Shock! Boehner Backs Out of Budget Compromise

The Tea Party is pulling his strings
Politics • Views: 27,117

Well, that didn’t take long at all. After signaling yesterday that he would focus on producing a smaller debt reduction, today John Boehner is retreating to the hard-line Tea Party position again: Boehner says ‘no’ to ambitious debt-reduction deal.

This shows us two things: 1) the real power in today’s Republican Party is in the hands of ideological extremists, and 2) the GOP does not care about jobs or the deficit; their top priority is preserving low taxes for the super-rich.

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33 comments
1 Randall Gross  Sun, Jul 10, 2011 10:36:32am

The new campaign by the GOP has been kicked off by saint sarah - Obama = Sugar Daddy. It’s time to put together a photo montage of the real sugar daddies floating the right politicos, starting with that morbidly obese billionaire from BP.

2 Iwouldprefernotto  Sun, Jul 10, 2011 10:36:55am

Why should the rich pay more, they create all the jobs? NOT!

3 Killgore Trout  Sun, Jul 10, 2011 10:38:24am

They did this a few months ago as well. Obama wanted larger budget cuts but Republicans stonewalled over planned parenthood and tax cut for the wealthy. The only chance we have to reduce the deficit is if the Republicans lose the house..

4 Randall Gross  Sun, Jul 10, 2011 10:38:29am

New ventures represent the strongest engine of job growth, and the entrenched money they are protecting from taxes is all invested in legacy and antiquarian industries - not new ventures.

6 Alexzander  Sun, Jul 10, 2011 10:42:38am

re: #2 Iwouldprefernotto

I see you’ve been practising your ‘not jokes.’


Youtube Video
7 Targetpractice  Sun, Jul 10, 2011 10:44:05am

“We were eyeball to eyeball and the other guy just blinked.”

8 dragonfire1981  Sun, Jul 10, 2011 10:45:57am

The GOP has totally backed themselves into a corner. They’ve done a fantastic job of alienating virtually ALL their voting blocs EXCEPT for the Tea Party types. If they alienate them, they can kiss any chance of winning 2012 goodbye.

The Tea Party is pretty much the only support the GOP has left so they have to kiss their butts or risk losing big time in elections going forward.

The GOP has fucked themselves so badly even porn stars are in awe.

9 Alexzander  Sun, Jul 10, 2011 10:47:33am

I notice a lack of discussion about this on right wing websites.

It seems the most common form of bias these days isn’t outright lying or massive spinning, but complete omission of discussion. Pretty cowardly in my opinion.

10 Targetpractice  Sun, Jul 10, 2011 10:50:58am

re: #9 Alexzander

I notice a lack of discussion about this on right wing websites.

It seems the most common form of bias these days isn’t outright lying or massive spinning, but complete omission of discussion. Pretty cowardly in my opinion.

They’re working up the talking points. My guess is it’ll be something along the lines of “There’s no way to get things fixed with Obama and the Democrats in office, so we’ll have to nurse things along until after the next elections, when we’ll be back in charge and can make the sort of cuts needed!”

11 Decatur Deb  Sun, Jul 10, 2011 10:52:55am

re: #9 Alexzander

I notice a lack of discussion about this on right wing websites.

It seems the most common form of bias these days isn’t outright lying or massive spinning, but complete omission of discussion. Pretty cowardly in my opinion.

It’s quiet out there…too quiet..

12 Killgore Trout  Sun, Jul 10, 2011 10:53:20am

re: #10 Targetpractice, Worst of Both Worlds

They’re working up the talking points. My guess is it’ll be something along the lines of “There’s no way to get things fixed with Obama and the Democrats in office, so we’ll have to nurse things along until after the next elections, when we’ll be back in charge and can make the sort of cuts needed!”

They’re working on it but it’s pretty obvious the Republicans are getting rolled. The only thing the republicans are going to get out of this is the very unpopular tax breaks of the rich. It’s going to cost them in the next election.

13 moderatelyradicalliberal  Sun, Jul 10, 2011 10:56:39am

LOL@ Boehner. Now the Democrats get run against the GOP for trying to destroy Medicare and turning down a big debt reduction deal for no other reason than they don’t want to tax rich people which is exactly what about 65% of the country wants. The GOP isn’t serious about anything but, opposing Obama, abortion rights and protecting the rich. They literally don’t give a fuck about anything else.

