Mitch McConnell Just Proposed the “Pontius Pilate Pass the Buck Act of 2011″

Consider sending McConnell a weasel as testament to his treachery. His address is 601 W. Broadway, Room 630, Louisville, KY 40202 and the phone number is (502) 582-6304.

McConnell’s idea is to make the debt ceiling automatic unless Congress, by a 2/3 vote blocks the increase. Oh yes, he put a salve on it by dressing it up in tough talk that, to quote the Wall Street Journal, “[a] ‘eal solution’ to U.S. fiscal problems isn’t possible as long as President Barack Obama remains in office.” So since no “real solution” is possible, McConnell proposes to go Pontius Pilate and wash his hands of spending, blaming Obama while doing nothing himself.

Here is how the plan would work.

In a nutshell, the President would get to raise the debt ceiling three times in the next year at several billion bucks a pop without making any spending cuts unless two-thirds of both houses of Congress disagree. In his press conference, McConnell says he would not give the President “unilateral authority to make spending cuts on his own,” but this plan would allow the President to raise the debt ceiling pretty much automatically. As the Politico notes,

Senate Republicans are actively pursuing a new plan under which the debt ceiling would grow in three increments over the remainder of this Congress unless lawmakers approve a veto-proof resolution of disapproval.

In effect lawmakers would be surrendering the very power of approval that the GOP has used to force the debt crisis now. But by taking the disapproval route, Republicans can shift the onus more onto the White House and Democrats since a two-thirds majority will be needed to stop any increase that President Barack Obama requests.

Yes, instead of putting the burden on the White House, McConnell would make it damn near impossible to block a debt ceiling increase. We’ve seen this before. The House once had the Gephardt rule that required the debt ceiling vote be attached to a more popular measure so members of Congress could escape a tough vote.

Consequently, the debt ceiling has gone up to $14 trillion without Congress ever having to make a tough choice about debt.

And now Mitch McConnell wants to make it even easier by allowing Congress to go through a dog and pony show of feigned cuts that never get cut while allowing escalation of our national debt. So much for accusing Barack Obama of smoke and mirrors.

2014 cannot come soon enough to destroy the political future of this weasel.

Consider sending McConnell a weasel as testament to his treachery. His address is 601 W. Broadway, Room 630, Louisville, KY 40202 and the phone number is (502) 582-6304.

———————————–

Updated again: Changed to title to something less incendiary. I still encourage weasels be mailed.

UPDATE: Some of the most willfully ignorant and willfully naive McConnell supporters are coming out of the woodwork to say this is not *the* plan, but a contingency plan if *the* plan can’t be agreed to. So let’s get this straight: if Democrats won’t agree to make spending cuts, we’ll fall back to the contingency where they get to raise the debt ceiling without making spending cuts.

That’s not a contingency, that’s handing the Democrats a silver platter."

http://www.redstate.com/erick/2011/07/12/it-is-time-to-burn-mitch-m...

Comment by Patricia M. McBride on July 15, 2011 at 6:49pm: Amanda, Quinnipiac (KWIN-uh-pe-ack) University is a liberal poll. I look at them rarely or take what they get on polls as a true feeling of the American people as a whole. I think they ask questions that give a different response than most polls give if the "flat out" questions are asked. Most people like this wack job personally, they just don't want him for another 4 years......pretty much as they didn't hate Carter, they just couldn't take his policies any longer as they were killing our country! Obama and his group are now suggesting they take children away from their parents if they are too fat by their standards. The food thing was over the top, but taking children away from their parents goes well beyond a free country I would think? Most of his policies are very much akin to that.

Comment by amanda choate on July 15, 2011 at 5:47pm

Very interesting poll, mixed responses.


