Don’t worry: This time they really really mean it:
Despite the tension and the glare of the media spotlight, the fledgling relationship between Boehner and Reid actually grew stronger over the last couple of months, according to sources close to both men.
That is important because the next political crisis of raising the nation’s debt ceiling is just around the corner.
Over the weekend, Reid told The New York Times, “I don’t like [Boehner’s] legislation, but I like the way he is running the House.”
Republican lawmakers say Boehner will soon have to persuade the White House to agree to a slew of budget-cutting measures in order to raise the limit in June or July.
Other than a balanced budget amendment — which has little chance of clearing the Senate — that wish list has not been crafted yet. Some of those items are undoubtedly in House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan’s (R-Wis.) 2012 budget blueprint, a plan that has been strongly criticized by congressional Democrats.
In many ways, Boehner had more riding than Reid on the shutdown.
Reid has long had the confidence of his Democratic Conference. Boehner is still feeling his way with the new Republican House majority, demonstrated when his Conference rejected his initial package of $35 billion in cuts. They also threw him a serious brushback when 54 of them defected on a short-term spending bill last month.
Just one week ago, there was plenty of chatter that Boehner was cornered by the Tea Party.
If he shut the government down, the political risks would be enormous. If he struck a deal, the right would accuse the Speaker of capitulating.
Many predicted Boehner would take a serious hit.
But he didn’t, at least not to this point.
He was greatly helped by Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), who backed Boehner’s every move.
One prominent Republican lobbyist who does not have ties to Boehner said the Speaker played an impressive game of “three-dimensional chess.” The moves included the timely release of Ryan’s budget, getting cover from Republican senators and, most importantly, passing a House stopgap bill that highlighted funding for the troops.
A GOP aide said, “The turning point in the past week was when the Conference strongly supported the strategy Boehner outlined Monday night: to pass a troop funding bill that the president and Sen. Reid and no substantive reason to oppose. That increased Boehner’s leverage in the negotiations, which led to increased spending cuts in the final agreement.”
Yeah. This is what passes for “impressive” “three-dimensional chess.” Which I guess beats actually making a case on principle any day.
Talk about the soft bigotry of low expectations.
On the plus side, Reid now sees Boehner as someone he can work with. And nothing says conservative ascendancy moreso than the reluctant approval of Harry Reid.
Wake me when it’s over.
Jeff, I’m afraid we’ll all wake up screaming long before this is over.
Not with as much as I’m drinking these days, McGehee.
Look, we’re saved! Or fucked. One of the two.
mitt tanned, tested, ready for defeat.
His jawline will save us!
This stuff is aggravating but irrelevant – Washington DC is occupied territory and the best we can hope for there is a rear-guard holding action while the slow-motion collapse plays out. The thing to do now is to try and conserve what is left of the American experiment in various hinterland enclaves, large and self-sufficient enough to survive when the Leviathan implodes.
IOW, outlaw!
Note I’m not talking about a Road Warrior-style dystopia (although there will no doubt be some economic pain involved). I’m talking about what succeeds the American republic politically.
allahpundit on mittens
“Anyone want to venture a theory on why he’d choose to announce his exploratory committee on the eve of the fifth anniversary of RomneyCare?”
Reid will pay to blow a Vegas Strip tranny if there’s a vote or poll point in it, so I don’t give a rats ass what kind of cover he wants by saying sweet things about Boehner.
The deal sucked and we all know it. We basically paid off 3 weeks interest to China. Our annual interest to them alone pays their defense budget and then some. It’s a joke.
Here’s where I’m in the weeds. Did we or did we not get a CR that funds the DOD (pays the troops) through September? I’ve read crazy shit @ B5, This Ain’t Hell, and Mudville and I’m not sure how this hashes out. The left has zero respect for our troops in the middle of (now) 3 wars. The DOD rider was the one big fat Damocles Sword they shamelessly got to hang over Republicans. If this one week CR zeroed that, they got squat from here on out.
They have no leverage. No wonder Reid is kissing ass.
If we actually secured troops annual pay in this last one-week CR, then drop the hammer next week. And the week after that. And the week after that. Until Ryan’s budget (or something similar) is in place alongside a new CinC.
If they cry “no”, then shut the motherfucker down.
