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You are here: Home / We’re All Juan Cole Now

We’re All Juan Cole Now

by John Cole|  July 12, 20112:52 pm| 135 Comments

This post is in: Assholes, Bring on the Brawndo!, Our Failed Media Experiment

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Some impressive fail at the Politico (Editors? WTF are they?):

As bad as that is, the worst part of the article is that two regional experts (Juan Cole and American University professor Josef Olmert) are interspersed with the deep thoughts of Col. Mustard and Ed Morrisey. Because all four of them are equally informed subject matter experts with valid and helpful opinions.

I’m not complaining, because I also follow that line of inquiry. When I need a medical procedure done, I often consult two doctors, and then I check with a needle junky and a crack whore. Just so I have a wide array of opinions and can keep my options open.

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Reader Interactions

135Comments

  1. 1.

    Alexandra

    July 12, 2011 at 2:55 pm

    Hilarious! :D

  2. 2.

    Dennis SGMM

    July 12, 2011 at 2:55 pm

    Congratulations, Professor Cole! Did you move to Michigan over the weekend?

  3. 3.

    Bulworth

    July 12, 2011 at 2:56 pm

    When did Juan Cole become a guest blogger here?

    //

  4. 4.

    trollhattan

    July 12, 2011 at 2:56 pm

    Dude, congrats on the professorship and rather distant move. Does Rosie know you split or is she out patrolling the fence?

  5. 5.

    JenJen

    July 12, 2011 at 2:57 pm

    Hahahahahahahahahaha!

  6. 6.

    Ash Can

    July 12, 2011 at 2:57 pm

    Hey, it’s Politico. They don’t know any better.

  7. 7.

    eemom

    July 12, 2011 at 2:57 pm

    OT, but I see that Marcy Wheeler is bailing on Lake Batshit to spend more time with her timelines, or something.

    Hey Cole, how about making TBogg an offer he can’t refuse?

  8. 8.

    Zifnab

    July 12, 2011 at 2:57 pm

    You gotta love that line of logic. When I need a medical procedure done, I often consult two doctors, and then I check with a needle junky and a crack whore. Just so I have a wide array of opinions and can keep my options open.

    It’s vitally important to have a diversity of opinions.

  9. 9.

    Dennis SGMM

    July 12, 2011 at 2:58 pm

    @Bulworth

    Juan’s the same as the other.

  10. 10.

    Rome Again

    July 12, 2011 at 2:58 pm

    I remember way back when, not long after Politico started appearing in post links, when people started to realize Politico wasn’t all it was cracked up to be. I’m so glad they made it into the list of “Blogs we monitor and mock as needed”.

  11. 11.

    jacy

    July 12, 2011 at 3:00 pm

    I will confess that I have never, ever seen John Cole and Juan Cole in the same room together.

  12. 12.

    trollhattan

    July 12, 2011 at 3:00 pm

    Since you made me look at Politico (shakes fist) I did harvest an additional tidbit: Ron Paul retiring from House to pursue his hobby–running for preznit.

    http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0711/58802.html

    I guess it’s now up to Rand to abolish the Federal Reserve.

  13. 13.

    Comrade Colette Collaboratrice

    July 12, 2011 at 3:00 pm

    Juan, John, whatever … you white guys all look alike to me.

  14. 14.

    Linda Featheringill

    July 12, 2011 at 3:01 pm

    John, you ought to send Politico a note, thanking them for the compliment.

    And yes, have you invited Professor Juan Cole to post here?

  15. 15.

    Ordovician Bighorn Dolomite (formerly rarely seen poster Fe E)

    July 12, 2011 at 3:01 pm

    I’m sorry to repeat this, but….

    Once you’ve seen Juan Cole, well, you’ve seen ’em all.

  16. 16.

    Ash Can

    July 12, 2011 at 3:02 pm

    @eemom: I always thought Marcy Wheeler did a terrific job of reporting on and analyzing the Attorney General clusterfuck a few years ago, so the thought (hope?) of her going on to better things is appealing.

  17. 17.

