Althouse: “Cantor didn’t say a word the whole meeting.”

July 14, 2011

“Cantor didn’t say a word the whole meeting.”

Today at the debt talks.

54 comments:

Phil 314 said...: Again, like it or not Republicans are losing the PR war.; 7/14/11, 6:27 PM
Bryan Caskey said...: Maybe he didn't have anything nice to say and was just being polite.; 7/14/11, 6:33 PM
1775OGG said...: Althouse: who needs trolls posting comments here when the host is linking to things like the Plum Line. At first, I thought Sargent has misspelled "plumb" but now consider that he's merely trying to show his red tinge subtly; big fail.

Still, your garlic video was fascinating, truly.; 7/14/11, 6:34 PM
mesquito said...: ..acording to an email from a Democrat source to a partisan Democrat blogger.; 7/14/11, 6:35 PM
Paul said...: The conversation has just dried up. There won't even be a meeting Friday.

Candor isn't the problem. It's Obama that is the problem.

And yes they are calling his 'bluff'.; 7/14/11, 6:35 PM
Carol_Herman said...: Mitch McConnell is a disaster!

There's actually a good piece by Gingrich, up at Breitbart. Where Gingrich notes the obvious.

"THE IT'S MY WAY OR THE HIGHWAY" only has Obama at center stage! There's no way the GOP can compete!

And, McConnell, plus Boehner, should have shown their legislative salts ... by coming up with a congressional plan that would move through CONGRESS!

Then?

It would land on Obama's desk.

He could dither.

He could remove his pen from his pocket, and veto.

Or he could go play golf.

McConnell has no guts! He probably thinks he's sacrificed enough by having his chin cut off in utero. And, Boehner's too drunk to get his members in the house willing to cut anything.

All the politicians see are PORK BARRELS! You think this is a debate about eliminating pork barrels? What got into you?

What's going on is that Boehner and McConnell want to ESCAPE! They want to dance down the street. Farting in the general direction of the public ...

While Sarah Palin has come out and said "get used to it. We're going to be raising the debt ceiling. Because of who Obama is. And, who he is? He's no one you can trust.

All the other schmucks are just politicians who are opportunists.; 7/14/11, 6:37 PM
Anonymous said...: "Again, like it or not Republicans are losing the PR war."

And that's because we all know that it's just a game.

That Republicans WILL vote to increase the debt limit and WILL vote to increase taxes.

So of course, they're losing the PR war.

They have no fucking backbone and are selling out the very voters who sent them to Washington, D.C. for the express purpose of saving our country from the out of control Socialist dictator running it.

They either stop him, or they're fucking finished.

I can't wait to egg the first Republican I see marching in a Labor Day parade after they give this motherfucker more borrowing authority.; 7/14/11, 6:44 PM
Anonymous said...: And I wonder how long Obama droned on for during the meeting, enjoying the sound of his own voice? If the past is prologue, we can be certain it was a considerable amount of time - and 95% of it a waste of oxygen. But arrogance and narcissism will do that to you. He seems to think Congress is answerable to him. The Constitution says it isn't.; 7/14/11, 6:45 PM
Dear corrupt left, go F yourselves said...: The PR war of lies. Democrats win!; 7/14/11, 6:46 PM
damikesc said...: I'll say this --- if the Dems win here, the US is dead.

Completely dead.

We'll have an eventual civil war.

And I won't mourn the end of this country that has, apparently, failed.; 7/14/11, 6:48 PM
traditionalguy said...: The CNN commentators just spent 40 minutes repeating the mantra that the GOP is all to blame for the coming default.

Obama has his Media campaign apparatus in full operation.

Interestingly enough the theme of the mantras was, " The coming interest rate spike will interfere with the Recovery."

The fact that there is no recovery and that the economy has instead been sinking for 3 months, since the oil prices spiked on cue from Obama, is being desperately covered up by the planned default carefully blamed on the GOP.

Obama is so boring.

"; 7/14/11, 6:53 PM
edutcher said...: Sargent is a Demo hack. Don't take what he says seriously.

