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2012-11-12 Home Front: Politix

Mitch McConnell: Sen. Schumer's 'On Another Planet'

Stephen Moore of The Wall Street Journal interviewed Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, who talked tough. "I am not willing to raise taxes to turn off the sequester. Period." He said Sen. Chuck Schumer is "on another planet" to think Republicans would just raise tax rates and close loopholes.

Moore noted this is a negotiating position. This isn't to say that next week, when the lame-duck congressional session begins to negotiate some kind of budget solution, taxes are off the table. Mr. McConnell is a realist. And Obama will come looking to strike deals with moderate Republicans:

It isn't at all certain that Mr. McConnell and House Speaker John Boehner will be able to hold their troops together. The senator understands that Mr. Obama will try to cut a deal with other senatorsLamar Alexander of Tennessee, Susan Collins of Maine, Lindsey Graham of South Carolinabut Mr. McConnell doubts that the tactic will work. "We have differences on other issues, but on taxes I can't think of a single member of my conference from Maine to Texas who thought he was sent here to Washington to raise taxes on anybody or anything."

...I ask him about the recent counterproposal by Democratic Sen. Charles Schumer that Republicans should abandon tax reform of the kind that passed in 1986 and lowered rates in return for fewer loopholes, and instead should both close loopholes and keep tax rates high to lower the deficit. "He's on another planet," Mr. McConnell replies, and doesn't seem to be kidding.

Would Republicans accept the liberal dream of a value-added tax as a new revenue machine? "There won't be any new tax. It's not going to happen in this Congress," he says.

What is clear about the coming tax-cliff negotiations is that Mr. McConnell doesn't trust the White House after the debacle of the debt-ceiling nonsolution in July 2011.

"The speaker and I spent an endless amount of time in the first half of 2011 trying to get the president to do what we all know has to be done if we're going to save the country," Mr. McConnell says. "Until we adjust the entitlement programs to fit the demographics of today's America, you can't fix the problem. You can't tax your way out of it. You can't cut health-care providers as a way out of it. But Democrats laughed at those ideas even when we offered a quarter-trillion of higher revenues largely taken from high-income people."

Posted by Au Auric 2012-11-12 00:00|| || Front Page|| [11134 views ] Top

#1 Jesus H. Christ, Mitch...please just STFU, stand aside and let the 'Rats give the sheeple what they said they want, and give it to them good and hard.

Posted by Ricky bin Ricardo (Abu Babaloo) 2012-11-12 01:42|| 2012-11-12 01:42|| Front Page Top

#2 Yes. Republicans need to decide: stand aside and let it all burn; or cleave to principle and obstruct, obstruct, obstruct. Pick one or the other and get on the same page.

Posted by RandomJD 2012-11-12 02:07|| 2012-11-12 02:07|| Front Page Top

#3 And Obama will come looking to strike deals with moderate Republicans:

I think not.

Posted by Besoeker 2012-11-12 02:17|| 2012-11-12 02:17|| Front Page Top

#4 With respect, I don't think that to "cleave to principle and obstruct, obstruct, obstruct" is a workable option. The MSM propaganda machine would simply go into overdrive yet again and deliver a Dem-majority House in 2014. If we stand aside for the next two years and "let it burn," maybe - just maybe - enough independents, along with the millions of slugs who were supposed to be on our side but stayed home this time, will get wise and deliver both houses of Congress back into strong Trunk control. One thing though...what absolutely must happen now is a purge of the Trunk leadership in both houses. McConnell? You're a big part of the problem, so you're toast. Don't let the door hit you in the ass on the way out...and please, please take Speaker Weepy McTanningbooth with you.

Posted by Ricky bin Ricardo (Abu Babaloo) 2012-11-12 03:49|| 2012-11-12 03:49|| Front Page Top

#5 A good compromise would be to remove the exceptions...

Go for intellectual property taxes and remove all the loopholes.

Posted by Bright Pebbles 2012-11-12 07:27|| 2012-11-12 07:27|| Front Page Top

#6 My current state of mind regarding American politics:

WTF
Denial
~~Anger~~
~~Bargaining~~
~~Depression and sadness~~
Acceptance

Posted by Besoeker 2012-11-12 07:36|| 2012-11-12 07:36|| Front Page Top

#7 Ricky: I was taking the longer view. I think Republicans should stop compromising, participating in, or otherwise sharing any responsibility for the destruction of the republic. Offering (1) no resistance or (2) maximum resistance are about the only options.