    Citizen_X

    July 12, 2011 at 3:02 pm

    Congratulations! And the first thing that pops into my brain: “Professor, what’s another word for pirate treasure?”

    ETA: Now that Cole’s illegal Mexicaness has been outed, I must assume he will be promptly deported. Adios, hombre!

  18. 18.

    jl

    July 12, 2011 at 3:02 pm

    Looks like the Doha Dash post launched a new career for crabby ol’ Cole.

    I expect to see Cole, probably with a bag over his head to preserve his secret ID, analyzing ME military strategy and tactics on major networks soon.

    Damn, Cole, this blog WILL pay for itself after all.

    When’s the BBQ celebration?

    Edit: I want to hear lots of bleeps when Cole in on the air. Otherwise we will know Cole has sold out.

  19. 19.

    scav

    July 12, 2011 at 3:02 pm

    Should have gone with the outsourced known criminal hackers before letting a mere employee attempt the stunningly difficult feat of keeping distinct people distinct.

  20. 20.

    Punchy

    July 12, 2011 at 3:03 pm

    NO! It’s fuckin RICH ROD that went from Dub-V to UM, you lazy piece of shit politico hax…

  21. 21.

    Mike Goetz

    July 12, 2011 at 3:03 pm

    Any chance of a post on Obama winning the epic, epochal debate on the existential crisis of our time threatening to tear the Democratic Party to shreds?

    McConnell is saying “No mas.” On the Senate floor. It’s over, and Obama is scraping all the poker chips into his kitty. Obama bluffed them and blew them off the table.

  22. 22.

    TooManyJens

    July 12, 2011 at 3:03 pm

    OT: Wait until you see RedState’s latest brilliant postal plan:

    Consider sending McConnell a weasel as testament to his treachery. His address is 601 W. Broadway, Room 630, Louisville, KY 40202 and the phone number is (502) 582-6304.

    I’m disappointed that they only link to a weasel toy on Amazon, and not to a pet store. Then again, Erickson probably doesn’t have any affiliate deals with places that sell live weasels.

    (Psst, RedStaters! I’ve got one of those weasel toys left over from my late cat. I’ll sell it to you!)

  23. 23.

    Jim, Foolish Literalist

    July 12, 2011 at 3:03 pm

    Journamamalism by google? “That Cole guy, the Michigan professor with a blog… What’s it called? -I dunno, dude, google it. Hurry up! we’re going out for margaritas with Meghan McArdle and Paul Ryan!”

  24. 24.

    Martin

    July 12, 2011 at 3:04 pm

    Oh, great. Now the idiots at Politico will debunk everything that Juan Cole says by claiming that he consults with crack whores.

  25. 25.

    FlipYrWhig

    July 12, 2011 at 3:04 pm

    Somewhere out there, probably, is a political blogger named “Jon Kohl.” Imagine _his_ frustration.

  26. 26.

    Ben Cisco

    July 12, 2011 at 3:04 pm

    Do what they say, say what they mean ♫
    ♪Juan thing leads to another…

  27. 27.

    Legalize

    July 12, 2011 at 3:04 pm

    It takes John to know Juan.

  28. 28.

    TooManyJens

    July 12, 2011 at 3:05 pm

    Oh yeah? Well, where is Juan Cole’s blog in the Google results for “skull-fucking a kitten”? Nowhere, that’s where!

    @Legalize: Awesome.

  29. 29.

    John Cole

    July 12, 2011 at 3:06 pm

    Any chance of a post on Obama winning the epic, epochal debate on the existential crisis of our time threatening to tear the Democratic Party to shreds?

    McConnell is saying “No mas.” On the Senate floor. It’s over, and Obama is scraping all the poker chips into his kitty. Obama bluffed them and blew them off the table.

    So what does this mean?

  30. 30.

    kdaug

    July 12, 2011 at 3:06 pm

    They throws their darts, and they lands where they may.

    Although, to be fair, WV isn’t that far from MI, and Prof. of History is kinda/sorta close to Communication Studies, so there is that.