Bryan Caskey said...

Maybe he didn't have anything nice to say and was just being polite.

Maybe he didn't want Zero going all wee-wee in the meeting.; 7/14/11, 6:53 PM
Known Unknown said...: Actions speak louder than words.

Unfortunately, this is true for Mitch McConnell, too.; 7/14/11, 6:54 PM
edutcher said...: PS My God, you people give up easily.

You'd think you read Stacy McCain every night.; 7/14/11, 7:01 PM
damikesc said...: I just wish the GOP would pass a small debt ceiling increase with small cuts and let the Dems kill it or Obama veto it.

STOP. BEING. NICE.

Make them suck on this.

Be vicious. Start attacking Obama in the most personal manner possible. Walk out of the next SOTU speech en masse the first time he makes a comment that is false or attacks somebody.; 7/14/11, 7:05 PM
Phil 314 said...: There's actually a good piece by Gingrich, up at Breitbart. Where Gingrich notes the obvious.

This is not a situation in which I'd seek Mr. Gingrich's advice.; 7/14/11, 7:06 PM
TWM said...: Never saw so many Negative Nancys in a thread this early. And all because Cantor decided not to talk to that moron?; 7/14/11, 7:06 PM
Carol_Herman said...: High ground. Low ground. It's not an even playing field!

The GOP is losing the war because the left OWNS the media megaphone.

And, the GOP has no one writing good jokes!; 7/14/11, 7:06 PM
rhhardin said...: You can drive an audience into silence with enough Vu-graphs, I remember from the old days.

PowerPoint probably makes that easier in modern times.; 7/14/11, 7:08 PM
damikesc said...: I want somebody to, quite loudly, proclaim that the President and his party refuse to do their job and are now threatening to starve grandma because it is easier to kill the elderly than do their jobs.; 7/14/11, 7:10 PM
Anonymous said...: Meanwhile, over at Time.com:

"Democratic sources coming out of the meeting allege that Cantor rudely interrupted the President three times — an accusation Cantor’s staff hotly disputes..."

http://swampland.time.com/2011/07/14/obama-vs-cantor-tempers-flare-as-debt-ceiling-negotiations-take-a-dramatic-turn/; 7/14/11, 7:11 PM
David said...: "It's quiet out there, Sarge."

"Too quiet."; 7/14/11, 7:13 PM
Anonymous said...: Finally ... the media has lifted the embargo and are now showing the photo of Obama stomping out of the debt meeting like a Drama Queen.; 7/14/11, 7:16 PM
Known Unknown said...: Democratic sources

Love those guys.

WV: anymo. No one come 'round here anymo.; 7/14/11, 7:17 PM
gk1 said...: It was inevitable the msm would spin this as the republican's fault. Just like they predicted they would pay a price for not voting for the stimulus or obamacare. Its what they do. I think the democrats/obama have simply painted themselves into a corner and are desperate. All the "stupid party" has to do is sit back. Obama will fold faster than superman on laundry day. Anyone remember the bush tax cut extension?; 7/14/11, 7:17 PM
David said...: Obama has been in the driver's seat all along on this one. The Republicans unfortunately are just figuring that out.

Why? Here's a little secret. We have to raise the debt ceiling. There is no choice. We have squandered that choice over the last 20 years with irresponsible spending.

Yeah, sure, the Republicans have insisted that there be this cut and that cut as a condition to raising the ceiling, but it's all way beyond the ability--or desire--of the MSM to explain these details.

It's just too easy for Obama to paint the Republicans as the cause of the default that would occur (eventually not immediately) if the ceiling were raised. Wrong battlefield, wrong time for the Republicans.

There will be other more favorable battlefields.

This is an early skirmish in a long war.; 7/14/11, 7:22 PM
Anonymous said...: "Never saw so many Negative Nancys in a thread this early."

Look, if the Republicans seriously wanted to stop the out-of-control spending by Barack Obama and the Steal-O-Crats, here's what they would do:

Republicans would pass a debt ceiling increase large enough to get us 6 months down the road ... however, they'd specify that the borrowed money could ONLY be spent paying out Social Security checks.

