This latest polling data is like a page from the pieces I’ve been writing for months.
From the latest ABC News/Washington Post polling:
But unlike 1992 – or 2010 – the opposition party’s taking even more heat than the president. While President Obama for the first time has fallen under 40 percent approval for handling the economy, the Republicans in Congress do even worse, 28 percent approval. On handling the deficit, it’s a weak 38 percent approval for Obama, but a weaker 27 percent for the GOP. And on handling taxes, Obama has 45 percent approval, the GOP, 31 percent. Obama maintains 47 percent job approval overall in this poll…
However, Pres. Obama is taking hits he shouldn’t have to, but because of his capitulation to compromise, he’s being seen as part of the problem, too. From Dan Baltz:
There is also broad dissatisfaction with Obama’s unwillingness to reach across the aisle: Nearly six in 10 of those polled say the president has not been open enough to compromise. Among independents, 79 percent say Republicans aren’t willing enough to make a deal, while 62 percent say the same of Obama.
Just imagine if Pres. Obama had gone for a simple debt ceiling increase, which we’ll likely get with McConnell’s devious concoction, while also fighting for Social Security, because it’s not a cause of the debt or deficit? But instead he had to play in the Republican austerity card. It was just plain stupid.
All we need is a simple debt ceiling increase. The deficit fight is about 2012. Democrats shouldn’t fall for White House threats.
no house dem should vote for cuts to these programs. even hoyer changed his tune now and opposes any cuts to ss,medicare,medicaid. their only path to win is by defending the new deal. period.
TM says “Democrats shouldn’t fall for White House threats” I agree.
Good in theory, but lets not forget these are Democrats, they usually lack spine and possess the political IQ of a dead plant. If they were drowning and you threw them an anchor they’d grab it.
Yes! The debt limit should not be linked to anything else. There is only one reason that it is; Obama. LBJ never would have allowed this to happen. I believe it was Charles Colson who said, ” When you have them by the balls their hearts and minds will follow. ” LBJ would be squeezing right now.
Given that the Fourteenth Amendment spells out the government’s responsibility to pay what it owes, the debt ceiling doesn’t make any sense to me. While at first blush it might seem like an admirable attempt on Congress’ part long ago to keep a lid on the debt, it’s really Congress’ responsibility to make sure that there’s enough revenue for the government to spend the budget that Congress authorized. They already had that responsibility, and they’ve abdicated it.
“A democracy cannot exist as a permanent form of government. It can only exist until the voters discover that they can vote themselves largesse from the public treasury. From that moment on, the majority always votes for the candidates promising the most benefits from the public treasury with the result that a democracy always collapses over loose fiscal policy, always followed by a dictatorship. The average age of the world’s greatest civilizations has been 200 years.”
— Alexis de Tocqueville
Gee, to bad Msr, de Tocqueville had exactly ZERO experience living in or observing a Democracy. Maybe then his observations would have even some small relevance. I always wonder at people’s quickness to dredge up this guys utterings as if they were some sort of word from the mount?!
Clinton has the right idea,challenge the 14th admandment! Of course that would take a Democrat to do and we all know we don’t have a Democrat leading the party.
EXACTLY. While the repugnantklaner/teabaggers have often shown their utter contempt for the Constitution it is clear on this and Obama should shove it down their throats.
It’s all over but the crying:
(Reuters) – The White House shifted gears on Wednesday and signaled that President Barack Obama could support a short-term extension of the U.S. borrowing limits as long as it was part of a broader long-term deficit reduction deal.