    At least they didn’t say Prof. Juan Cole of the Universidad del Monterrey.

  31. 31.

    TooManyJens

    July 12, 2011 at 3:07 pm

    @John Cole: I was going to say, “See my RedState link for info,” but that’s just cruel. Here you go:

    http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2011/07/the-big-blink-mcconnell-proposes-giving-obama-authority-to-raise-debt-limit-alone.php

  32. 32.

    Martin

    July 12, 2011 at 3:07 pm

    So what does this mean?

    Clean debt-ceiling increase. No cuts, no taxes, no drama.

  33. 33.

    scav

    July 12, 2011 at 3:10 pm

    Careful, Jon Kohl’s at Monterrey. Professor of Plumbing and DIY.

  34. 34.

    Dennis SGMM

    July 12, 2011 at 3:10 pm

    @TooManyJens

    I’m disappointed that they only link to a weasel toy on Amazon, and not to a pet store. Then again, Erickson probably doesn’t have any affiliate deals with places that sell live weasels.

    Actually, it’s professional courtesy.

  35. 35.

    Dave

    July 12, 2011 at 3:10 pm

    So what does this mean?

    The word is that McConnell and Boehner are caving, claiming it’s all Obama’s fault no “grand” deal got done. So it’ll be a clean bill, which is what Obama wanted all along.

  36. 36.

    Jim, Foolish Literalist

    July 12, 2011 at 3:11 pm

    Clean debt-ceiling increase. No cuts, no taxes, no drama.

    I thought you were dreaming, then I saw this at TPM.

    We’re just getting the first word on this. So the details may be subject to clarification. But Senate Minority Leader has just suggested the GOP will give President Obama his debt limit increase without any spending cuts with a legislative maneuver that in essence allows Republicans to say it’s all Obama’s fault

  37. 37.

    jl

    July 12, 2011 at 3:12 pm

    Here is my dream John Cole inaugural interview on ME policy with, I dunno who should it be? Morning Joe? Blitz? Courtly gracious o’l Schief, or Coop?

    “You retarded idiots, I am John Cole. You want Juan Cole. That’s WWHHAAWWN Cole, and no he isn’t Mexican, your drooling morons. Now, where’s my fucking money?”

  38. 38.

    kdaug

    July 12, 2011 at 3:12 pm

    @John Cole: Means the Senate’s gonna roll, and Boner’s gonna get to scrape some Dems together, as far as I can tell.

    Tea Party Bypass.

  39. 39.

    Martin

    July 12, 2011 at 3:13 pm

    Oops, actually reading the details of McConnells idea, even though the gist is a clean bill, he’s trying to do it in reverse (with as much drama as possible for such a trivial bill), which I don’t think is legal. Regardless, now that this is out there, I don’t see how the GOP can go back to their demands for cuts.

  40. 40.

    Dave

    July 12, 2011 at 3:13 pm

    I think the GOP leaders got their call from the Money Men and were told to knock this shit off already.

  41. 41.

    Cat Lady

    July 12, 2011 at 3:14 pm

    Nothing says “serious foreign policy discussions” like a blog named Balloon Juice.

  42. 42.

    pragmatism

    July 12, 2011 at 3:14 pm

    fucking winning the morning, how does it work?

  43. 43.

    Xboxershorts

    July 12, 2011 at 3:14 pm

    Hey, don’t forget, crack whores are people too. And they fill a gap in the free market.

    USA! USA! USA!

  44. 44.

    Trinity

    July 12, 2011 at 3:14 pm

    Juan thing leads to another.

  45. 45.

    kindness

    July 12, 2011 at 3:15 pm

    Too funny!!!

    Hey is anyone else having issues with the comments taking FOR EVAH today? I can’t tell if it’s the BJ server or the one here at work.

  46. 46.

    cleek

    July 12, 2011 at 3:16 pm

    I am Juan as you are three
    Try to find messiah in your trinity
    Your city to burn
    Your city to burn
    Try to look for something
    In your city to burn, you’ll burn

  47. 47.