That would force Obama to sign the bill (he can't veto a debt limit increase) and remove from his sheath the threat of withholding Social Security money from seniors and starving them to death (vicious motherfucking thug that he is).

But, the Republicans aren't serious.

They WANT tax increases. They want larger government.

They're just using this issue to bash Obama when in reality both parties want the same thing ... larger government, higher taxes, and US as slaves to THEM.

It's all theatre.; 7/14/11, 7:23 PM
Lucien said...: Did Obama really say "Don't call my bluff"?

Freudian slip?

Why not, "don't call me on this hand, I'm not bluffing"?

Is he that bad at poker, or that bad at bluffing?; 7/14/11, 7:35 PM
Dustin said...: I'm amazed at the negativity.

Look, if Obama is stupid enough to try to ruin our economy even worse in hopes the GOP will be blamed, he is crazy.

Most of the country do not even know who their congressman is. They don't know what a debt ceiling is. They don't know a damn thing about who runs congress or how bills become laws.

They just know Obama's watch hasn't been anywhere near as good as promised. In fact, they know things are bad and staying bad.

That's the bottom line. The GOP could simply announce they want to be blamed for the economy and they wouldn't be.

Cynical posturing doesn't matter. Righting the economy is the only way for Obama to be reelected. Playing games is not going to work for him at all. Obama wants the GOP to break a pledge to not raise taxes, but that will not have more than a .5% impact on the vote no matter what happens. If Obama gets his way, and taxes go up, he'll lose even worse because it will collapse the economy.

If he somehow actually tries not to pay debt, he'll probably be impeached, and the economy will collapse.

He is screwed and CNN and the astroturfers can't do a thing about it. He should follow Ryan and Cantor's lead, and then head out to the golf course as the economy recovers. Sadly, he's apparently a child.; 7/14/11, 7:37 PM
Alex said...: Most of the country do not even know who their congressman is. They don't know what a debt ceiling is. They don't know a damn thing about who runs congress or how bills become laws.

Then what the fuck are we talking about? Ignoramuses vote randomly.; 7/14/11, 7:46 PM
edutcher said...: Carol_Herman said...

High ground. Low ground. It's not an even playing field!

The GOP is losing the war because the left OWNS the media megaphone.

Baloney!!!!

If that were true, Little Zero would be hailed as the next FDR by 80% of the population and everyone would have already signed up for ZeroCare.

One gossip column by a Demo shill and you people are faster to haul up the white flag than you say McConnell is.; 7/14/11, 7:55 PM
damikesc said...: Remember back when Obama said he'd have negotiations for health care televised live on CSPAN because he's so open to the public on stuff?

Man, some people actually BELIEVED our dunce in the WH.

Hilarious, huh?

Cheney was more open to the public and press than Obama.; 7/14/11, 8:01 PM
SunnyJ said...: Whoa, rein it in you bubbas...your playing El Foldo faster than you can say Mitch McConnell.

Does anyone honestly think they had the next meeting and Cantor said nothing? Come on, your sniffing the Dems magic pixie dust...these sources are the same ones, that said Obama didnt stomp out of the meeting, why would Cantor feel obligated to be quiet?

Are you really that shallow in your convictions that you want to be so quick to jump on the "I told you so" bandwagon? (Big sigh here)

This is what is so damn attractive about Sarah Palin, now there's some pixie dust everyone could use in a street fight.; 7/14/11, 8:06 PM
exhelodrvr1 said...: nevada_bob,
PR is not just a game - it makes a difference come election time. That should be blindingly obvious after 2008.; 7/14/11, 8:26 PM
Craig said...: If the debt ceiling isn't raised, the first item on the agenda is disbanding Congress.; 7/14/11, 8:58 PM
Anonymous said...: Call Their Bluffs:

Minnesota Moron Mark Dayton: "I am willing to agree to something I do not agree with in order to spare our citizens and our state from further damage."

Marvel at that fucking Democrat Party logic, folks. "I am willing to agree to something I do not agree with ...

This is what happens when you back Democrats into a fucking corner.