July 14, 2011 - President Is Best Of The Worst On Economy, U.S. Voters Tell Quinnipiac University National Poll; Voters Blame Bush Over Obama 2-1 For Financial Mess

Word format American voters disapprove 56 - 38 percent of the way President Barack Obama is handling the economy, but by 45 - 38 percent they trust the president more than congressional Republicans to handle the economy, according to a Quinnipiac University poll released today.
The country is in a recession, 71 percent of American voters say, but by 54 - 27 percent they blame former President George W. Bush more than President Obama.
The president gets a 47 - 46 percent job approval rating, unchanged from the June 9 survey by the independent Quinnipiac (KWIN-uh-pe-ack) University. That tops a 64 - 28 percent disapproval for Democrats in Congress and a 65 - 26 percent disapproval for Republicans. Obama outscores congressional Republicans on several points in the deficit reduction battle:
Voters will blame Republicans over Obama 48 - 34 percent if the debt limit is not raised; Voters say 67 - 25 percent that an agreement to raise the debt ceiling should include tax hikes for the wealthy and corporations, not just spending cuts; Voters say 45 - 37 percent that Obama's proposals to raise revenues are "closing loopholes," rather than "tax hikes"; But voters say 57 - 30 percent that Obama's proposals will impact the middle class, not just the wealthy.
"The American people aren't very happy about their leaders, but President Barack Obama is viewed as the best of the worst, especially when it comes to the economy," said Peter A. Brown, assistant director of the Quinnipiac University Polling institute.
"Americans overwhelmingly disapprove of President Obama's handling of the economy, but by 2-1 they pin the blame on former President George W. Bush rather than Obama, who is now more than 60 percent through his term of office."
"Given this public view, it might be reasonable to expect that the president's re-election campaign will be, as it was in 2008, running against the former president, in addition to the actual GOP nominee," said Brown. "The key voting bloc, independents, say 49 - 24 percent that Bush is more responsible for the economy than Obama."
By a 62 - 32 percent margin, American voters say it's more important to reduce unemployment than to reduce the federal budget deficit. But they say 49 - 43 percent it's more important to reduce unemployment than to reduce government spending.
While 71 percent of voters say they like the president personally, they dislike most of his policies 48 - 45 percent.
When it comes to Obama's job approval, his base remains intact. Democrats give him a thumbs up 81 - 11 percent, while disapproval is 83 - 13 percent among Republicans and 53 - 40 percent among independent voters. Obama gets a 50 - 41 percent approval rating among women, but men disapprove 51 - 43 percent.
"Obama has established a bond with the American people on a personal level. Even Republicans say 49 - 32 percent they lik

Comment by Patricia M. McBride on July 15, 2011 at 4:46pm: Amanda, it is all in the question you ask. If you ask if people want to see taxes raised on anyone, most say NO, because they understand it will impact jobs (and it will). There will be job loses if taxes are rasied on small business owners and they are the target group. I understand this president is about redistributing and couldn't care less about jobs and the economy, but it is insane in this kind of economy. He is determined to try his theory regardless of the consequences.

Comment by amanda choate on July 15, 2011 at 4:39pm: He actually said 80% were in favor of mixed approach. To arrive at that number you have to use induction. But frankly that poll said that 69% of people were in favor of a balanced approach including a majority of Republicans. Qiunnipiac came out with a similar poll that came in at 67% percent favoring a balanced approach, again with a majority of Republicans favoring a balanced approach.

Comment by Patricia M. McBride on July 15, 2011 at 4:26pm: Tom, good comment to McConnell. Obama today indicated the majority of Americans want tax increases? Did you hear it? I was beyond believing and he said it included the majority of republicans. Where and who is he polling? The last time I checked the number was huge for people not wanting any tax increases in this economy because they understand the implications for everyone for jobs and the well being of everything in general given the weak state of our economy. As far as what McConnell did, shame on him. Obama knows the plan and is just waiting to take full advantage. The man has no sense at all and believes he can fix the economy by spending and borrowing more.............and we are so close to being Greece right now it isn't funny with everyone threatening to lower our rating.

Amanda, love the picture. Exactly right considering what is going on.

Comment by Tom Wright on July 15, 2011 at 3:44pm: I just called Senator Mc Connell's office, they are taking comments from areas outside his District.

The lady asked me for my position and I was quite frank with her.

My comment was "Has he lost his cotton picking mind"

I hope she passes this on to the Senator.

Tom Wright

Comment by amanda choate on July 15, 2011 at 8:50am

Mitch McConnell Just Proposed the “Pontius Pilate Pass the Buck Act of 2011″

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