So, I know that in my last couple of blogs I've done some serious Obama bashing. I mean, when the man is not afraid to say the most audacious things, it provides plenty of fodder to bash. However, as the title indicates, I'd like to provide a more reasonable view on what's happening in Congress, and what I think needs to happen.
Politics is politics is politics. I've made no secret that, as many of you may have guessed already, I am a Republican. Not only am I a Republican, but if there is truly a split in the Republican party, then I would side more with the Tea Party. Having said that though, I also pride myself on being a realist.
If the Tea Party had it's way, then there would be no increase of the debt ceiling whatsoever, all the deficit would be made up with spending cuts, there would be no tax increases, and, on top of everything, Obamacare would be repealed. Although all those things may be what's best for the country, they just are not going to happen during this Administration. I think a bill that had even 2 out of the 4 of these things would have a hard time passing the House, would probably not get past the Senate, and would probably get vetoed by Obama anyway.
At the time of this writing, the House is getting ready to vote tomorrow on "Cut, Cap, and Balance", which even if it got past the Senate, which is very doubtful, President Obama has already said, although it hasn't even been completed and without drafting his own proposal, that he will veto it as soon as it hit his desk. I applaud the Republican's drive to get something down on paper to vote on. However, I get a sense that it's a waste of time.
I hate to admit this, but I think that the Democrats have played their cards well. I think it was intentional too. They are going to wait until the last minute, they are going to propose a deal that contains 90% of what they want, and they are going to give the Republicans no choice but to pass it. If the Republicans can somehow vote it down, then they are going to be blamed for any negative reprocussions as a result of not raising the debt ceiling before the deadline.
Like I said, I applaud the Republicans, particularly the Tea Party, for making a stand and to this point being unwavering. However, I believe that when you are so unwavering that it results in no action, and that lack of action has negative consequenses. Those negative consequences can be worse than a compromised plan of some sort. Believe me, I don't want to see Obama get his way, but I also don't want to see Obama re-elected in 2012 either. That really would be the end of the world. :)
The Republicans have put up the good fight, and their voice has been heard. There are more Americans aware now of just how bad our debt situation is, and those Americans are going to want change eventually. The Democrats, following their President, have made it clear that they are not going to pass any kind of legislation that the Republicans would support.
Republicans need to just cut their losses, minimize the damage, get something passed that will get us to the 2012 election, and then put as much, if not more, fight into the 2012 election as they did into this debt debate.
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