Mitch McConnell is already back to obstruction at all costs

[octoberlib]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/plum-line/post/mitch-mcconnell-is-already-back-to-obstruction-at-all-costs/2012/11/08/37a05f00-29cf-11e2-96b6-8e6a7524553f_blog.html

Negotiations about the “fiscal cliff” are set to begin soon, and Mitch McConnell is already signaling that he doesn’t intend to budge or cooperate. If anything, in the wake of Tuesday’s election, he is signaling that Republicans will adopt a strategy of categorical opposition even faster than he did after Obama’s victory four years ago. Of course, McConnell doesn’t have the leverage here; the momentum lies with Obama and Senate Democrats, who will enter 2013 with a larger and more liberal majority than before.


The practical effect of refusing cooperation with Democrats was to force them to adopt unusual amount of party unity. It’s not hard to imagine a world where moderate Democrats watered down Obamacare to win over Republicans. In fact, this almost happened: Democrats were desperate for Republican votes following Scott Brown’s win in Massachusetts, and would have reduced the scope of the Affordable Care Act if it meant bipartisan support. But by refusing all offers for a compromise, McConnell forced Democrats to negotiate with themselves, and tough out the political circumstances. The result was a health care bill that — despite liberal disappointments — was more progressive than it might have been.


In other words, McConnell’s strategy of categorical opposition has been a tactical and strategic failure. Not only will Obama stay president for the next four years, but he will implement the final plank of the American welfare state — universal access to health insurance — without Republican input. The Obama agenda is here to stay, and to a large degree, Republicans have Mitch McConnell to blame.

[Enrique]

1. he has the same leverage he had before

the filibuster.

[AndyA]

7. Harry Reid is going to address the GOP's obstruction of the legislative process

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/11/07/harry-reid-filibuster-reform_n_2088767.html

[GreenPartyVoter]

22. And new Senator Angus King also wants to deal with it.

[still_one]

2. Our problem is the house. I wonder if there is some way around that

[The Magistrate]

3. Let Him, Sir: We Win If Nothing Is Done....

[villager]

8. Democrats have to be ready with the frame, when the GOPpers send us over that cliff

But the added bonus: Actual meaningful cuts to the military welfare state!

[november3rd]

4. Tea Party Tactics Time

It's time for we the (progressive) people to OCCUPY 435 Congressional offices nationwide until the 1% tax hikes are passed.

[BarackTheVote]

20. T..E.A

TAX (the 1%) ENOUGH ALREADY!

See what I did there?

[spartan61]

5. McConnell doesn't give a flying fk about the American people.

He has to be one of the nastiest in the Senate. What a POS!!

[Tennessee Hillbilly]

6. McConnell is a traitor

McConnell is a traitor. He intentionally tries to harm the country and the American people in an attempt to make the president look bad.

[Thinkingabout]

9. If McConnell allows the Bush tax cuts to expire there will be consequences.

Boehner has indicated he is ready to go to work and McConnell needs to follow suit and deal with issues facing the Congress. If this continues it might be more than the amount of citizens voting against those who continue to obstruct. It has not worked in the past four years and may continue to work against the republican party, they need to work for a change, they are losing voters all the time.

[Blue Meany]

16. I wonder how much flexibility Obama actually has in categorizing programs and deciding what to cut.

If he could find a way to transfer expenditures on miliatry hardware into something labor intensive, such as building sea walls for coastal cities. If, in short, he could manage the cuts without raising unemployment--or better yet in a way that lowers it. If he could transfer some civillian functions to the military, such as, say, federal land management. If he could cut out the real waste--vastly overpriced military equipment, corporate welfare--it just might be worth it to play out this game of chicken.

[yellowcanine]

10. Problem for McConnell is now that Harry Reid is closer to 60 votes than before. And Mitch failed

to achieve his "number one priority." No one likes a loser.

[yellowcanine]

11. "Please proceed, Senator."

[Zen Democrat]

12. McConnell is now a discredited obstructionist, as well as a turtlehead.

[BlueDemKev]

13. Perception is EVERYTHING...

...Obama needs to offer a few compromises and LET THE PUBLIC KNOW ABOUT IT thru press conferences, etc. That way people will KNOW that the White House is offering to work with the Republicans while the Republicans are being their usual obstructionist selves.

We cannot have any more situations in which Republicans refuse to work with the president and then they turn around and say "Oh, they shut us out of the process! How partisan of them! WAAAAH!"

[msongs]

18. or obama could act like dems actually won and quit giving away the store nt

[BlueDemKev]

19. Understood, but the Rethugs still control the House.

And we are going to have to make SOME concessions. If D.C. doesn't have this shit worked out by Dec. 31, our country could very well go back into a recession--and that's the last thing ANYBODY needs right now.

[Dubster]

14. Spam deleted by gkhouston (MIR Team)

[JRLeft]

15. McConell is up in '14 and will run a Teabagger.

[rtracey]

17. needs to go

The Republican senators need to select a new minority leader. That way when they go back to their states for reelection, they would have a fighting chance, BECAUSE, as we saw with this election, if they stall, say no, obstruct, ...call it what you will, they they can easily be replaced in 2014......

[Liberal_Stalwart71]

21. It's because he will be up against a Tea Party crazy in 2014.