Promises Schwamises. Do the Right Thing Boehner!
Grover Norquist ruined our Republican caucus. Enough said. Now I know that some of you will immediately de-follow this blog and burn an effigy of my likeness but perhaps a few of you will read through to the end and understand exactly what my position is. First of all, Republicans don’t run the country. I know this may be a shock to those of you who failed high school civics but there are three branches of government and two of them are responsible for creating laws (Executive and Legislative). Of these two, there are three centers of power: the Senate, the House, and the President. All of these are required to pass a law (unless of course a supermajority can be secured in Congress which is going to happen at about the same time as when we establish a colony on Alpha Centauri). Now consider that Republicans only have one of these three centers of power in the lawmaking process–that’s right; Republicans are beholding to Democrats to achieve anything at all.
Now look back all of eight months to the Republican primary where in the MSNBC debate, all eight elephants on the stage agreed that they would not increase taxes at all. Even, as it was proposed by the moderator, if tax hikes occurred on a 1 to 10 ratio with budget cuts (raise taxes and cut the federal budget by ten times that much). This would have been an excellent opportunity for one of the field to demonstrate real leadership but since most of them had signed the Grover Norquist “no new taxes pledge”, they were trapped into looking hardheaded and as nonnegotiable as a three-dollar bill with Clinton’s name on it. Pragmatic? No. Dumb? Yep!
Look, I’m not saying that tax increases are the answer; I believe that the federal government is way too big and that it is high time to skinny up Uncle Sam who is currently the unwitting mascot for the First Lady’s “Let’s Move” campaign. In spite of these emphatic beliefs, I also believe in pragmatic governance which is exactly the opposite of John Boehner’s $800 billion answer to the fiscal cliff crisis which can be summed up as follows:
“House Republicans have prepared their excellent and thoughtful response to the crisis that holds our economy in hostage. We are asking the Senate and the President to raise taxes in strange and unexplainable areas without raising taxes at all.” –John Boehner
Intriguing. That’s like burning down your house without burning down your house. I know that these Republicans are really struggling with how to break a promise without breaking it but seriously? If you’re going to break it then at least break it in a way that is good for somebody! The $800 billion broken-promise-that-wasn’t did little to solve the problem and only served to deepen the public’s perception that the elephants are in the pockets of the top 1%. It would have been better to say they would provide no additional revenue and that Obama and the donkeys could just pound sand right after decreasing the size of the government.
Here’s the reality of the situation: Obama’s holding the trump of the trump cards because if the cliff happens he gets everything he wants and can propose to permanently lower taxes for the 98% right after the country takes the plunge. In that event he looks like the hero and the Republicans get smashed for not being reasonable about their compromise. Not good.
Here’s what Republicans should do: Axe the promise to Norquist and explain to their constituents that it was a dumb idea to sign something that left them no room to compromise. Sure, the tea party conservatives and most of the rest of us won’t be happy, but this isn’t 2010 and pragmatism is now in-vogue. This is an opportunity for Republicans to both stand on principles and make up lost ground with moderates, the middle class, and the rest of America that doesn’t often dine at the Four Seasons. Remember that a promise that shouldn’t have been made shouldn’t be kept and that you should always trade a buck for a crisp ten dollar bill. Ten-to-one isn’t all bad. Back to the negotiating table people!
O’Dowd
O'Dowd Politics 