This from Paul Krugman in the New York Times is worth noting:
“The facts of the crisis over the debt ceiling aren’t complicated. Republicans have, in effect, taken America hostage, threatening to undermine the economy and disrupt the essential business of government unless they get policy concessions they would never have been able to enact through legislation. And Democrats — who would have been justified in rejecting this extortion altogether — have, in fact, gone a long way toward meeting those Republican demands.
As I said, it’s not complicated. Yet many people in the news media apparently can’t bring themselves to acknowledge this simple reality. News reports portray the parties as equally intransigent; pundits fantasize about some kind of “centrist” uprising, as if the problem was too much partisanship on both sides.
Some of us have long complained about the cult of “balance,” the insistence on portraying both parties as equally wrong and equally at fault on any issue, never mind the facts. I joked long ago that if one party declared that the earth was flat, the headlines would read “Views Differ on Shape of Planet.” But would that cult still rule in a situation as stark as the one we now face, in which one party is clearly engaged in blackmail and the other is dickering over the size of the ransom?
The answer, it turns out, is yes. And this is no laughing matter: The cult of balance has played an important role in bringing us to the edge of disaster. For when reporting on political disputes always implies that both sides are to blame, there is no penalty for extremism. Voters won’t punish you for outrageous behavior if all they ever hear is that both sides are at fault.
The rest of the article is here.
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I have been reading the scribblings here, and they truly are amusing. The House passed Cut, Cap, and Balance. In an outrageously partisan move, the Democrat Senate would not even vote on it.
What is so extreme about asking for a balance budget amendment when almost 30 states have to live under one?
We are drowning in debt which was left by both Republicans and Democrats. Now, with needed pressure from the Tea Party, Conservative Republicans are acting like adults and are trying to deal with the issue of overspending before we bankrupt the future of our children. Democrats want to continue down the path of national bankruptcy.
So you are absolutuely right…the Democrats and Obama need to get off of the extremist, dishonest rhetoric and fix Americas problems. The status quo is no solution.
Barry:
The Senate did vote on “Cut, Cap and Balance.” It voted to table it, thank God.
Speaking as a senior myself, I’d like to understand why you conservatives always refer to the process of attacking seniors, the poor and the unemployed, while protecting the privileges and wealth of the affluent as “acting like adults?” Isn’t it bad enough that some of us are about to lose half our monthly income because both parties in Washington are acting like children by putting party politics above the common weal?
I agree with the following analysis by the nonpartisan Center on Budget and Policy Priorities:
… the measure seeks to render it virtually impossible to raise new revenue by barring the necessary increase in the debt limit until both houses of Congress have approved a constitutional amendment which requires that the budget be balanced every year, that no measure raising any taxes may pass Congress unless two-thirds of the House and Senate approve it, and that budget cuts deeper than Ryan’s be instituted.
Adding to the extreme nature of the measure, the legislation also reverses a feature of every law of the past quarter-century that has contained a fiscal target or standard enforced by across-the-board cuts. Since the Gramm-Rudman-Hollings law of 1985, all such laws have exempted the core basic assistance programs for the poorest Americans from such across-the-board cuts. “Cut, Cap, and Balance,” by contrast, specifically subjects all such programs to across-the-board cuts if its spending caps would be exceeded.
It does so even as it seeks to erect a constitutional firewall to safeguard tax cuts and tax breaks for the most well-off Americans. Thus, an impoverished elderly widow living on Supplemental Security Income — which provides benefits that lift people to just 75 percent of the poverty line — could have her assistance cut back under the measure’s across-the-board budget cuts even as millionaire hedge-fund managers retained their lucrative carried-interest tax breaks.
I don’t know Barry, why don’t you read Politicos article, “The Republicans Alternate Universe”–its really hot on Twitter now–and get back to us…Kate
Barry,
I think Krugman had you in mind when he wrote this. Meanwhile, the congressional redistricting vote is this morning. I’d buy you a “white Russian” at the Mine Shaft to celebrate, but we’re out of town.
Compromise and balance got us into this mess. More of the same is not goiing to save our children.
“Compromise makes a good umbrella, but a poor roof; it is temporary expedient, often wise in party politics, almost sure to be unwise in statesmanship.” – James Russell Lowell
Compromise is better than the extremist “my way or the highway” attitude. Without compromise we may as well have an all out revolution. Suppose the country was to go extreme Left. Wouldn’t you want some kind of compromise Barry? Suppose the country was to go extreme right. Wouldn’t you expect someone else to want some kind of compromise? I would. This country would be in shambles if someone like Rush Limbaugh or Glenn Beck, for example, ran this country their way. I feel the same way about Olberman.
Meanwhile, another tea party wingbat got on NBC today and told the seniors, the middle class, the working poor that, “they needed to “sell” their “nice cars and stop going to Country Clubs”….which means he’s never looked around when he’s left HIS…or, has never experienced life on Earth. No mention of “our children” though…someone get the electroshock therapy paddles…lots of them…Kate
Missed that Kate. So let me understand, the seniors, middle class, and working poor all have nice cars and country club memberships? How did I get so overlooked? I drive an old truck and am not a member of any country club. Does the TP hate me so much that I get to miss out on nice cars and country club memberships though I’ve worked my tush off and paid taxes for almost 40 years? Barry, can you help me out on this one?
