The leaders agreement could be passed in both chambers by unanimous consent as early as Friday, but any individual legislator could torpedo the deal and force the full House and Senate to return to Washington and vote on it. The Senate bill upon which the agreement is based passed the upper chamber on Saturday by an 89-10 vote. – GOP freshman: House caved to Dems again, gave gift of uncertainty
by Paul Szep
The two-month payroll tax extension deal is nothing to hail.
It’s not great leadership from anyone of either party.
That Speaker John Boehner got sacked by his own House members should come as no surprise to anyone having watched what’s happened the last year, especially during the debt ceiling debacle.
The Tea Party caucus has been a disaster for Republicans, but especially for Speaker Boehner.
This is exactly what the Progressive Caucus in the House didn’t do under former Speaker Nancy Pelosi. They didn’t revolt, dig in and embarrass her. Imagine if the so-called “Pro-choice Progressive Caucus” would have mutinied over Stupak. They could have handed Pelosi and Obama quite an embarrassing moment, however they didn’t. They are there to serve the leaders of the Party.
The Tea Party caucus is of the Republican Party, but they intend to change it even if they have to bring it down to do it. They don’t want any part of the ridiculous two-month payroll tax extension passed by the Senate.
Just to be clear, neither did Sen. Bernie Sanders.
Rachel Maddow tried to make the case that someone’s going to challenge Speaker Boehner, with the Roll Call reporter on with her disagreeing. The same analysis of Boehner’s position is suggested by Steve Benen. Neither of them prove their case.
Who in the world would want his job with the crew he’s wrangling?
Brian Beutler also used the word “cave” for what happened yesterday. That’s fine, but it’s a description of something far more complex at a time when the Republican Party hierarchy is under siege.
Major Garrett of the National Journal was no better, using the word “crumpled” to describe Republicans move to agree to the Senate deal.
Again, that’s fine, but the internal Republican Party combustion is far more interesting than this sophomoric reporting.
We’re watching catastrophic internal pressures force traditional outcomes out of Speaker Boehner’s control, something with which Mitch McConnell nor Harry Reid have to contend, because the people under their leadership wanted to go home for Christmas, even if they hadn’t finished their work, which they hadn’t by a long shot.
It’s understandable that Republicans are taking the hit, especially when you read and hear the media describe it. It’s easier to do the play by play than the foundational earthquake that began in 2010 and continues to play out, including in the primary season where the base is rejecting Romney.
It’s also as if we are all supposed to be happy about the two-month extension, as our Congress scoots out of town for holiday.
Speaker Boehner is nowhere near my political bent. I think what he advocates for this country is horrendous, which goes double for the Tea Party caucus. But so far no one has sufficiently included the dynamics that the right-wing fire-breathers would have none of the deal even Boehner was ready to accept until they were made to see that the entire Republican Party was taking the hit and it was agree to the extension or take everyone down.
That still could happen.
What the American people got from Congress as 2011 ends is a lot of posturing and puffing on a two-month extension that doesn’t solve anything and simply proves once again that the current political class isn’t up to the job, regardless of party.
It happened because Speaker Boehner is navigating through a political realignment that started in 2010 on the Republican side and it’s not going away because of some stupid two-month extension, which solved absolutely nothing.
Cave does not begin to describe the GOP/TP:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=th370QmFtk8
Good analysis. This was just another; among many, little skirmishes that really doesn’t mean anything. To make any big anouncements, conclusions, etc. is just foolishness and blowing smoke. Nothing more.
TM is correct in that the main concern was ‘wanting to go home for Christmas, even if they hadn’t finished their work. If this little skirmish happened any other time of the year the outcome would have/ could have been different. It does not change any dynamics.
Implosion of the GOP is really what’s happening but it’s really been going on for quite awhile. The Tea Party has just made it obvious that the GOP is imploding for most people. I think the GOP lost it’s mind after the Cold War. The GOP was crazy in the 90′s too.
Call Me crazy, but I respect what the Tea Party crazies are doing within the Repub Party. They are openly fighting to change the direction of their party. I am totally opposed to everything they believe, but you have to respect their committment . If you’re a liberal or a progressive, take your pick, I’m a liberal, you have to feel betrayed to some degree by the progressive caucus of the Dem Party who are “liberal losers” who fight and cave on issues they should fight to the bitter end on, especially the Stupak language in health care reform, breaking up to big to fail banks, etc. It has taken the OWS movement to get the conversation changed and put some spine in the Dem Party. For my money I’d love to see a fight break out within the Dem Party between the progressive and corporate-Pres Obama wing of the Party.
The payroll tax cut has been portrayed as a tax hike if the cut is not extended. That is now the danger with it, for now returning it to it’s prior level or letting it expire is a political hot potato when it shouldn’t be. It’s to fund Soc Sec , but Pres Obama nd the useless Dems fell into the Repub trap when it was cut because they wouldn’t fight on real issues to get the economy moving such as letting the Bush tax cuts expire. As such The Repubs won that round , and continue to win because Pres Obama is just plain weak on this issue and won’t/doesn’t really fight for the larger picture.
