me to the easy ones.

I was just gonna say, "We're even."

[Liberalynn]

11. I was thinking the same thing that fair is fair

cause that's what I think about him, except I think he's beyond stupid.

[Scuba]

2. You stick to that Mitch, I'm sure it'll help you a lot. Really, stick to it.

[Adrahil]

3. Let them try it.

They'll either fold and look weak, or do it and destroy the Republican brand. Whatever the case, Obama CANNOT knuckle under to these goons.

[okaawhatever]

4. The whole point is that Mitch is trying to make the debt level increase sound unique to Obama and

Obama's fault. He's implying that Obama is spending above the budget passed by Congress which is a big lie. I've said it before and I'll say it again, the media and campaign finance are our real enemies. The Republicans wouldn't exist in their current form without those two things.

[demwing]

7. And it all begins with the media

we'll never get serious reform if we allow ourselves to eat the corporate media propaganda cookies.

Historically, how does a populace fight an entrenched, monied propaganda machine? Are there example of such a machine being taken down from within?

[B Calm]

5. He must think we're stupid. Hell he even made a video

that boasts about him supporting Government Sponsored Health Care in a new campaign ad"

#t=0

[Arkana]

6. So they pass a budget...but then they refuse to pay for that budget.

Wow. Good work if you can get it.

[JDPriestly]

9. It is essential that President Obama explain this very clearly to the American people.

Our debt is what we have already allocated and probably spent.

We have spent the money and not just a little of it on Bush's wars. They are going to have to join the rest of the country in paying what they have already spent.

Jerry Brown swallowed the bullet in California and changed our accounts ledger from Schwarzenegger red to Brown blue. How? He asked the people of the state to agree to pay higher sales taxes and impose higher income taxes on the wealthier among us. Makes sense. It works.

So that is what McConnell should ask America to do.

By the way, I can't imagine that there are a lot of billionaires in Kentucky so Kentuckians should not oppose raising taxes on the 1% to pay of the national debt all that much. Taking the responsible stance on paying off the national debt should not cost McConnell a lot of votes.

[Spitfire of ATJ]

10. Most of the reporters in the Beltway believe raising the debt ceiling is increasing welfare.

[Caeser67]

12. Sadly.............

Mitch McConnell KNOWS, that way too many of our fellow Citizens, are indeed stupid.

Hopefully, the memories of those impacted by the GOP's last theater performance, are still intact.

Fingers crossed.

[wandy]

13. The problem is that a great number of rank and file Teapublicans....

will believe McConnell's line of horse puckey.

Some because they are too ill informed to know better.
Many because it is what they WANT to believe.

Political reporters will help him out because,, well,, because thats what they are paid to do.

[Cha]

14. Fucking mitch knows one thing..

and that is the stupid press he talks to is bought and paid for.. so he can regurgitate anything he wants and teabaggers will eat that shit up and the "media" won't call him on it.

but, oh yeah PBO invited a "shattered SFC Cory Remsburg" to be one of his guests of honor at the SOTU so let's Up and Down like a bunch of fox truthers 'cause yeah what's his name said so .

[Enthusiast]

15. I think Mitch McConnell is stupid and an asshole.

Mitch is a stupid asshole. And a turtle man.