The very next thing host Elizabeth Vargas asked was, "Why political kamikaze, though?"This just in: GOP senators are trying to kill health care reform. Scary, but true.
In other words, there was no effort at all to push back against the dishonest claims or set the record straight for viewers. What was interesting, apparently, was Lamar Alexander reflecting on the electoral consequences of the legislation, rather than the substantive. The senator's policy lies were overlooked, while the senator's campaign predictions drew scrutiny.
With that in mind, let's do what the show didn't. First, for Alexander to dismiss reconciliation as a "little-used legislative procedure" is pretty disingenuous. Reconciliation has been used, legitimately, to pass everything from welfare reform to COBRA, Bush's tax-cut packages to student-aid reform, nursing home standards to the earned income tax credit. Not too long ago, Senate Republicans even considered using reconciliation to approve drilling for oil in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. It's a little too late to characterize the same procedural measure as some kind of outrage, after Republicans relied on it extensively.
Second, to insist that reconciliation's purpose is to "reduce deficits" is simply wrong. As Paul Krugman noted, "[R]econciliation was used to pass the two major Bush tax cuts, which increased the deficit -- by $1.8 trillion."
Third, even if we concede that health care reform is bigger in "size and magnitude" than the other bills approved through reconciliation, the plan isn't to pass health care reform through reconciliation.
Fourth, to suggest passing a budget fix by majority rule "would really be the end of the United States Senate as a protector of minority rights" is comically ridiculous.
Seriously, Vargas failed to call out Alexander on this at all. She knows that the Senate, specifically Republicans, have used reconciliation before for much larger programs and much more expensive ones...they've used them for entire budgets, for crissakes.
The reconciliation pearl clutching is ridiculous, and yet the "liberal media" lets the Republicans get away with it time and time again. Alexander should know better and does...but Vargas should check his ass on that lie. it's her job.
We need an election for Villagers.
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4 comments:
"little used procedure"
I'd say 22 times since the 70's is little used, you may say it's not but that's a matter of opinion not fact.
Also the Bush tax cuts according to the CBO caused an increase in revenues. It's amazing that one minute you use the CBO to make a point, then the next ignore data it releases.
In the end yet again you're wrong and sticking to old fail libertal talking points. The same that a 2yr old would use. "They did it first!" Grow up and realize just because they did it first doesn't mean its right. Didn't your mother teach you 2 wrongs don't make a right?
Typical liberal, pick and choose what you want to believe and ignore everything else, or smear it.
Zandar, your little troll is so cute!
I love his regurgitated talking points. It must make him feel good to create his own false world inside the comment box. Very entertaining, keep it up!
Failed attempt to demean me and my comments. With each liberal blog post I point out flaw after flaw and rather than having a substantive debate people classify it as "trolling" and move on. That's fine, doesn't negate that I'm right. Cute that you try to say it's just "talking points." However as much fun as the "Nou" argument is, its fail. Talking points are points because they ...make points. If they didn't they wouldn't be talking points. So to try and downplay the points made as "regurgitated talking points" means you have nothing new to contribute, can't counter but feel that something has to be said because what was said goes against your beliefs.. Regardless of how old or many times something is said it doesn't negate the truth if it is true. Just because someone says over and over that "Government will screw this up." doesn't mean just by calling it a "talking point" that it's no longer true.
Fale world? orly!
Pot say hi to kettle.
If you believe that the Government will fix your problems then you are living in false world. Regulation is fine but delving into an industry will ruin it. It doesn't take a rocket scientist or a brain surgeon to see that Government has a track record of screwing up things that it gets involved in. When you have 2 programs alone (Medicaid and Medicare) that are going to bankrupt this country why should we give them more? If you hired a contractor to do renovations to your house would you keep him employed if he screwed up your bathroom, destroyed your living room and now wants to work on your kitchen?
Also how could a blog that claims to call out atrocities on both sides of the political spectrum overlook the Charlie Rangel story?
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