Congress In for a Blood Bath Over Healthcare, Debt Ceiling

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Many people are buzzing about an article at truthout.org by one Mike Lofgren, a longtime Republican staff aide on Capitol Hill who just couldn’t take the crazy anymore, left his job, and produced this buzzy (and quite well-written) lamentation about his party’s tactics and goals. If you haven’t read it, you must
The Lofgren piece is full of harsh observations and accusations, but here’s just a little sampling:
• The debt-ceiling debate was an act of “political terrorism,” in which the GOP concocted a crisis and used it to ensure that the party's unprecedented demands were met. He writes: “Everyone knows that in a hostage situation, the reckless and amoral actor has the negotiating upper hand over the cautious and responsible actor because the latter is actually concerned about the life of the hostage, while the former does not care.”
• The August FAA reauthorization fight was another instance such of hostage-taking: “Republicans were willing to lay off 4,000 Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) employees, 70,000 private construction workers, and let FAA safety inspectors work without pay, in fact, forcing them to pay for their own work-related travel—how prudent is that?—in order to strong arm some union-busting provisions into the FAA reauthorization.”
• The GOP plan to discredit government in the people’s eyes is very conscious: “A couple of years ago, a Republican committee staff director told me candidly (and proudly) what the method was to all this obstruction and disruption. Should Republicans succeed in obstructing the Senate from doing its job, it would further lower Congress's generic favorability rating among the American people. By sabotaging the reputation of an institution of government, the party that is programmatically against government would come out the relative winner.”
• As for belief as opposed to tactics, the party basically really cares only about the rich. Actually, Lofgren doesn’t say “basically.” He says “solely and exclusively.” And he explains how they’ve camouflaged this with talk of protecting small businesses and so on.
There is much, much more. He’s not very happy either about his party’s militarism, its cynical use of religion, its total opposition to doing anything about the environment, and other matters, but most
programs so they will be there in the future."

Eggman of CO 10:20PM September 06, 2011

The problem is of course that if we pay down debt that money comes out of circulation and business and individuals suffer. Read Krugman would ya.

Annapolis of MD 12:11AM January 06, 2011

If you don't have health insurance and get sick, the tax payers have to pay for it anyway- so go get health insurance please- search online "Wise Health Insurance" and learn how you can get insurance at discount price.

@live.com of CA 1:50AM January 05, 2011

Is anything but affordable. I hope there is a bloody pitched battle in Congress. I hope Obama and progressive liberal democrats get their collective nose rubbed in the excrement of their spendaholic aftermath.
The deficit soared from $13 trillion to $14 trillion in less than 7 months!!! It's patently, blatently unacceptible! And, true Americans regardless if they are Republican or Democrat should be utterly concerned and worried.
The solution is obvious. We have to tax the citizenry to pay the debt. I don't mind being taxed IF my taxes are wisely used to eliminate debt. But up till now, my taxes haven't been used wisely. My work, my sacrifice, my industry and that of my fellow Americans as represented by our tax dollars have been frivilously spent with nothing to show for it except a monstrosity do nothing government. What's so hard about, "If you don't have it, you can't spend it. Period.
In addition, We the people have to do an intervention for government to cure it of its money addiction. A "spendaholics annonymous". That means we do a 30% or 40% reductions in non essential government programs and put those programs on notice that their days are numbered. We reduce essential government programs 5% a year for 10 years. The savings from our non-spending should go directly to paying down our deficit.
In the mean time, we, the electorate should hire spinster politians and fire all the spendthrifts.
With a Democrat controlled senate, Democrat controlled house, Democrat adminitration holding the pen, check book, and writing the check it was the Democrats who were responsible for placing a $1 trillion in debt on the shoulders of America. And we all act suprised by Democrats. They were this way under Tip O'Neil. They just didn't have the plunder mentality of Pelosi. And, you Steihm, lamenting the gavel change. Unbelievable!!

david of ID 3:10PM January 04, 2011

How is Democrat party going to pay for it ?
Liberals complained extended tax cut for rich (ignored lower level tax cuts) because Republicans did not pay for. Of course history shows tax cuts for rich pay for themselves.
Anyhow, now there will be fiscal responsibility. Get the spending of government going DOWN then let's talk about raising debt ceiling. Had barry and his Democrat cronies not established a ALL TIME record of debt with a super majority of Democrats in Congress, this could have been averted. Republicans joined the polls & said hell-o, NO. NO. NO. But Democrats keep spending.
Teddy Kennedy taught us a valuable lesson. Reagan legalized illegals. Part of deal was no more illegals. Teddy undermined shoring up the boarder.
Our Country will not go into default. But we learned the Teddy lesson. Cuts in spending first, then raise debt ceiling if a must. Once ceiling is raised, no assurance of Democrat cooperation.
Raising the debt ceiling could be the straw that breaks the camel's back. If we lose our AAA rating, that would cost us a extra $$$ 1,000,000,000,000 in interest a year...
obamacare has passed, do those 30,000,000 Americans have health insurance now ?

Bill Hedges of MO 2:19PM January 04, 2011

Jamie ... what if the incoming Republicans are right? What if the actual healthcare bill is wrong? And what if the long-term effects of this bill are a disaster? That seems to be what most people think. And what most doctors believe. And what most economists say.
So ... I'm thinkin' that the Repubs are actually right on this one. They are pushing forth on this legislation representing, by far, the majority of the country. The Democrats (btw, I am a Dem in MA), lost their majority because of their disregard for the current economic plight, their disregard for the desire of the people who were against this bill, and their incredibly arrogant approach to partisan legislation. And what they left us ALL with is a disaster. Please congress (R's and D's) ... vote this healthcare bill out. Please.

robby of MA 1:31PM January 04, 2011