Pew Research finds that 68% of the people support a compromise on the debt ceiling even if they don’t agree with the deal, while only 23% support standing on principle even if it results in default. My question is this. What percent of that 23% are voters that the president has a chance of winning to his side in November 2012? I believe the answer is pretty close to zero percent. So, the president has won the political battle here, which it was very important for him to do. However, that doesn’t get him out of the woods.
The Tea Party Republicans, now joined by the Club for Growth and the National Taxpayers Union, are rejecting John Boehner’s proposal. If he can’t pass his own bill, he’s going to have to try to pass something with the help of most Democrats and about 60 Republican reps who haven’t bought into the Tea Party nonsense. This is an outcome Boehner has tried to avoid with all his might because it could very possibly cost him his gavel. People forget, but Speaker Boehner lost his leadership position in the 1990’s, and it’s not something he’s forgotten. Perhaps this is why he’s been in denial about what needs to be done.
My sense is that the White House thinks there is support among Republicans in the Senate for the Reid plan, but no one wants to step on Boehner’s shoes. They’re waiting to see if he can pull a rabbit out of a hat and pass his proposal. I think Boehner has criminally mismanaged this situation. I recognize that he had no good options, but he chose the wrong one. Even if his bill passes, it won’t become law because the Democrats are not even considering caving. Passing it will just make it much harder for Senate Republicans to come in and save the day, making default a much more real possibility.
In any case, I don’t know why the Tea Partiers would betray their promises and principles by caving into Boehner. What would the Tea Party be if it compromised?
