When cynicism rules the day

[ProSense]

When cynicism rules the day

By Steve Benen

Congressional Republicans pushed President Obama as hard as they could to put chained-CPI for Social Security benefits on the table. Obama grudgingly agreed, offering the Republican policy in exchange for concessions from the right on revenue. Liberals, not surprisingly, aren't pleased.

The more remarkable turn came when Rep. Greg Walden (R-Ore.), the chairman of the National Republican Congressional Committee who'll oversee his party's 2014 midterm efforts, accused Obama of waging "a shocking attack on seniors," and "trying to balance this budget on the backs of seniors." The president's biggest mistake, according to the Republican, was agreeing to Republicans' terms. By conservative reasoning, Obama should have been more liberal to avoid criticism from the right.

House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) offered a mild rebuke of Walden's antics, but Walden has so far refused to walk back or alter his shameless and rather pathetic attacks. Why? Because he's just playing a post-policy game.

The debate Walden's remarks has set off inside the GOP shows many Republicans harbor deep-seated fears about publicly supporting the entitlement cuts they supposedly back and have demanded Obama and other Democrats embrace since taking control of the House in 2011.

"Walden is doing the right thing for the 30 seats that control the majority of the House, and that's what the mission of NRCC chair is," said Brock McLeary, the president of Harper Polling and a former top political hand at the NRCC.

It's an amazing perspective, isn't it? Cynicism isn't an unfortunate byproduct; it's simply "the right thing" to do. Can there a more transparent example of the post-policy thesis? As Greg Sargent added, &quot W)hat you're seeing clearly demonstrated here is a kind of policy nihilism on the part of the GOP that helps explain why addressing the country's problems has become all but impossible."

And, of course, the further manifestation of this post-policy nihilism is a new effort from those on the far-right to attack Obama using liberal talking points.

- more -

http://maddowblog.msnbc.com/_news/2013/04/12/17723430-when-cynicism-rules-the-day

[MotherPetrie]

1. So much for destorying the Republican Party

[ProSense]

2. Don't worry

"So much for destorying the Republican Party"

...they're destroying themselves.

House Passes Bill to Shut Down NLRB
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10022662256

Spot the question Boehner didn't answer
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10022655701

[SwampG8r]

3. can you see though

the public relations golden egg just handed to congressional republlicans?
and those in purple districts who will now have to run against the proposal?
i would expect nothing less than the republicans playing the proposal into "we saved grannies ss" and "those meanies wanted you to go without but we said NO!"
do you think democrats in purple districts will have to run in opposition to the administration to regain these votes?
i be out in front here i think the whole idea was poorly thought out and poorly executed
im sure the hope was that the gop would be seen as unyielding even when handed everything it wanted
i am sure the gop take full advantage
i believe ss will always be on the table now and that that in and of itself is bad

[ProSense]

4. No,

"can you see though the public relations golden egg just handed to congressional republlicans?

...I don't. This policy isn't going to pass, and no one is going to care about a policy that isn't law. People are not going to hold their representatives accountable for not supporting a bad policy that they didn't vote for.

One can reject the President's proposal and not allow Republicans to demagogue the issue. They are not interested in saving Social Security so why even pretend they have any leverage?


Spot the question Boehner didn't answer
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10022655701