    WereBear

    July 12, 2011 at 3:16 pm

    Never go in against a Sicilian when death is on the line.

  48. 48.

    alwhite

    July 12, 2011 at 3:17 pm

    I think what polico meant to say was – all those liberal blogs look alike to to us.

  49. 49.

    Dennis SGMM

    July 12, 2011 at 3:17 pm

    This just in! Politico has issued a retraction:

    University of Leipzig Professor-Doktor Johann von Cole has written…

  50. 50.

    Martin

    July 12, 2011 at 3:17 pm

    Man, this is a weak-ass move by the GOP. I think Obama and Dems going to pile on here and demand something long term ‘to send a message of fiscal stability so that the markets and businesses can get this economic recovery on track’ or whatever free market bullshit doubletalk the right falls for.

  51. 51.

    Comrade Colette Collaboratrice

    July 12, 2011 at 3:18 pm

    @Dennis: your Internets are already on the way, although they will be delivered COD due to budget constraints. You’ve got $4 trillion lying around, right?

  52. 52.

    Martin

    July 12, 2011 at 3:19 pm

    I can’t tell if it’s the BJ server or the one here at work.

    I usually find that it’s one of the ad servers or something that BJ gets content from that barfs on me.

  53. 53.

    Butch

    July 12, 2011 at 3:19 pm

    Hey, I moved to Michigan’s Upper Peninsula in May; welcome, Professor Cole.

  54. 54.

    cleek

    July 12, 2011 at 3:20 pm

    @Dave:

    So it’ll be a clean bill, which is what Obama wanted all along.

    well, not completely clean. it’s got enough hooks in it to let the GOP keep the politics going all the way to the election.

  55. 55.

    Jim, Foolish Literalist

    July 12, 2011 at 3:20 pm

    So McConnell’s ploy is to throw the ball to Obama and then say “he raised the debt limit, not us!”. I still can’t imagine the Tea Baggers in the House going for that.

  56. 56.

    FlipYrWhig

    July 12, 2011 at 3:20 pm

    Erickson probably doesn’t have any affiliate deals with places that sell live weasels.

    I think businessmen call that a “non-compete agreement.”

  57. 57.

    PeakVT

    July 12, 2011 at 3:20 pm

    Juan of these Coles is not like the other.

  58. 58.

    John Dillinger

    July 12, 2011 at 3:21 pm

    What’s even worse is the Politico writers are on local media in DC night and day expounding on policy questions. I often wonder how much time they have to do actualy reporting, but then I smack my stupid self in the head as a reminder that they don’t do actual reporting, they just repeat what anyone tells them. And this passes as policy expertise in the media these days.

  59. 59.

    Carnacki

    July 12, 2011 at 3:21 pm

    “When I need a medical procedure done, which is almost every time after I try to use power or gardening tools or make a home repair or walk my dogs, I often consult two doctors…”

    FIXED!

  60. 60.

    Legalize

    July 12, 2011 at 3:22 pm

    I see how McConnell’s plan could work in the Senate. But isn’t there still the problem of the freak show in the House? If this does go down, how does Bohner stay leader?

  61. 61.

    Punchy

    July 12, 2011 at 3:22 pm

    Last time I chizz’ecked, Droopy Dawg dunt run the House. So why is Mcconnell opining on the whatnots of aptly named Cantor and his tea party douchebags?

  62. 62.

    Ash Can

    July 12, 2011 at 3:22 pm

    @Dave: Obama’s comment about SS/vets’/disability checks not going out on August 3 may not have hurt either. Shorter Obama to GOP: Nice electorate ya got there — it’d be too bad if anything were to happen to it.

  63. 63.

    Linda Featheringill

    July 12, 2011 at 3:23 pm

    flip #25

    Jon Kohl’s blog:

    http://www.kohl.ca/blog/

    :-)

  64. 64.

    Dennis SGMM

    July 12, 2011 at 3:23 pm

    @Comrade Colette Collaboratrice

    Of course I have $4 trillion. As one of those filthy rich Seniors who’s living on Social Security I have it in cash. I’ll throw the money into the Lambo and be right over.