Huntsman is running for the Libertarian Line, Rocky Anderson The Justice Party, we need more . Right now I say a pox on both the Dem and Repub Party houses. But especially the Dems-they are weak and have abandoned their constituencies time and again.
LiberalJoe 23 December 2011 at 7:08 am
<em>Call Me crazy, but I respect what the Tea Party crazies are doing within the Repub Party.</em>
You are not crazy.
Compare it to all the caving from the “Progressive Caucus” and you’ve actually got an example of a faction inside one party pushing back on what’s wrong with the big two parties individually.
Of course, the Tea Party is absolutely wrong on policy prescriptions, but until so-called progressives, including movement progressives, quit sucking up to a rancid power tower the Democratic Party will continue to be a dinosaur in an era where the status quo is no longer enough.
Agreed- the only people who think that third, fourth, or fifth parties are bad are those who are wedded to the two majors No Matter What. We have “Progressives” who sneer at real Liberals like Rocky Anderson because “they could end up beating Barack Obama.” We have “Conservatives” who bash Ron Paul because “he might assure Obama’s second term!” They see everything through the suffocating prism of the holy two party system, and they reveal themselves as corporate hacks for the most corrupt corporations of all, the Democratic and Republican parties. Stephanie Miller, Bill Press, Ed Schultz, Tom Hartmann- they all let the mask slip when talking about alternatives because all they really care about is defending Their Guy, Right or Wrong. It’s sickening that they pretend to be representing the “Left” when all they are really representing is the status quo.
At least since the Republican wannabe’s began the endless “debates” I’ve wondered if there wasn’t going to be a split. I still think Romney will be the nominee, and challenges from his Right, as well as from a “moderate” Republican, are possible. Americans Elect, Justice Party, No Labels, ruckus, etc., are all making the discontent with the status quo quite visible. Along with Occupy and yes, the Tea Party.
Obama and the Dems have largely kept shifting Right, too, of course. although I think for Obama that’s where he’s been all along. And so my take remains that we have a Two Party Front for the Oligarchy. Obama is being Obama, only now in his Campaigner role. New, “third” parties, and activists outside, as well as within, the Duopoly are essential.
Another take on the “cave” from Eugene Robinson, at WaPO (http://tinyurl.com/boe7zs2): ” The week’s events offer a lesson for Obama, too. One reason for all the Republican angst was that public opinion has become more sensitive to issues of economic justice. This may be partly due to the Occupy protests. But I’m convinced that Obama’s fiery barnstorming in favor of his American Jobs Act has played a big role. People are hearing his message.”
It “may be partly due to … Occupy”? “May”? Even if you start with that “may,” related to the Republicans, and even if you accept that “Obama’s fiery barnstorming” played a role, not acknowledging the role the Occupy / 99% movement played in pushing Obama is remaining so far into the Two Party Front for the Oligarchy that your view is incredibly restricted.
Eugene Robinson’s “analysis” suffers from the terminal virus of fan politics. It’s unfortunate.
He’s no Tavis Smiley.
I’ve been writing for a very long time about outside challenges in 2012. Another one is going to come from Gary Johnson running as a Libertarian. This is a very long time in coming, with a political realignment long overdue.
Yes, Occupy absolutely set fire, but the Tea Party, going back into when Ron Paul began during the Bush-Cheney era, played a part as well, no matter how wrong they are on policy. No one on the left will give them credit, though most of it is politically destructive, but that serves its purpose too.
“No one on the left will give them credit, though most of it is politically destructive, but that serves its purpose too.”
Well I guess you could say I’m on the left and I give them all the “credit” in the world. THANK you teabaggers for showing the world just how shit house rat crazy you have to be to appeal to you’re mob. THANK you for the UBERpandering and increasingly bizzar behavior of the “candidates” in your primary circus. THANK you for the spectacle of cheering mobs for people dieing because they don’t have insurance…BOOING active duty soldiers because they are gay,CHEERING the Confederate flag. THANK YOU!
Re: Eugene Robinson:
Obama – a speech in Kansas = fiery barnstorming? His campaign speeches = fiery barnstorming?
Really???
Haven’t most people tuned him (BO) out?
This is an excellent analysis, Taylor; thanks. My only question is where was Jim Demint during this after school special miniseries on how bad government works? Sorry, but I wont drink the MSM kool-aid on this great Democratic victory, either. There is something really queer about an 89-11 vote coming out of the Senate to help Obama and the Democrats. Mitch McConnell is as leery of Demint as Boehner is leery of Eric Cantor.
Well done Taylor. Superb analysis.
“This is exactly what the Progressive Caucus in the House didn’t do under former Speaker Nancy Pelosi. They didn’t revolt, dig in and embarrass her. Imagine if the so-called “Pro-choice Progressive Caucus” would have mutinied over Stupak.”
Exactly. The Left is useless.
I was thinking that same quote even before I scrolled down to it. This is why the “progressives” in Congress are useless. Not only was there Stupak, but there were even more basic things they could have improved, like insisting on a Medicare buy-in option, or just saying no to the individual mandate. (Heck, they could have allowed employers to buy into Medicare, too, as their mandated coverage.)
They did none of that. If anyone deserves the appellation of “cavers” it’s the Progressive Caucus.