I think (2) is viable because it's a given that the MSM will smear Republicans and call them obstructionists no matter what they do. The lies and propaganda are a constant in this equation. Thus, Republicans need to stop responding and reacting to the press. The MSM and their followers are the bleating sheep from 1984. They can't be influenced, so they should be ignored.

The burden is on citizens to do their homework and seek out alternative media and sources of information. 58 million voters did turn out for Republicans last week, despite the best efforts of the Democrat-media complex.

I agree - the spineless compromisers have got to go.

Posted by RandomJD 2012-11-12 07:43|| 2012-11-12 07:43|| Front Page Top

#8 "No resistance" is going to do maximum harm to this country. What is being done to the country will not be undone for a long, long time if ever. This administration is churning out regulations/notices at the rate of 6,125 Proposed Regulations and Notifications Posted in Last 90 Days--Average 68 per Day. The Donks and the media will have their way whichever path is chosen. At least the path of maximum resistance (whatever that means at this point) will result in slowing things down and preventing some things from happening. Obugabee will attempt to force his agenda via executive orders or treaties with the UN (climate change, gun control, treaty of the seas).

More people don't vote than do vote. Something like 94M don't vote who are eligible. Currently, at least half the country or more (counting the people who did not vote for one reason or another: religious reasons, lukewarm towards Romney, didn't like either candidate, etc.) voted for gridlock, i.e. for obstruction as in 2010. The Donks scared the hell out of a lot of people in 2010. The path of maximum resistance has a risk; it might lead to losing the House in 2014. The Marquess of Queensbury Rules don't seem to be working for the Pubs. The Pubs also have to quit hiring firms to determine polling and demographics who might as well be stealth firms provided by the Donks. The Pubs need to get far smarter about elections. They need to figure out how to tap into the 94 million eligible voters who didn't vote.

We don't want a monarchy. We don't want czars. We don't want to be a mirror of the former USSR or of China. People need to think about whether they are a freedom-loving people or whether they are going to submit to the will of whoever wants to dominate them--that's what things boil down to. If the latter is the choice get ready for a statist government that dominates and suffocates every aspect of life. Get ready for more and more enslavement on a daily basis.

Posted by JohnQC 2012-11-12 09:00|| 2012-11-12 09:00|| Front Page Top

#9 We don't want a monarchy. We don't want czars. We don't want to be a mirror of the former USSR or of China.

A large swath of "Americans" do want all of the above. They are the New Immigrants. The Muslims, the Socialists from the Old Countries who think the government is the ONLY source of all wealth. They are being allowed in by the droves by the ~~Democratic~~ Socialist Party.

The demographic change of America being implemented by the Socialists is working spectacularly for them.

Posted by Bugs Uleger6376 2012-11-12 09:17|| 2012-11-12 09:17|| Front Page Top

#10 Schumer and Bloomberg--two peas in a pod.

Posted by JohnQC 2012-11-12 10:03|| 2012-11-12 10:03|| Front Page Top

#11 "No resistance" is going to do maximum harm to this country.

Correct. A colossal finanical collapse is also inevitable. Helping it along is precisely the idea, because (a) the quicker, the better, and (b) the party in charge when it happens will never get another vote.

"No resistance" and "maximum resistance" are extreme options, but not as extreme as civil war, and so far all Republicans have done is agree to death by a thousand papercuts. That is not what people elect them to do, so I'd just as soon have it over with, or see them get very, very serious about refusing to cooperate.

What is being done to the country will not be undone for a long, long time if ever.

Correct. That is my very premise: it is already gone, and never coming back as we knew it.

Posted by RandomJD 2012-11-12 11:02|| 2012-11-12 11:02|| Front Page Top

#12 Yes, aquiesce, give the whole platform to the Dems politely and without grief, then bitch quietly when there is a single party system only, and cry when it like that until the next revolution, because if crash and burn phoenix theory has not fruited in Cambodia, or PRNK, or ZimBob...in fact, name where it has worked.

