Ignorance Unleashed

Once upon a time (last summer), Senator Mitch McConnell proposed an idea, which was attached to a law called The Budget Control Act of 2011.   In his proposition, which Congress named "The McConnell Proposition", for Congress is very clever when it names things.  Senator Turtle McConnell proposed that when the national debt that is subject to the statutory debt limit comes within $100 billion of the debt limit, the President is allowed to request a limit increase by notifying Congress in writing that the outstanding debt is within $100 billion of the debt limit and could we please borrow more money to pay the bills?  If Congress disagreed, both chambers had 15 days to sign a Joint Resolution of disapproval and send it to the President, who then had to decide whether to veto the disapproval document.  Naturally, because it's the President doing the asking (he doesn't want bill collectors calling the White House during State dinners), of course he's going to veto Congress's disapproval.  Which then puts the burden on the bi-cameral Congress to come up with a 2/3 majority to over-ride the President's veto.  If they do nothing (imagine that!) or fail to gather the necessary votes for an over-ride, we then raise the roof, if you will.

In August, 2011, members of both parties thought this was a great idea.  The fellas on Wall Street thought it was a fine idea as well, as investors get nervous at the notion of the USA not meeting its obligations and they don't spend their money on investments, preferring instead to stuff it under their mattresses in the Cayman Islands.  It was a happy moment in American history--why even the Wall Street Journal and the New York Times editorial boards agreed that it was a good idea, and they disagree almost as much as Congress itself!

The proposal was such a good one, that after it was proposed by Senator Mitch, it became law.  The debt ceiling was raised three times under the McConnell proposition as part of the BCA of '11. It worked so well that on Meet the Press last Sunday, Secretary of the Treasury, Tim Geithner, suggested that the Mighty McConnell Proposal be extended.  

Understanding the absolute importance of the "Sunday shows" regarding government policy (just ask Susan Rice), Mitch saw there wasn't a second to lose and quickly asked the Gentleman from Nevada, Senate Majority Leader, Harry Reid, to hold an up or down vote on his proposal.  Reid quickly acquiesced to his request. 

Abuse the filibuster much?

Then--the unthinkable happened...on the Senate floor, right before the vote that McConnell had asked for--the bill was filibustered...by (wait for it) Mitch McConnell. 

At this point, you're probably thinking, wait--what?!  Didn't you just say it was the McConnell proposition?  Didn't you just say that it was he, himself, who asked for the vote?  The answer is yes, yes I did on both counts.  

Here's what's really going on:  Mitch McConnell requested the simple majority vote because he mistakenly believed that Democrats are exactly like Republicans.  You see, Republicans subscribe to obstructionism--if a Democrat is in favor of something, then Republicans are vehemently opposed to it on principle.  If Democrats came out publicly in favor of BLT's, then Republicans would oppose bacon.  He assumed that Democrats operated in the same fashion.  He was wrong.

Upon having his request granted, McConnell was forced into the most embarrassing position of having to filibuster his own proposal.  Why, you ask?  Because the measure would have passed, and that would have taken away the Republican's ability to hold the American economy (and by proxy, the global economy) hostage as political leverage for furthering their agenda.  

Over on Fox "News", they're trying to make people believe that raising the debt ceiling is about spending. It is not.  This is just one of a thousand, nay, a million lies perpetrated by the media arm of the Republican party. You see, the truth is--the money's already been spent...by Congress.
The debt ceiling argument is not, nor has it ever been about cutting spending.  The spending part is over.  The credit card bill is due.  When Republicans piss and moan about raising the debt ceiling, what they're really doing is using the situation to their own advantage and putting the entire national economy at risk.  It's a false argument from beginning to end.  

So, what needs to happen is that Wall Street barons, captains of industry and all those wonderful big and small business owners need to get together and kick up a fuss, which is to say, they should call the Republican's bluff and threaten to shift those fat campaign contributions to the fiscally responsible party.  You know, the one that is serious about paying the nation's bills.  Need I remind you that the last time the Republicans played this game of "chicken" with the debt ceiling, the nation's credit rating was down graded for the first time in our history.  The stock market plummeted too. This time, McConnell has made himself look ignorant into the bargain.  He's also given Harry Reid every reason and every right to change the rules of the filibuster, which Republicans like McConnell have been using to obstruct any and virtually all legislation--including self-penned propositions.
All in the name of obstructionism.

Congratulate Mitch McConnell for his historic, first-time-in-our-nation's history self-filibuster.  Then tell him how you feel about that other historic first (the one where he helped to lower the nation's triple A credit). Then tell him to pass along to his Caucus that we won't accept any more of their shenanigans. Oh, and don't forget to request inaugural tickets while you're at it.  You can do that at his website, here.

Senator Mitch McConnell
317 Russell Senate Office Building
Washington, DC   20510 
(202) 224-2541  (fax) (202)224-2499
or you can e-mail Mitch here.
*note-phone calls, faxes and e-mails get the most immediate results.  Due to the anthrax threats of the recent past, Congressional mail is opened off-site and take up to six weeks to be delivered to the recipient.