I agree with everything that Ezra Klein has to say about the decision to fix airport delays without addressing anything else being harmed by sequestration. I’m basically mystified at this point. I get why Congress wants to fix something that impacts them directly rather than just some of their lowly constituents, but this was the moment when we were supposed to force a deal. And if we couldn’t force a deal, the least we could have done is to hold the FAA flexibility hostage until the Republicans gave us flexibility on something we care about, too.
The Republicans don’t worry about bad politics in April of an off year. Remember them holding up Sandy relief? Remember the debt ceiling fiasco? So, why does our side suck at this so badly?
Maybe they don’t suck. Makes one wonder if they might just like that sequester thing. What other reason could there be for doing something so obviously stupid? There is simply no rational reason for caving on this.
are you saying that even the liberal Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren aren’t rational, because they voted for this?
the rational reason is simple – their large donors were complaining about the delays. Warren raised $42.5 million for her campaign. That’s a lot of rich bundles she’s indebted too.
it’s nice to fantasies that Warren is some sort of Jimmy Stewart bulwark against the rich, but $42 million dollars changes a person.
I mean, how else do you explain their votes.
With this unfathomable move, Democrats have pretty much accepted the validity of the GOP austerity philosophy. Makes you feel like an idiot to associate yourself with this group.
Stockholm Syndrome.
http://immasmartypants.blogspot.com/2013/04/dont-sweat-small-stuff.html
totally agree with her thoughts, we have bigger fish to worry about in about 5 months
Just an absolutely pathetic and gutless move.
Where are the GOP implosion stories now?
Pretty Simple,
congress only votes for those who fill their campaign cofffers and make the loudest calls to their offices. Gun reform failed cause they claim gun safety advocates did not swarm the phones like NRA nuts did.
Likewise they’ll say Head Start recipients did not call as vociferously as miffed passengers and corporate jet owners did.
Your Congress, bought and paid for with lobbyists cash. And Pres Obama was supposed to stick his neck out so they humiliate him one more time. Naw. This is the Congress we have wrought.
I wonder what the Professional Left has to say about their beloved progressive congresscritters — Elizabeth Warren, Sherrod Brown et al? They’ve bought into the rut quickly
This is a commonweal coming apart at the seams. Highest bidder calls the tune.
I wonder what the Professional Left has to say about their beloved progressive congresscritters — Elizabeth Warren, Sherrod Brown et al? They’ve bought into the rut quickly.
Was there even a vote in the Senate? Or was it done by “voice vote”?
http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d113:S.853:
Just saying, if I was a Congresscritter that I’d have voted for it. Doesn’t mean anything about Liz or Sherrod’s credentials.
Aren’t there any Democrats that know how to play hardball? Or are they a bunch limp-wristed pussies?
That sequester is really forcing the GOPers to agree to increase taxes. And how about that huge tax increase on the wealthy(over $450,000) that raised a gigantic $600 billion with the hardball negotiating on the fiscal cliff.
Elizabeth Warren, Alan Grayson, and Bernie Sanders are “limp-wristed pussies” for voting for this?
okay. if you say so.
so were there any Dems who tried to fight back?
I guess Obama can veto the bill if it comes to his desk, but then that has political problems itself.
So in this case, as seems to be the case alot with this Congress, the Dems pols have left the POTUS with not much choice, right?
It passed with such huge margins that they could easily override a Presidential veto. So Obama could veto it, but it wouldn’t matter and would just make him look weak.
Vetoes Mr. President? Presidential powers? If Dems in Congress won’t leverage, Mr. President there may be some capital for your taking.
And yes he’s got alot on his plate but unlike McCain, Romney & certainly Bush, he’s damn good at multi tasking rather than just pulling out the ‘bomb ’em card’.
Lol, why are you surprised, Booman? Once again: the goal of the sequester was to force a deal on entitlements. This only makes it easier. Now rather than it being “sequester (everything) vs. entitlements,” it’s going to be “Granny’s cancer treatment/Head start/unemployment/all other social spending vs. entitlements.”
The Democrats know how to play this game, especially leadership. The bill wouldn’t have gotten a vote in the Senate without the president’s approval.
The bill wouldn’t have gotten a vote in the Senate without the president’s approval.
So even the liberal socialist Bernie Sanders voted for this because Obummer ordered him to?
Since when does Socialist Sanders take orders from Obummer?
I just said below that I’d have voted for it if I was a congresscritter. And Sanders isn’t a socialist. Not even close.
your ducking the question. you say this got a vote because of obummer, but since when have the Socialist Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren followed obummer’s orders?
I’m not ducking the question. If this came up for a vote, you’d be a fool not to vote in favor of it. But the reason it came up for a vote is because of the Democratic leadership, including the president and Harry Reid.
Warren, Sanders, Brown aren’t up for reelection for another 6 years. 6 loooooong years is a hundred lifetimes in politics. But even beyond that, they’re in safe seats.
they wouldn’t lose a single vote in 2018 by voting against this.
of course, evil secret chechnyan obummer made them do it, with his 11th dimensional chess, right after he faked the boston bombing.
BWHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAH!
I just check. Even the liberal Alan Grayson voted for this, and we know Grayson always follows obummmer’s orders.
This problem originated when Obama did not hold the line on the debt ceiling in the summer of 2011, and instead, thought he could get a Grand Bargain. When that went nowhere, the sequester was not gamed out: look at a decision tree and be prepared to handle all likely outcomes. One path was: Republicans don’t react strongly to defense cuts — sequester moves ahead — sequester affects a noisy constituency — sequester is modified, further weakening any power it has over Republicans. That failure of analysis is the White House’s.
Once established, reversing or substantially reining in the sequester could have been addressed during one point of advantage: at the end of 2012 when the Bush Tax Cuts were due to expire. But no action was taken.
Regarding Booman’s remarks of April 12:
That took a unitary view of the sequester: that there couldn’t be carve-outs. The Republicans knew better. They knew that instead of using a “meat-ax”, a rapier would do.
reversing or substantially reining in the sequester could have been addressed during one point of advantage at the end of 2012 when the Bush Tax Cuts were due to expire.
How? Boehner couldn’t even get his caucus to agree to the $1,000,000 threshold for the tax increase. A freaking $1,000,000 dollars of yearly income, and they wouldn’t even agree to that. If orange-man couldn’t even get the comfortably gerrymandered nihilists to agree to that how could he get them to agree to reversing the sequester?
So, Boo, are you finally ready to understand why voting Dem next time will provide the same gratification as chopping off a finger? “Our side” sucks so badly at this because the GOP gives them infinite cover to shape the country according to their deepest instincts.
AFAIC, there should have been nothing done for the airlines until something was done about everything. I guess not every single asshole that runs this country has enough private jets yet.
A cynic would say, “…because they’re paid to suck so badly.”
I’m surprised you’re surprised. Who could have predicted etc etc.