Patrick Caddell
Breitbart.com
Big Government
3 Dec 2012
In the “fiscal cliff” negotiations, the Republicans are in desperate need of a game-changer. That is, the current dynamics in Washington DC are so bad right now for Republicans that they are likely to go off a political cliff. President Obama and the Democrats have always been looking to push the GOP into the abyss, of course, but lately, Republicans have volunteered to stand at the edge of the precipice and lean far over.
And yet amazingly, in the meantime, just last week, Republicans were handed a possible game-changer—and they did nothing with it. They just ignored it, so the Democrats will keep pushing. If the GOP doesn’t get a clue as to the real nature of the fiscal cliff negotiations, they will lose.
In a nutshell, Republicans need to understand that the real struggle is not with the Obama administration; instead, the real struggle is for American political opinion, including the broad middle that preferred Obama to Romney, but nevertheless feels no great trust or affection for the re-elected 44th President.
If Obama is seen as a fellow who wants to move the economy to a better place by raising taxes on the Koch Brothers, he will win. But if Obama is seen as an arrogant and unconstitutional power-grabber, he will lose. By that logic, then, Republicans should shift their perceived focus, from defending the low tax rates of billionaires to defending the US Constitution against executive Caesarism…
…History tells us that even in the midst of seeming defeat, it’s possible to reclaim victory. The key to such a turnaround is to see the strategic situation clearly, even amidst all the confusion, and then to reach for the winning counter-stroke. In the Battle of the Marne in 1914, the French were reeling under the German onslaught, and so they did the one thing the Germans weren’t expecting; they counterattacked. The Kaiser’s overconfident army was shocked and fell back in confusion. This was the “Miracle of the Marne”; Paris was saved, and with the help of the British and the Americans, the French ultimately won World War One.
The key, now, for the Republicans is to have their own “Marne Moment” of clarity. They need to see that the time has come to stop negotiating with Obama. It’s his economy now, he wants to do everything his way, so he now owns it.
Instead, Republicans must realize that the larger battle—the greater war—is Obama’s attempt not only to win a big political victory and break the Republicans, but also to transform the American constitutional system permanently. That’s a fight worth fighting…
This excellent article can be read at Big Government.
Also at the site, Palin to House GOP: Don’t Be ‘Wusses’ During Fiscal Cliff Negotiations
Former Alaska Governor and vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin said the country has already gone over the fiscal cliff and House Republicans should not go “wobbly” or be “wusses” during the fiscal cliff negotiations with Democrats and the White House…
…Palin said the Republican leadership needs to work around Obama and Democrats and explain to Americans “what can be done to save us from bankruptcy and insolvency,” noting that House Republicans got reelected to reign in federal spending…
That.
Meanwhile, maybe John Boehner should just join the Democrat Party rather than punishing our best Representatives: Boehner, GOP Leaders Purge Conservatives from Powerful Committees
Also at Big Government an article by Congressman Louie Gohmert, The True Meaning of ‘Fair Share’
…Here’s a novel idea: let’s take the President at his word. Let’s demand taxation fairness. And nothing will better insure that everyone is paying his or her “fair share” than a flat tax.
The concept of the flat tax is simple – one tax rate is applied to all income levels. If you make more – you pay more. If you make less – you pay less…
Update: Does This Look Like a Party Serious About Spending Cuts? at Reason Magazine.
Update 2: Implosion!
…The first mistake is to assume that Barack Obama completely drives this train. The second is to assume that he reacts totally based on his ideological battles against Conservatism. Assuming a bond fealty between Barack Obama and his committed core of followers causes me to realize that President Obama (and much of the rest of the professional left in America) has strapped himself in for a ride on the tiger. He’s driving the bus from the movie “Speed.”…
At neo-neocon, “…I’m partial to the suggestion that Republicans in the House should pass the Simpson-Bowles recommendations and send them on to the Senate…”
