JONATHAN CHAIT JULY 27, 2011
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I was not especially impressed with the reasoning in David Brooks's column yesterday. But I left plenty of meat on the bones for Matt Steinglass, whose take is worth a read even with my noticing it a day later:
On Mr Brooks' telling, Mr Obama scolded Congressional leaders like a bunch of teenagers. They responded by beginning negotiations with each other which, he thinks, are more likely to produce a deal. He scolded them, and they started doing their jobs. This "unintended consequence" of Mr Obama's actions proves that his scolding was a grave mistake. ...
The driving factors in the debt-ceiling negotiations are fanatical Republican opposition to tax increases and the determination by tea-party Republicans to defeat Barack Obama, with whom no deal can ever be done. These are the reasons why we're having a clash over raising the debt ceiling, and they're the reasons why an agreement remains out of reach. But it's worth noting that Mr Brooks's "Saved by the Bell" theory of the negotiations, in which Mr Obama's scolding tone is the problem because it's driving congressional leaders to negotiate seriously with each other, doesn't even make any sense on its own terms.
Another way to put this is that the new prevailing theory among conservatives who want a debt ceiling deal holds that Obama has screwed everything up by posing as the only adult and treating Republicans like children. His leaving the negotiations, and allowing Congress to convene the deal, will allow the deal to get made.
Which is to say, Republicans are willing to risk massive financial chaos because they're annoyed at the president's tone. In other words, they're like children.
6 comments
Spoiled, bratty children who are going to find that they've earned themselves one hell of a spanking when Daddy comes home on August 2nd. This is why I'm not a fan of protecting people from themselves, even if it makes things tougher for me. It's not like protecting them from themselves makes things easier for me anyway. At least this way, if they live through it, there's an opportunity to learn a good lesson and get moving in the right direction again. You can't learn from your mistakes if you're never allowed to suffer from them.
- GSpinks
July 27, 2011 at 10:51am
In the real estate industry when two parties are a small distance apart, like $10,000.00 in a purchase of a $750,000.00 house, professionals are pretty certain the deal will get done, and if it doesn't there was something else going on. We've got no tax hikes and a difference between 6 months from now and maybe a year from now. Mr. Chait is correct. Something else is going on.
- Nusholtz
July 27, 2011 at 10:57am
Nush, I'm not so sure the 'something else is going on' in your hypothetical real estate deal means intelligence behind it all. The 'something else' can be delusion in one party. A true example: In 2009 two neighbors on my street put their houses up for sale within a few days of each other. The two houses were next to each other. One neighbor was moving to a larger home not that far from the present home (call him Seller #1), the other was moving out of state due to a job change (call him Seller #2) Seller #1's home was well maintained and had upgrades over time. He understood the present market was horrible for home sales so he priced to sell within a reasonable time. He sold the house within 2 weeks in a soft market. Seller #2 priced his home a bit higher than the one that sold (it was a slightly larger home) but to make matters worse his home was not as well maintained nor did he do upgrades over the years. Seller #2 got offer about 4 months after listing but the offer was about $7k less than asking price. Seller #2 refused, demanded the listing price so the deal fell apart. I even realized what Seller #2 was doing was unreasonable; no upgrades, poorer condition and you want more? That home didn't sell for nearly 16 months and Seller #2 had to eventually take about $15k less than asking even after a few price drops. He really lost big due to his unrealistic expectations but he was plain stupid. There's a similar dynamic going on with the GOP freshmen; they think their "house" is worth more than they think and refuse to negotiate. That will change when they get hit upside the head with reality and then they will get a whole lot less than they originally could have gotten.
- tmmats
July 27, 2011 at 12:30pm
There is nothing like proving your antagonists' case against you by behaving just the way they have pointed out that you do.
- liberalref
July 27, 2011 at 12:34pm
"Something else is going on." OK tinfoil hat dept: this is the result of a long-range plan to take over the US by a small group of fascists, which was interrupted by the FBI and WWII. However it has, by virtue of a series of carefully staged, long range plans, finally borne fruit: the "election" of Bush, the installation of the right wing court, the use of a propaganda TV channel, the misuse of religious faith, its corruption of politics; revisionist history. Look at Palin and Bachmann...the current insanity over the debt ceiling - attacks on our social network. Look at some of the governors out there. So - I'm seeing things under the bed? I grew up on horror stories of the Depression, plus of course Hitler. We shouldn't forget either of those scenarios, nor the capacity of our fellow humans to do the unthinkable.
- Sophia
July 27, 2011 at 12:44pm
PS: this business of Our Grandchildren Will Benefit: this is baloney. The argument by the Tea Party that we should cap the debt ceiling now so our grandchildren will be better off is absurd. It's especially poisonous considering that, I understand, some of the GOP members are attempting to gut environmental standards as part of their budget scenario. Nobody's grandchildren will be better off if the environment is destroyed in order to make rich people and corporations richer and more powerful and strip workers, seniors, women, and one can surmise, "immigrants," ie non-whites and non-Christians and gay people of any recourse. What are they thinking.
- Sophia
July 27, 2011 at 12:49pm