  65. 65.

    trollhattan

    July 12, 2011 at 3:23 pm

    @40.Dave

    I think the GOP leaders got their call from the Money Men and were told to knock this shit off already.

    This. The Whitest Kids You know (a.k.a. Republican pols) were starting to cost them Real Money, so game ovah. (Presuming this is really happening.)

  66. 66.

    jl

    July 12, 2011 at 3:23 pm

    @33 martin

    I predict there will be a few days of suspense and dramatics from Boehner, he is the guy who has to handle the real nutcases in Congress.

    I could not believe my ears this morning when I heard it (Edit: the clip from McConnell’s speech).

    They have to make a big fuss to keep their moron base pleased.

    Let us hope that is what it is.

    Turns out that the GOP was bluffing about the smaller $2T cuts, and the GOP couldn’t come up with the list that totaled $2T. Not sure why this came out just now.

    Let us hope it is a the big botched idiot bluff it now appears to be, and once serious rumbles where heard from the bond market (Jeffrey Frankel predicted yesterday interest rates would start rising in anticipation in late July) and Obama willing to issue announcements about who might not get paid next month, the whole thing fell apart like a piece of wet toilet paper.

    Let us hope that they are total clowns they appear to be right now.

  67. 67.

    burnspbesq

    July 12, 2011 at 3:23 pm

    @Mike Goetz:

    Before you start thinking about letting McConnell off the hook on account of this isolated sane act, consider this.

    http://www.latimes.com/news/politics/la-pn-mcconnell-anthony-20110711,0,5389000.story?track=rss

    Yes, McConnell thinks the Casey Anthony trial proves that the criminal justice system isn’t up to the challenge of dealing with tourists.

  68. 68.

    Fucen Pneumatic Fuck Wrench Tarmal

    July 12, 2011 at 3:24 pm

    just wait til politico gets a hold of some of the shit giovanni carbone has been saying.

  69. 69.

    General Stuck

    July 12, 2011 at 3:24 pm

    The goopers tried an old trick they have played on dem presidents in the past, and that is attempting to split off the White House from its activist liberal base.

    Somebody forgot to send Obama the memo though, so it didn’t work for obvious reasons that the liberal activist base is more than just a bunch of vapid bloggers, and that 90 percent, more or less, of self described liberal dems have approved of Obama and the job he is doing from the git go. The best rating in the dem party among all factions.

    It is the wingers with the giant unruly and mutinous activist base now. And it threatens the country as much as it does the viability of the GOP/ It looks like though, this time, a good long look into the abyss have focused the mind of Mcconnell and senate wingers enough to tie a rope to their asses and back slowly away. Let’s hope so.

  70. 70.

    TooManyJens

    July 12, 2011 at 3:24 pm

    @Linda Featheringill: That dude’s really going to be scratching his head when he looks at his traffic numbers for today.

  71. 71.

    cleek

    July 12, 2011 at 3:24 pm

    Obama got rolled! he panicked and then totally failed to use this crisis to get the GOPs to vote for single payer!

    epic fail!

  72. 72.

    FlipYrWhig

    July 12, 2011 at 3:25 pm

    @ Linda : Nice! I knew it! Poor guy.

  73. 73.

    JGabriel

    July 12, 2011 at 3:25 pm

    This is kinda weird. I had dinner with a diplomat friend a couple weeks ago, and, when Syria came up, he made almost exactly the same point Juan Cole makes — that while everyone agrees the situation in Syria is atrocious, no one is willing to take action against al-Assad because they’re afraid the alternatives will be even worse.

    .

  74. 74.

    Jim, Foolish Literalist

    July 12, 2011 at 3:26 pm

    Juan of these Coles is not like the other.

    I’m gonna have to vote for this.

  75. 75.

    Dennis SGMM

    July 12, 2011 at 3:26 pm

    This is good news for Michele Bachmann!