Barry,
Charles Krauthammer (not usually my favorite columnist) wrote recently about what he sees as being the fundamental divide in American views http://www.nationalreview.com/articles/print/273017 He sees the divide about the role government should play in ordering society. Most people think that the government has a major role to play in things like social security, medical care for elders, the provision of schooling, etc., but we argue a lot over the degree to which this should be funded. In 2008, there was an election in which 53% of the people elected Obama to implement his vision which was center-left. In 2010, there was an election in which 52% of the people elected the House of Representatives to implement a Republican vision which was center-right. Neither has a mandate to govern on their own, and are stuck with each other. I know that partisans will see the situation differently (and I can be partisan at time), but it is what it is.
As for your rhetorical question regarding the balanced budget amendment, the major difference between the federal government and the state is that the fed has a monopoly on coining money (states can’t). Any entity which can make money can balance any budget it wants by printing more–having a balanced budget amendment is thus besides the point. Indeed, not having a balanced budget requirement for the feds is one of the few things that keeps them a little bit honest when it comes to accounting.
Tony
I think, Barry, that this is the wrong time to cut back or the economy will be damaged further. It is too bad you weren’t sounding the alarm when this began during the Bush administration.
http://www.nytimes.com/imagepages/2011/07/24/opinion/sunday/24editorial_graph2.html?ref=sunday
Do you disagree with Reagan/Bush I economic adviser Bruce Bartlett? http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3036697/vp/43917503#43917503
Extremism, hypocrisy, and dishonest rhetoric exists on both sides of the fence. Extremism breeds the “my way or the highway” mentality and there is no room for compromise or working for the good of this country. I remain unimpressed with the TP though they have a right to their opinion like everyone else.
Barry wrote: “What is so extreme about asking for a balance budget amendment when almost 30 states have to live under one?”
Tony did an excellent job of describing the difference between states and the fed, but I’ll add one more reason why demanding a balanced budget amendment at this time is extreme: since it can’t happen by next Tuesday, it has no place in the discussion and does nothing to solve the immediate problem.
Barry wrote: “We are drowning in debt which was left by both Republicans and Democrats. Now, with needed pressure from the Tea Party, Conservative Republicans are acting like adults and are trying to deal with the issue of overspending before we bankrupt the future of our children. Democrats want to continue down the path of national bankruptcy.”
The “acting like adults” meme is total bullcrap, it’s dismissive and offensive. I don’t like it when Democrats use it either, BTW. The “acting like adults” meme is also 100% incorrect, since these new “adults” are exactly the same people who enabled George Bush, the worst president in the history of this country, to destroy America. Here are the debt facts: http://nyti.ms/obIeNG
I posted this link to FB and wrote;
“We have been sold out without knowing it. Centrist policies come about by having contrasting ideas and compromise. What we have today is an increasingly conservative/ pro big business democratic party leadership and a indescribable republican party that has gone so far to the right they have journeyed into the abyss.”
Left – Compromise – Right = Moderate legislation.
We have
Center Right – Compromise – Extreme Right = Solid right legislation for 20 years and the condition of our nation shows it.
The voice of the left has basically disappeared due to a number of factors but mainly the consolidation of our national media. When the French walked out last year did we see much coverage? How about 40,000 people from progressive groups for a straight week in Detroit? Where is the equal coverage of those who are proposing and arguing for increase in revenue? All we hear about are spending cuts. On radio the number of right wing vs left wing is 9/1. Not because it is a better business model on the right but because the owners of the stations will not allow progressive shows on the air. Air America I believe went down with $13 million in debt but compared to the $500 million lost by FOX “news” in their first five year it is nothing. The difference a billionaire willing to invest long term to secure lapdogs candidates for their income bracket and ideology.
The result of my analysis above is that many people who consider themselves moderates are really liberal leaning but don’t realize it due to the lack of exposure to the ideals.
You know Ben, I’ve noticed this discrepancy when I watch Fox AND CNN these days. I know these are huge corporations but the shilling for Wall St. and the rw kool-aid cash mantra has gotten so obvious its embarrassing. It looks freakin painful for some of these journalists to bark out what they know to be corporate profit margin blather and lies, and now, because of social media,(many thanks Pelline, twitter) the miserable journos flat KNOW we know. It’s time to get real and get right. Anywhere reasonable is a start. Kate
Are Tea Party Financial advisers all in a panic over this supporsed disaster fostered by Obama on America? I don’t think so:
http://blogs.reuters.com/reuters-money/2011/07/29/commodities-in-cash-out-for-tea-party-wealth-advisers-as-debt-deadline-looms/
I am smelling a nasty tea scented bubble…reminds me of “Blow”…the Kesha song…Kate
I have an idea: Let’s sell some states! Palin can see Putin from her house…let’s talk to Ben Quayle about AZ.. Somebody else’s idea but I like it! Kate