Clinton says Obama needs to call the GOP's 'bluff'

[TomCADem]

Source: CNN

Washington (CNN) - Former President Bill Clinton, who sat in the Oval Office during the last government shutdown, supports President Barack Obama's refusal to negotiate with congressional Republicans and argues he should call their "bluff" as the government nears a possible shutdown and default.

"He could stop it, but the price of - the current price of stopping it is higher than the price of letting the Republicans do it and taking their medicine," he said in an interview that aired Sunday on ABC's "This Week."

Clinton went on to say that House Republicans, having realized they have little chance of pushing through legislative items their party wants, have dug in and scrapped any plans of negotiating. "Give us what we want or we're going to shut the government down," Clinton said, describing how he sees the GOP strategy.

"I think under those circumstances, the president has to take the position he's taken," he continued. "Which is 'You - not me - you voted to spend this money.' … You can't negotiate over that. And I think he's right not to."


Read more: http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2013/09/29/clinton-says-obama-needs-to-call-the-gops-bluff/?hpt=hp_t1

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It is also helpful that Bill Clinton points out that even under his watch, Republicans never tried to use the threat of default at leverage.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

1. I'm pleased to see him supporting the President on this. n/t

[JDPriestly]

2. K&R. Clinton is absolutely right on this.

Last edited Mon Sep 30, 2013, 12:15 AM - Edit history (1)

The time to argue about debt is during budget negotiations. But Congress is afraid of cutting military and NSA and intelligence costs, and, along with raising taxes on the rich, that is the only way to bring our earnings and our expenditures into balance and still keep a healthy, safe, sane country.

[Cryptoad]

17. Yes,,,

this debt Crisis could all have been avoided if the House would have let the Budget they passed back in Jan to go to conference with the Budget the Senate passed.

Just say NO , Mr President!

[JDPriestly]

33. I edited my post a bit. I think we need to raise taxes on the rich (and I include certain

corporations) too.

[lastlib]

26. The crux of the problem is in your last sentence:

and still keep a healthy, safe, sane country.

What makes you think the GOP wants that?? Those are NOT the conditions conducive to imposing their brand of tyranny on the working-class of America. NOTHING they have advocated in the last forty years points us in that direction as a nation. When you look at the totality of their policies since Nixon, it becomes clear that they want exactly the opposite!

[Reno Master]

32. Cutting costs is the only way to bring our earnings and expenditures into balance?!?

Let's not be so blinded by the HoR's current extortion attempt that we lose sight of the big picture. This whole issue would go away if we simply returned income tax rates to their levels of 60 years ago. Listen to [link:http://www.democracyatwork.info/radio/2013/09/economic-downturns/|. The relevant presentation starts at t = 17:25.

[JDPriestly]

34. Woops! I edited my post. Thanks.

[jRus61]

3. Solidarity!

I was a little worried that the 'Big Dog' would come out in the middle of the fight and say it wouldn't be so bad if Obama-care was delayed for a year. Nice to see him telling it like it is. He can say things that President Obama can't.

[Iggo]

4. He's right.

The price of giving in to someone throwing a tantrum is higher than the price of letting them throw a tantrum.

Everybody knows that.

Everybody.

[Berlin Expat]

6. Exactly.

[Faygo Kid]

5. Exactly right. I'm in my 60s, and have had it.

Well said, President Clinton.

[Iliyah]

7. My father remembers the last shutdown

and he is fed up with the GOP party who don't know how to work with others nor compromise. This is a effing democracy and not a dictatorship where one party get to tell the rest of the people to eff off if you don't do as I say and want.

Sickos

[Heather MC]

19. Alot of us remember the last one, 17 years was not that long ago for

those of us who were there

[JaneQPublic]

8. Never negotiate with hostage-takers. (nt)

[LiberalElite]

10. +1,000,000,000 n/t

[Thor_MN]

9. Should be an investigation to see if 'thugs are betting in the markets on a downturn

[durablend]

12. "If" ?!?

Do bears sh*t in the woods?

Somebody's going to get rich off of it.

[Thor_MN]

21. So just let them get away with it then?

[global1]

30. I Hope Some Investgative Reporter Looks Into This & If.....

they find out that the Repugs did take advantage of the Market that they make sure that this becomes a big, big story.

[bigdarryl]

11. I wish the other former Presidents would speak out

You can't hold hostage the office of the President Carter both Bush's should be speaking out on this.

[DJ13]

13. Obama's prior capitualations (or, call it "compromising") did him no favors

It just emboldened the GOP, who believe they have a willing patsy they can continue to roll.

[Kolesar]

20. Read the newspapers...eom

[northoftheborder]

14. His previous compromises just got a kick in the shins. NO MORE COMPROMISE.

[1StrongBlackMan]

24. Actually ...

his previous compromises extended U/C, got ended DADT, got SALT 2 and a bunch of other stuff.

But, yeah ... it's better to LOOK strong than advance your agenda.

[Ash_F]

27. Are you arguing that he should cave here too? /nt

[1StrongBlackMan]

31. I do not use the word "cave' ...

ever.

I look at/judge what is GOT relative to what is given.

To this point, I do not see President Obama as having given more than he has gotten.

[Doctor_J]

15. I think the teabaggers are betting that the president will cave in again

we will see how it plays out.

[hue]

16. K&R! Great to have Bill Clinton's support & experience!

[Cryptoad]

18. CAn you say "EXTORTION" ?

ex·tort (k-stôrt)
tr.v. ex·tort·ed, ex·tort·ing, ex·torts

To obtain from another by coercion or intimidation.

[yuiyoshida]

25. Extortion and...

Coercion: the practice of compelling a person or manipulating them to behave in an involuntary way (whether through action or inaction) by use of threats, intimidation, trickery, or some other form of pressure or force. These are used as leverage, to force the victim to act in the desired way.

[sheshe2]

22. This! Well said President Clinton!

"I think under those circumstances, the president has to take the position he's taken," he continued. "Which is 'You - not me - you voted to spend this money.' … You can't negotiate over that. And I think he's right not to."

http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2013/09/29/clinton-says-obama-needs-to-call-the-gops-bluff/?hpt=hp_t1

Thanks Tom

[Kablooie]

23. I'm still uneasy about Obama.

I don't have complete confidence that he won't cave enough to prevent the shutdown and even less confidence about the debt limit.

(Though he may have a legal ability to raise the debt limit unilaterally even if Congress doesn't want it. If he did this in the face of a House standoff it would be the best option for an untenable situation.)

I hope he stands firm because until the country feels the pain the GOP demands or they are forced to back down this situation will never change.

The fever has to be allowed to break or it will continue forever.

[Ash_F]

28. It's going to happen. Dems need to find a way to pin it squarely on the GOP.

The best possible outcome, in this situation.

Or the Dems could cave, that works too.

[tblue]

29. I'd listen to the Master of Politics.

Really, I would.

[blkmusclmachine]

35. Says Mr. Triangulation.

[TBF]

36. Clinton's a fighter -

and he's correct. As usual.