They fold their cards.

Call their bluffs.; 7/14/11, 9:13 PM
Anonymous said...: "PR is not just a game - it makes a difference come election time."

Not if nothing changes.

Right?

If we elect Republicans, but nothing changes and they raise teh debt ceiling and raise fees and raise taxes by closing loopholes (or however they couch it), what's the point?

It's not a fucking game. That much you are correct.

Republicans will either change the culture in Washington, D.C. or we will eliminate the Republican Party.

That's OUR game. Our game has nothing to do with Barack Obama. We know what he is.

Our game is with the Republican Party.

We don't know what they are.

But we're about to find out.; 7/14/11, 9:20 PM
Anonymous said...: "...we will eliminate the Republican Party."

To be replaced with who?; 7/14/11, 9:28 PM
Anonymous said...: "To be replaced with who?"

Not Democrats.

Not liberals.

Not Socialists.

Not Communists.

Not Nazis.

Take your fucking pick, dude, but it won't be your fucking team.

It's going to be OUR TEAM.

You figure it out, fucktard.; 7/14/11, 10:03 PM
Anonymous said...: nevadabob,

Who is OUR TEAM?; 7/14/11, 10:10 PM
VanderDouchen said...: 1. Nevadabob, you're a complete idiot. I'm well past the point where I do more than read three words of what you post. Can you just let us all know where we can sign up for your news letter so we can shift delete it, and not have to sift through your drivel here?

2. Shut this motherfucker down. I have watched this train wreck for too many years, and I'm tired of watching it. SHUT IT DOWN. Stop the payments to grandma. Stop paying the military. Stop paying contractors.

We all know that if they stop paying the leaches that come after those bills, we're going to see fire and chaos in the inner-cities.

Let them burn, or let grandma starve. I'm ready. We can see it this year, or in twenty years. We are going to see it. Burn, baby, burn.

WV: salenill:

What are we going to see sold tomorrow? Salenill; 7/14/11, 10:19 PM
Anonymous said...: VanderDouche,

You've never commented here, you created your profile tonight and you want to scare seniors.

"Stop the payments to grandma. Stop paying the military. Stop paying contractors."

Shame on you and shame on Barack Obama who has been using seniors as human shields.

Barack Obama is inhuman. He puts old people and the poor out there as cannon fodder.

Shame on you.

SHAME!; 7/14/11, 10:45 PM
Anonymous said...: “The full consequences of a default - or even the serious prospect of default - by the United States are impossible to predict and awesome to contemplate. Denigration of the full faith and credit of the United States would have substantial effects on the domestic financial markets and the value of the dollar in exchange markets. The Nation can ill afford to allow such a result.”

Ronald Reagan

****

June 2002: Congress approves a $450 billion increase, raising the debt limit to $6.4 trillion. McConnell, Boehner, and Cantor vote “yea”

May 2003: Congress approves a $900 billion increase, raising the debt limit to $7.384 trillion. McConnell, Boehner, and Cantor vote “yea”. Same day they passed $350 billion in tax cuts.

November 2004: Congress approves an $800 billion increase, raising the debt limit to $8.1 trillion. McConnell, Boehner, and Cantor vote “yea”.

March 2006: Congress approves a $781 billion increase, raising the debt limit to $8.965 trillion. McConnell, Boehner, and Cantor vote “yea”.

September 2007: Congress approves an $850 billion increase, raising the debt limit to $9.815 trillion. McConnell, Boehner, and Cantor vote “yea”.

Given that track record, why are McConnell, Boehner, and Cantor now linking the nation’s obligation to pay its commitments - SS, veterans’ benefits, interest to China, etc. - with future spending?; 7/14/11, 10:51 PM
Jim said...: Republicans need to pass a debt ceiling raise with cuts only, even if it isn't for $2.4 trillion.

Then let the Democrats either vote it down in the Senate or be vetoed by Obama.

And then what will Obama and the Democrats be able to say?

They refuse to make their plans public. But if the Republicans pass a plan - ANY plan - and the Senate votes it down, then they will have no choice but to put one up or own any default completely.

