The Price of Politics: It’s high - but on sale!

I had originally reserved today to recap some of the antics from the lesser acts at last week’s DNC (Democratic National Circus).

Such as Sandy Two Buck Fluke,

Kerry “Today there are people trying (to) take away rights that our mothers, grandmothers and great-grandmothers fought for: our right to vote, our right to choose, affordable quality education, equal pay, access to health care. We the people can't let that happen!” Washington,

and Joey “fact-check me, I dare you!” Biden.

They can keep all of the other ones, butt may we reconsider their right to vote?

Butt then news about a new soon-to-be-released blockbuster by Bob Woodward came out in the Washington Post:

Inside story of Obama’s struggle to keep Congress from controlling outcome of debt ceiling crisis

and there are a lot of juicy tidbits in The Price of Politics. I mean, aside from Big Guy trying to prevent Congress from performing their constitutional responsibilities.

All of which forces me to revisit last year’s debt crisis. I just knew that John Boehner folded on that train bound for nowhere. Butt who knew that Big Guy, in addition to the rest of his amazing skills (he’s a surprisingly good pool player, you know) was also a world class poker player?

During yet another budget meeting in which House and Senate leaders were talking with the president about the amount of money they were willing to raise through both taxes and cuts, Cantor told the president that the two sides were moving in opposite directions. Obama did not take Cantor’s mild taunt lightly and responded, according to Woodward, “I promise you, Eric, don’t call my bluff on this. It may bring my presidency down, but I will not yield on this.” Obama then stood up and strode from the room.

As I explained at the time:

So don’t worry; even though Big Guy told Eric the Cantor  "I've reached my limit. This may bring my presidency down, but I won't yield on this. Enough is enough." he promised to come back today after Eric has had a chance to calm down and come to the realization that raising taxes during a deep, dark depression recession really is a good idea.

Apparently Eric triggered this outburst when he took Big Guy at his word that these discussions were not going to be about political posturing. He ill-manneredly had the audacity to interrupt Big Guy - 15 minutes into his political posturing - to suggest a short-term solution.

That impertinence on the part of one of the little people, who clearly doesn’t know his place, triggered that “petulant-child syndrome” we’ve been trying to keep under wraps. I guess we still need to work on it a bit.

Not that Big Guy really has any love for the game of poker, he just likes “Winning!”

Butt even at the time, everybody thought that Big Guy was bluffing:

Not so according to Woodward! He really did have all the cards, and he was willing to play them even if it meant placing the entire world’s economy on the line in order to ensure his reelection. That is Won gutsy cowboy, no?

Here’s an excerpt from BO’s private conversation with Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid (and Harry’s chief of staff (Mr. Krone) who tagged along to explain the Congressional deal because Harry, like Big Guy, isn’t a “detail guy”):

I am not going to sign a bill that requires me to deal with the debt ceiling a second time before the election, the president told him. He was furious. (snip)

The 44-year-old Krone outlined the plan, including a secret Republican pledge to count $1 trillion in savings from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan toward deficit reduction. That was surprising. Earlier, Boehner had not been willing to accept this accounting gimmick. [ed. i.e. a sham]

“I don’t trust these guys,” the president said dismissively.(snip)

“Mr. President, I am sorry — with all due respect — that we are in this situation that we’re in, but we got handed this football on Friday night. And I didn’t create this situation. The first thing that baffles me is, from my private-sector experience, the first rule that I’ve always been taught is to have a Plan B. And it is really disheartening that you, that this White House did not have a Plan B.” (snip)

“That is a horrible position that we’re in,” Krone said. “And so this may not be the perfect deal, but it’s the only deal that we have on the table right now in the situation that we find ourselves.”

Obama replied: “…I’m not doing that. The one thing that we need to bring stability to this economy is not throwing the debt limit increase back into the political arena. I’m not doing that under any circumstances. So if that means that I’m not signing this bill, I’m not signing the bill.”

Ah yes, BO, taking charge. The guy on the palomino pony. Being the cowboy.

The impact on his political future if BO were to fold was made perfectly clear by Plouffe-Daddy:

“If he caves,” said David Plouffe, Obama’s senior political adviser, “it will have long-lasting political repercussions that we may never get out of. If we draw a line in the sand on something this important and cross it, we may never be able to come back.”

Accepting a two-step deal would not work, Plouffe said. “We will not get credit for doing anything. We’ll look like we got bullied by a bunch of very unpopular and irresponsible people.”

So rest assured, we do have our priorities straight:

When all was said and done, it was Boehner who folded. Not his fault. He’s not a strong man.

I wonder how he ever got to be House Leader in the first place? Oh, right. Seniority. Like unions. I thought the Republicans were opposed to unions? Maybe they should at least look into renegotiating his contract with America.

Anyway, so here we are again, on the edge of the proverbial fiscal cliff. Rest assured, we won’t fall off until after the election. Thanks to the backbone of our leaders. All of whom have their priorities straight.

Take two, there’s plenty here for us!

Boehner told Woodward that at one point, when Boehner voiced concern about passing the deal they were working out, the president reached out and touched his forearm.

“John, I’ve got great confidence in my ability to sway the American people,” Boehner quotes the president as having told him.

Although it seems as of late, BO may be questioning his amazing gift just a little; he told Charlie Rose that his biggest mistake to date has been not telling America a good enough story.

Maybe we could try new storybook; one that isn’t all about you?

If Mitt doesn’t have to apologize, neither do I!

Of course that might have just been Big Guy using the art of the humblebrag, now that he’s finally perfected that too.

Well, I better run now. Just look how late it’s getting!

Linked By: Larwyn’s Linx on Doug Ross@Journal, and Radio Patriot, and Colleen Hunt on facebook, and  BlogsLucianneLoves, and NOBO2012 on Free Republic, Thanks!