14 Killgore Trout  Sun, Jul 10, 2011 10:56:48am

CBS News Poll: Most Oppose GOP Tax Plan

The poll finds that 53 percent of Americans want the Bush-era tax cuts extended only for households earning less than $250,000 per year. That roughly matches the proposal put forth by the White House, which wants to extend the cuts only for incomes less than $250,000 for families and $200,000 for individuals.

Just 26 percent of Americans say they support extending the cuts for all Americans, even those earning above the $250,000 level, which is the GOP proposal.


They are increasing the debt to preserve tax policy that only 26% of the population supports. Idiots.

15 moderatelyradicalliberal  Sun, Jul 10, 2011 10:57:51am

re: #12 Killgore Trout

They’re working on it but it’s pretty obvious the Republicans are getting rolled. The only thing the republicans are going to get out of this is the very unpopular tax breaks of the rich. It’s going to cost them in the next election.

It should cost them, but I’ll believe it when I see it. For some reason it take Americans a long time to figure out hoe terrible they are.

16 moderatelyradicalliberal  Sun, Jul 10, 2011 10:59:47am

re: #14 Killgore Trout

CBS News Poll: Most Oppose GOP Tax Plan


They are increasing the debt to preserve tax policy that only 26% of the population supports. Idiots.

There’s that number again. It’s the Crazification Factor.

[Link: philosophistry.com…]

17 allegro  Sun, Jul 10, 2011 11:01:20am

re: #16 moderatelyradicalliberal

There’s that number again. It’s the Crazification Factor.

[Link: philosophistry.com…]

I was thinking that very thing. Something about 26-27% is always the number.

18 Targetpractice  Sun, Jul 10, 2011 11:01:32am

re: #12 Killgore Trout

They’re working on it but it’s pretty obvious the Republicans are getting rolled. The only thing the republicans are going to get out of this is the very unpopular tax breaks of the rich. It’s going to cost them in the next election.

It’s another round of political brinkmanship, with the GOP gambling that Obama would roll again just to avoid the appearance of driving us into a default. But they made two mistakes: They drew a line in the sand that Obama and the Dems came up to but did not cross, and they said too much stupid shit to the press about how they have no problem with a default, some even welcoming it out of the mistaken belief that it’ll be a “good thing.”

19 Decatur Deb  Sun, Jul 10, 2011 11:02:46am

re: #16 moderatelyradicalliberal

There’s that number again. It’s the Crazification Factor.

[Link: philosophistry.com…]

Yup, since GWB’s last approval ratings. I think, though that it has both a left and right component. The left end seems small now but the proportions change a bit depending on the issue.

20 Robert O.  Sun, Jul 10, 2011 11:04:34am

The President played this perfectly. Boehner blinked first. The $4 trillion proposal would have been very difficult for Democrats to accept. Yet, that is still nothing compared to asking Republicans to raise taxes on the ultra-rich (!) So Boehner, held to ransom by the Tea Party, had to blink first. That is victory to the President. We now have it on record that the GOP actually does NOT care about the deficit, or jobs for that matter. What they REALLY care about is keeping tax loop holes and tax cuts for the rich. If that means driving the country into the dirt, or detonating the financial suicide bomb of government default on its debt obligations, the GOP is prepared to commit this country to suicide. What a message they are sending ahead of November 2012.

21 moderatelyradicalliberal  Sun, Jul 10, 2011 11:08:55am

re: #20 Robert O.

The President played this perfectly. Boehner blinked first. The $4 trillion proposal would have been very difficult for Democrats to accept. Yet, that is still nothing compared to asking Republicans to raise taxes on the ultra-rich (!) So Boehner, held to ransom by the Tea Party, had to blink first. That is victory to the President. We now have it on record that the GOP actually does NOT care about the deficit, or jobs for that matter. What they REALLY care about is keeping tax loop holes and tax cuts for the rich. If that means driving the country into the dirt, or detonating the financial suicide bomb of government default on its debt obligations, the GOP is prepared to commit this country to suicide. What a message they are sending ahead of November 2012.

Hopefully, it’s a message that the country should kill off the GOP electorally in November of 2012. The GOP is showing the American people who they really are and we really should believe them.

22 Decatur Deb  Sun, Jul 10, 2011 11:09:20am

re: #20 Robert O.

