Choking on Peas

I’m in the minority on the Left, but Sen. Mitch McConnell’s diabolically devious political hail Mary to dump the debt ceiling issue (and spending challenges) into Pres. Obama’s lap sounds to me like a real problem for the White House. Whatever you say about McConnell’s plan, he’s saved the entitlement argument, while stuffing Pres. Obama’s “grand bargain” down his throat and hung him out to dry with his base, who now knows he’s willing to sell out the safety net. And the President doesn’t even have a win to show for his policy plank-walking, with his entitlement proffer kaput. With entitlements now on the table in perpetuity, Democrats and progressives know conclusively that Pres. Obama won’t protect what most Democrats hold dear, which includes if he’s reelected. In what world is that not a problem for the White House?

From Roll Call:

Under McConnell’s proposal, the president would send a request to Congress for a series of debt limit increases that would have to be offset with spending reductions elsewhere. Congress would be allowed to vote on a resolution of disapproval that would kill the increase, but the president would be able to veto that resolution. Congress then would have to come up with a two-thirds supermajority to prevent the debt ceiling from increasing. A provisional $100 billion would be immediately added to the debt ceiling at the time of the president’s first request to avert default this August while the potentially time-consuming procedural back-and-forth with the White House began.

However, McConnell’s push to have three votes on raising the debt ceiling before 2012 could be rejected by President Barack Obama, given that the president has said he will not sign any deal that does not extend past next year’s election. But an agreement on a three-vote strategy could satisfy Obama’s requirement that a plan be in place to increase the debt ceiling during that time frame.

I’ve never bought the notion that Obama would veto smaller plans.

McConnell’s gambit, which has 47 members supporting it in the Senate, has infuriated the Tea Party House caucus and their supporters, but that’s a bigger problem for 2012 candidates than anything, helping Bachmann and making the entry of Rick Perry even more possible. The Tea Party was always going to be a problem in ’12, but this could unhinge everything.

Watching Rev. Al Sharpton, who’s been tearing it up on MSNBC lately, talking to Rep. Clyburn, both of these men were hailing Pres. Obama’s leadership and willingness to deal seriously on entitlements, but also pushing for revenues. The next segment had a Tea Party leader squealing to high heaven. Maybe I’m wrong, but if Democrats are circling the wagons around Obama, with the Tea Party raising hell, while Grover Norquist backs McConnell, something tells me the GOP establishment feels they’ve found their way through without letting Obama declare victory.

Unless, of course, Obama stands up to do just that. He could come out to talk about what he wanted to do, but the Republicans wouldn’t do it and claim grown-up status. He’s popular enough to do it and he’s got the political chops, especially when he’s up against it, which he is now. It’s not like it hasn’t been obvious that Pres. Obama wanted to go all the way, including entitlements. Somehow he has to tie up his message to independents and how he did the responsible thing, while Rep. balked.

It’s obvious Pres. Obama pissed McConnell off in their last meeting and today was the result. But now McConnell’s brain child has to get pass the House. Rumble.

Meanwhile…. Over 470 business leaders say raise the debt ceiling.

Jennifer Rubin got the exclusive from McConnell in “eat your own darn peas.”

Erick Erickson’s head exploded, because McConnell gave Obama more power, this time over something significant.

Michele Malkin is head-banging.

Unsurprisingly, Markos and Josh Marshall don’t buy “evil genius.”

…and Lawrence O’Donnell still needs a lifeline and a rewrite on last night’s bad analysis on “Now, specific policy issues aside…”, because entitlement sacrifices are no big deal, Obama’s tactics equal “strategic brilliance” on the debt ceiling battle.

There’s nothing worse than your adversary doing something for which you’re not the least prepared and I bet the White House was just as stunned as everyone else that Sen. Mitch McConnell ceded debt ceiling power to the Executive.

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