I don’t always agree with Charles Krauthammer. But this time I most certainly agree. As I wrote on Wednesday, let’s just drive off the Fiscal Cliff:
The so-called “Fiscal Cliff” is looming.
I say: let’s give the Demorats everything they want. Whatever they want. Raise taxes, tax raises, a few piddly cuts, and raise taxes. Kill the Bush Tax Cuts.
Then raise the debt ceiling.
Come January 2nd, something will have to be actually OWNED.
To the GOP: just stand back. Let it happen.
It’s not just a bad deal, this is really an insulting deal. What Geithner offered, what you showed on the screen, Robert E. Lee was offered easier terms at Appomattox, and he lost the Civil War. The Democrats won by 3% of the vote and they did not hold the House, Republicans won the house. So this is not exactly unconditional surrender, but that is what the administration is asking of the Republicans.
This idea — there are not only no cuts in this, there’s an increase in spending with a new stimulus. I mean, this is almost unheard of. What do they expect? They obviously expect the Republicans will cave on everything. I think the Republicans ought to simply walk away. The president is the president. He’s the leader. They are demanding that the Republicans explain all the cuts that they want to make.
We had that movie a year-and-a-half ago where Paul Ryan presented a budget, a serious real budget with real cuts. Obama was supposed to gave speech where he would respond with a counter offer. And what did he do? He gave a speech where he had Ryan sitting in the front row. He called the Ryan proposal un-American, insulted him, offered nothing, and ran on Mediscare in the next 18 months.
And they expect the Republicans are going to do this again? The Republicans are going to walk on this. And I think they have leverage. Yes, for Congressional Democrats it will help them in the future if Republicans absorb the blame because we will have a recession. But Obama is not running again unlike the Congressional Democrats. He’s going to have a recession, 9% unemployment, 2 million more unemployed, and a second term that’s going to be a ruin. That is not a good proposition if you are Barack Obama.
Short answer: YES. The Demorats completely expect the Republicans to cave again.
As I have said for, now, decades, to all my current and former supervisors, managers and troops:
The best predictor of future performance or — lack thereof — is past behavior.
Charles Krauthammer indicates what the Republicans should do.
But will they?
BZ
