the strangest thing about the debt ceiling standoff is that everyone knows what would happen if democrats held the line and rejected anything other than a "clean" debt ceiling extension: the GOP would cry foul and yell about how the democrats aren't serious about deficits, but (assuming the democrats continued to hold the line) the GOP would eventually cave. they would have to, the party is simply too beholden to american corporate interests to allow the financial calamity of a default to actually happen. they tipped their hand with yesterday's vote, when they "scheduled the vote for after the stock market’s close, and in the preceding days called Wall Street executives to assure them that the vote was just for show."
because everyone knows that the republicans won't let a default happen, then the obvious tactic for democrats is to hold firm. obama can announce that he will veto anything other than a clean bill. hell, if i were him, i would get on the teevee and highlight the fact that house republicans told wall street that their position was not serious.
but that's not what will happen. what will happen is the democrats will give in and agree to some draconian cuts that affects poor people. so some grandmother will freeze to death next winter, or some poor kid won't be able to get his asthma medication months from now because of the democrats cave-in and no one will notice or connect the dots between that happening and the current debate. there's no reason to go that route, the democrats hold the ultimate trump card if they're willing to use it. i'm just convinced they will never use it.
because everyone knows that the republicans won't let a default happen, then the obvious tactic for democrats is to hold firm. obama can announce that he will veto anything other than a clean bill. hell, if i were him, i would get on the teevee and highlight the fact that house republicans told wall street that their position was not serious.
but that's not what will happen. what will happen is the democrats will give in and agree to some draconian cuts that affects poor people. so some grandmother will freeze to death next winter, or some poor kid won't be able to get his asthma medication months from now because of the democrats cave-in and no one will notice or connect the dots between that happening and the current debate. there's no reason to go that route, the democrats hold the ultimate trump card if they're willing to use it. i'm just convinced they will never use it.