Republicans will be able to credibly say that THEY had a plan, but the Democrats refused to put one up.

Make them either put up or shut up. That's the only way this brinkmanship ends.; 7/14/11, 10:53 PM
Jim said...: The other thing that Republicans need to do in the House is pass a bill requiring the Treasury to prioritize spending by funding the essentials first.

Then if Obama decides that he's going to hold seniors hostage or refuse to make interest payments, then HE and the Democrats own it.

Republicans can say "We had a plan to make sure those payments got paid even if Democrats refused to pass a debt ceiling increase, but Democrats were responsible for killing it."

Quit bluffing. Start putting your cards on the table and make Obama play to them. You're never going to win a messaging game when the messengers are all playing for the other side. The only way to go over their heads is to put actual legislation on the table and pass it. Then let the American people decide whether you did the right thing or not.

The most important thing about chicken is making the other guy swerve.; 7/14/11, 10:56 PM
VanderDouchen said...: Nevadabob said:

"You've never commented here, you created your profile tonight and you want to scare seniors.

"Stop the payments to grandma. Stop paying the military. Stop paying contractors."

Shame on you and shame on Barack Obama who has been using seniors as human shields.

Barack Obama is inhuman. He puts old people and the poor out there as cannon fodder.

Shame on you.

SHAME! "

You, sir, are a complete dumbass.

WV: quate:

don't quate my job with my opinion on life.; 7/14/11, 11:03 PM
Joanna said...: And I won't mourn the end of this country that has, apparently, failed.

If (when) it gets to that, it will be the people who have failed the country.; 7/14/11, 11:57 PM
Anonymous said...: The Treasure will pay the debt and all government contracts first. Those legal contracts will be fulfilled because the USA respects private property and contractual law. It would be very radical to deprioritize legal contracts to private buisness over entitlement spending. Private buisness could and would sue if money owed for services is not fulfilled.

The USA has a lot of government contracts to private buisness. I know some tech people who are involved in a multi-million dollar contract. The USA can't just shut that down without warning. These are legal contracts.

It's not clear to me that the current revenues can cover all government contracts to private buisness, interest payments on the debt, Social Security, Medicare, Defense, and FBI/CIA.; 7/14/11, 11:59 PM
SDN said...: "Those legal contracts will be fulfilled because the USA respects private property and contractual law."

That died with the GM seizure where the govt screwed the bondholders in favor of union political supporters.; 7/15/11, 6:00 AM
Toad Trend said...: The Washington DC partiers don't want their party to end.

After all, its all about 'the party'.

Funded by those of us that want nothing more than to raise our families and enjoy our lives. We don't have the time nor the motivation to wage tribal war.

But we may be forced to.

The debt limit game must stop. No more increases. No more blank checks for ANY politicians. For any reason. Make them accountable.

Taxpayer squishiness must stop.

Get a backbone people, and stop supporting the politicians.

wv - busher; 7/15/11, 6:22 AM
Mian said...: The Republicans win this one by not giving Obama any achievements he can flout in his reelection campaign. Thus, by raising the debt ceiling minimally Obama wins no big victory and can't boast of his "economic leadership" in the coming campaign.

Remember everybody: Obama is the obstacle and 2012 is the wrecking ball. Patience.; 7/15/11, 7:40 AM
Cody Jarrett said...: Just wanted to second the guy who said enough with the NevadaBob crap already.

Guy's a complete moron. Reading his stuff used to at least be comical. Now it's just beyond stupid.

And yes, Bob, you've never seen me post here before. Yippee. That should make you feel special.

WV:: "vatanthe"...I have no idea, but it sounds like something a very stuck up gay man might say.; 7/15/11, 8:51 AM
I'm Full of Soup said...: Vander Douchen has commented here before. He is legit unlike the insane loon calling himself NevadaBob.

wv= knockes; 7/15/11, 9:11 AM
machine said...: Should Republicans vote against raising the limit when they have already voted to cut the checks? Isn't that wrong, in and of itself?; 7/15/11, 9:25 AM