The President played this perfectly. Boehner blinked first. The $4 trillion proposal would have been very difficult for Democrats to accept. Yet, that is still nothing compared to asking Republicans to raise taxes on the ultra-rich (!) So Boehner, held to ransom by the Tea Party, had to blink first. That is victory to the President. We now have it on record that the GOP actually does NOT care about the deficit, or jobs for that matter. What they REALLY care about is keeping tax loop holes and tax cuts for the rich. If that means driving the country into the dirt, or detonating the financial suicide bomb of government default on its debt obligations, the GOP is prepared to commit this country to suicide. What a message they are sending ahead of November 2012.

If a guy is willing to talk to Iran, you can’t trust him not to negotiate with Republicans.

23 Killgore Trout  Sun, Jul 10, 2011 11:15:10am

Boehner Abandons Grand Bargain; Lunatics Prevail in GOP Caucus


For what it’s worth, I’ve actually gained some respect for Boehner. Based on the reports and what I’ve heard from people close to the negotiations, Boehner was genuinely interested in negotiating a deal even if that meant agreeing to some compromises, albeit pretty modest ones from my perspective.

But as the skeptics, like my colleague Jonathan Chait, were predicting all along, Boehner isn’t really in charge of the House Republican caucus. The lunatics are. And now they’ve won.

24 mr.fusion  Sun, Jul 10, 2011 11:17:22am

Exclusive video of McConnell & Boehner strategy session:

Youtube Video
25 makeitstop  Sun, Jul 10, 2011 11:22:44am

The GOP has a list of things that they claim will ‘destroy this country’ - everyone and everything from gays and Muslims to evil social programs and women’s rights.

But the one thing that will eventually bring this country to its knees is this pathological opposition to taxing anyone for anything, especially their rich friends and campaign donors.

What they want to do is ultimately unsustainable. Even a dumb liberal like me can see this, why can’t they?

26 Decatur Deb  Sun, Jul 10, 2011 11:25:22am

re: #25 makeitstop

The GOP has a list of things that they claim will ‘destroy this country’ - everyone and everything from gays and Muslims to evil social programs and women’s rights.

But the one thing that will eventually bring this country to its knees is this pathological opposition to taxing anyone for anything, especially their rich friends and campaign donors.

What they want to do is ultimately unsustainable. Even a dumb liberal like me can see this, why can’t they?

Because the people who set their program belong to the Republic of Wealth, and they don’t fly a flag.

27 usufruct  Sun, Jul 10, 2011 11:30:47am

The link article plays this up as both sides retreating to “hard line” positions yet the Dems have been quite willing to compromise, too much IMO, and the GOP is the one not willing to budge. This lack of ability to point out basic facts really shows the bankruptcy of much of the traditional US press.

28 Obdicut  Sun, Jul 10, 2011 11:31:40am

re: #25 makeitstop

They talk about Greece all the time, without seeming to realize one of the major problems in Greece is people avoiding taxes and a lack of prosecution of such.

29 funky chicken  Sun, Jul 10, 2011 12:04:48pm

re: #12 Killgore Trout

They’re working on it but it’s pretty obvious the Republicans are getting rolled. The only thing the republicans are going to get out of this is the very unpopular tax breaks of the rich. It’s going to cost them in the next election.

They have screamed about the debt so loudly and for so long that their current about-face will shock a whole lotta folks.

30 mikec6666  Sun, Jul 10, 2011 12:21:47pm

re: #29 funky chicken

It’s a complete abdication of responsible governance. But they don’t give a damn anymore, so it really doesn’t affect them politically.

31 John Q  Mon, Jul 11, 2011 1:46:55am

their top priority is preserving low taxes for the super-rich.

Um - no: they’ve already stated that their top priority is denying Obama a second term.

Keeping the wealthy able to afford $350 a bottle wine does run a close second, though

32 Bulworth  Mon, Jul 11, 2011 6:44:24am

The Republican Teabag Party is so Very Serious about the debt/deficit.

Debt Crisis!! We must cut the debt!! Wait…what? Tax increases? Uh, never mind.

33 haakondahl  Tue, Jul 12, 2011 6:39:43am

re: #3 Killgore Trout

The only chance we have to reduce the deficit is if the Republicans lose the house..

Right, because the Obama Pelosi Reid crew managed to hold costs down while creating jobs and fixing the economy. What a silly thing to say.


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