As Randolph & Mortimer Duke heard at the end, “Margin call gentlemen”.
Boehner can hide behind (or in front of) the orange text at PW. Beware!
I actually know someone who’s known by “Mitt,” but her name is Mildred.
So if you see me calling Romney “Mildred” you’ll know why.
No, we got a CR that funds everything through this week, while they ostensibly dot the i’s and cross the t’s on the budget for the rest of the year. There should be a vote on the final package Thursday.
Thank you Pablo.
Next time they will really really mean it.
The time after that, really really really mean it.
Then after that they will be really really really really sorry and ask for a second chance.
They won’t argue about raising the debt ceiling, they’ll argue over how much to raise it. That’s because the establishment GOP types love spending as much as the Democrats.
Primary the fuckers out.
BTW, they don’t think Boner has taken a serious hit. I would check with the Tea Party types before making a statement like that. It would take some serious spine on his part to even begin to redeem himself.
How many more of these Pyhhric victories can we take?
Sheriff Brody phoned to say “You’re gonna need a bigger Boehner.”
Being blackmailed with military pay was despicable, giving into it nearly as.
I know first hand this was eye opening for our volunteer enlisted.
I predict in five years our military is going to look very different, as fewer men worth a damn join or re-enlist due to threats to their pay (realizing they are first to be cut in any future financial crisis), Libya (they are playthings to the politicians, engaging them in combat with no national interest, or even a fucking goal), repeal of DODT (why do ya gotta tell? Is there to be four barracks now; “straight men”, “straight women”, “married” and “other”?), coming cuts to the military (deteriorating equipment, less opportunity, reminiscent of 1979), and the obvious contempt the political leadership has for the American military in general.
The draft will have to be re-instated to make people put up with all that.
Also, if Obama is re-elected, I would bet within five years they’re all wearing UN blue Barrets and marching to a different drummer. Obama already bypassed Congress for Libya.
Those of you with young children, you know the Hitler Youth organization was required for kids 14-18, regardless even the parents objections, right? You know, like school lunch!
The question, as currently framed, is what they’re going to get to make sure it doesn’t have to happen again. We will see, won’t we?
Meh.
FTMFF (Fuck The MotherFucking Fuckers)
It’s all I got.
Sometimes I just gotta let the ex blue collar worker run a bit amok with the blue language.
I don’t buy that WSJ article for a second, Pablo.
Incidentally, I heard tonight that some in the Senate are preparing to tether raising the debt ceiling to a BBA, and they are prepared to filibuster if needs be.
At least Boehner gets to cry happy tears because Harry Reid called him “esteemed colleague”.
Because that’s what matters.
“a BBA, and they are prepared to filibuster if needs be.”
more shiny symbolic gestures hoo ray
“I heard tonight that some in the Senate are preparing to tether raising the debt ceiling to a BBA”
BBA? Screw that, tether it to 18% of GNP. Balancing the budget only requires imaginative revenue schemes/projections.
BBA? Screw that, tether it to 18% of GNP. Balancing the budget only requires imaginative revenue schemes/projections.
I thought the balanced budget ammendment capped spending at 18% of GDP.
The BBA is tied to 18.5% and requires a supermajority to raise taxes and to raise the debt ceiling.
http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2011/03/31/republican-senators-push-for-balanced-budget-amendment/
The amendment would require a balanced budget, a two-thirds majority to raise taxes, and three-fifths to increase the debt limit. Additionally, the proposal would limit government spending to 18% of GDP, which is below the average of 21 percent over the last 41 years, according to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, a liberal-leaning think tank.
I can tell you one thing, Illinois will not be one of the states ratifying it if the senate passes it.
It really is all about debt, now. Nothing else matters, financially…
If we raise the debt ceiling to cover mostly the cost of existing debt, that’s contrary to logic. If we do not raise the debt ceiling, we risk defaulting on outstanding bonds, sending the markets into implosion.
So, not it’s come down to this: do we get killed first, or go broke first? Does the coming intifada against Israel unleash the nukes, or does the debt crush our way of life?
We are definitely in possession of the short straws this time.
(I like the way this commenter puts it…
Mandibles like that don’t come along every day. He must be Better Than Us.
IMO, the bar for “three-dimensional chess” has been lowered so far that a 90-year-old that gets around with a walker could clear it without much risk.