Fig Leaves
July 21, 2011 - by
First Congress voted against the war in Libya, then it voted to go right on paying to fight the war it was against. As a matter of policy that’s hard to fathom but as a matter of politics, well, there’s something in it for everyone. Congress is on your side no matter what side you’re on.
Senator McConnell is for cutting spending but, well, he’s also for letting President Obama raise the debt ceiling without cutting spending. McConnell’s ‘debt ceiling deal’ works like this: He wants Congress to pass a resolution to give President Obama power to raise the debt ceiling. Then Obama picks a number and sends a bill to Congress to raise the debt, say, $2.5 trillion. McConnell then votes against the bill. Then, maybe for the first time in history, the President vetoes a bill that didn’t pass. Obama then tells Congress, I’m vetoing your No, and raises the debt ceiling. By some twist of logic only to a Washington politician can understand that makes sense.
As policy, McConnell’s plan leaves the country up the creek with both more spending and more debt. But you’ve got to hand it to him. It’s sound politics. Because when the smoke clears Mitch McConnell can go home to Kentucky and tell voters he voted against raising the debt ceiling.
Fig Leaves
July 21, 2011/
First Congress voted against the war in Libya, then it voted to go right on paying to fight the war it was against. As a matter of policy that’s hard to fathom but as a matter of politics, well, there’s something in it for everyone. Congress is on your side no matter what side you’re on.
Senator McConnell is for cutting spending but, well, he’s also for letting President Obama raise the debt ceiling without cutting spending. McConnell’s ‘debt ceiling deal’ works like this: He wants Congress to pass a resolution to give President Obama power to raise the debt ceiling. Then Obama picks a number and sends a bill to Congress to raise the debt, say, $2.5 trillion. McConnell then votes against the bill. Then, maybe for the first time in history, the President vetoes a bill that didn’t pass. Obama then tells Congress, I’m vetoing your No, and raises the debt ceiling. By some twist of logic only to a Washington politician can understand that makes sense.
As policy, McConnell’s plan leaves the country up the creek with both more spending and more debt. But you’ve got to hand it to him. It’s sound politics. Because when the smoke clears Mitch McConnell can go home to Kentucky and tell voters he voted against raising the debt ceiling.