Posted by swksvolFF 2012-11-12 12:00|| 2012-11-12 12:00|| Front Page Top

#13 swksvolFF, "crash and burn phoenix theory" never bore fruit in those places because there was nothing meaningful to return to. Also, America is different and so is its current economic condition. Much of life is timing, and I can't think of a worse time to attempt to institute socialism, paid for with other people's money, when we're already sitting on $16 trillion of debt, and every other major economy is also teetering on the brink. The global financial system is on the verge of a major reset, and Ogabe's reckless, ignorant ambitions may well push everything over the cliff. "If it were done, when 'tis done, then twere well it were done quickly."

A small disclaimer: I'm playing devil's advocate here. I think it's worthwhile to kick around unorthodox ideas, because orthodox ideas have gotten us exactly nowhere.

Posted by RandomJD 2012-11-12 12:36|| 2012-11-12 12:36|| Front Page Top

#14

We don't want a monarchy. We don't want czars. We don't want to be a mirror of the former USSR or of China.

We don't; a majority of the voters do.

Posted by Rob Crawford 2012-11-12 13:11|| 2012-11-12 13:11|| Front Page Top

#15 After 30 years of working and contributing to the public coffers - I've gone Galt. Lost my job 3 years ago to a government funded competitor (NIH research grants.) Sent out a 100 or so resumes (to black holes responses.) Now, I'm infrequently consulting, doing a little construction here and there, and not making much - but enough to survive.

Turns out, if you make half an effort, you can live on very little (if you have saved some from working for 30 years.)

I'm done with being a tax slave. Used to contribute ~ $50,000 a year in taxes... now only sales and property taxes.

I take the time now to enjoy myself. Started an exciting/interesting hobby (gold mining) that gets me out of the house (doesn't make money yet... but that may come.)

Anyway, I'm done contributing till the government considers me a free person, and not their cash cow.

Posted by LeighG 2012-11-12 13:27|| 2012-11-12 13:27|| Front Page Top

#16 If the republicans had any balls they should just shut the government down. After all the leftist view America as the government and they will bargain to keep their America alive.

What do the republicans have to lose? They will get blamed for the coming bankruptcy either way.

Posted by Airandee 2012-11-12 14:01|| 2012-11-12 14:01|| Front Page Top

#17 Somewhat off-topic but maybe not,
#15 LeighG, someone else mentioned gold mining the other day. They said they supported their family this way. Any websites outlining this off-the-radar hobby/income producing activity?

Posted by JohnQC 2012-11-12 14:34|| 2012-11-12 14:34|| Front Page Top

#18 You go, LeighG! :-D

Posted by Barbara 2012-11-12 14:48|| 2012-11-12 14:48|| Front Page Top

#19 Another option is to go to Mexico, sneak across the California, claim you are Mexican, and demand your benefits.

Posted by JohnQC 2012-11-12 14:56|| 2012-11-12 14:56|| Front Page Top

#20 Another option is to go to Mexico, sneak back across the California border, claim you are Mexican, and then demand your benefits.

Posted by JohnQC 2012-11-12 14:57|| 2012-11-12 14:57|| Front Page Top

#21 JohnQC: Recommend this web site to start and read-up on the various processes relating to gold prospecting as a hobby, Gold Fever Prospecting

Depending upon where you live, likely there are gold mining hobbists groups within your state.

Posted by Au Auric 2012-11-12 15:00|| 2012-11-12 15:00|| Front Page Top

#22 Yes you Go Leigh! I've always wanted to try my hand at placer gold mining, but I live in a sedimentary state.

But there's this place called Gold Head over to the east a bit that makes me yearn.

Posted by Shipman 2012-11-12 15:31|| 2012-11-12 15:31|| Front Page Top

#23 Thanks for the tip--bookmarked it. We had gold mining north of Chattanooga at a place called Coker Creek years ago.

Posted by JohnQC 2012-11-12 18:19|| 2012-11-12 18:19|| Front Page Top

#24 Some people poach ginseng off Federal lands around here but many of them get caught--the fines are stiff.

Posted by JohnQC 2012-11-12 18:21|| 2012-11-12 18:21|| Front Page Top

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