  76. 76.

    kdaug

    July 12, 2011 at 3:27 pm

    @Legalize:

    But isn’t there still the problem of the freak show in the House? If this does go down, how does Bohner stay leader?

    He eats his peas.

    Srsly, that was full-bore bully pulpit in action. The man knows how to keep his powder dry, and what the whites of their eyes look like.

  77. 77.

    Ash Can

    July 12, 2011 at 3:27 pm

    @Jim, Foolish Literalist: I don’t imagine it makes any difference what the teabaggers think about it. The House Dems will furnish the votes for it, and the teabaggers can all go eat shit and bark at the moon.

  78. 78.

    FlipYrWhig

    July 12, 2011 at 3:27 pm

    @ Fucen: Well-played. Also Jean Charbonneau.

  79. 79.

    Dave

    July 12, 2011 at 3:27 pm

    @cleek – I saw that after my comment. I don’t even know if that is Constitutional. My gut instinct would be to turn it down and go for the pure “clean” bill. I think McConnell’s proposal is transparently cynical and an admittance that the GOP never had any interest in actually reducing the deficit. And it’s also proof that the GOP is feeling the heat and has been boxed in.

  80. 80.

    Culture of Truth

    July 12, 2011 at 3:28 pm

    This will allow Republicans to vote against the debt ceiling while bumping up against the 2/3 limit.

    Do they think the tea parties are stupid enough to fall for that trick?
    .

    .
    .

    .

    Are they?

  81. 81.

    jl

    July 12, 2011 at 3:28 pm

    @73 JGabriel,

    No, sorry, you got the wrong blog buddy. Anything on how to revive a deer etted garden, booze or advice on cheap mantoy knicknacks?

  82. 82.

    burnspbesq

    July 12, 2011 at 3:28 pm

    Fuck you spell check. That was supposed to be “terrists.”

  83. 83.

    Huggy Bear

    July 12, 2011 at 3:28 pm

    Hey, Juan, I didn’t know you wuz a Mexican furner. Show me yer papers.

  84. 84.

    TooManyJens

    July 12, 2011 at 3:29 pm

    @Culture of Truth:

    Are they?

    Are you kidding? The “Keep the Government Out of My Medicare” crowd has a bottomless stupidity reserve.

  85. 85.

    Culture of Truth

    July 12, 2011 at 3:31 pm

    [ Eddie Murphy voice ]

    They’re panicking. They’re out there. I can feel it. They might not be able to buy their their son the G.I. Joe with the king-fu grip! They’re panicking.

  86. 86.

    Legalize

    July 12, 2011 at 3:32 pm

    I think the fate of the Orange Man will be worse than eating his peas. Boehner knows what needs to be done, of course, but the gaggle of morons he presides over don’t. I don’t know if he can round up enough sane House GOPers to vote with the Dems. And if he DOES manage that, he’ll be eating Eric Cantor’s peas going forward.

  87. 87.

    bk

    July 12, 2011 at 3:33 pm

    #67 – I think that you meant “terrorists”?

  88. 88.

    scav

    July 12, 2011 at 3:33 pm

    There are some variants of Yuan Kuo including an Prince of Qi or Emperor and an Asst. Prof of Engineering at ASU that could join the pool for quotes.

  89. 89.

    Culture of Truth

    July 12, 2011 at 3:33 pm

    The legislation would require Obama to suggest spending cuts to accompany those increases in the debt limit, but would not require such cuts. The legislation would prohibit Obama from recommending tax increases along with the requests to increase the debt limit.

    Also, Obama would be not be allowed to “point and laugh” as he signs any debt limit increase.

  90. 90.

    TooManyJens

    July 12, 2011 at 3:34 pm

    @Legalize:

    he’ll be eating Eric Cantor’s peas

    …ew.

  91. 91.

    Jim, Foolish Literalist

    July 12, 2011 at 3:35 pm

    I don’t imagine it makes any difference what the teabaggers think about it. The House Dems will furnish the votes for it, and the teabaggers can all go eat shit and bark at the moon.

    Good point. As Speaker, Beohner will pretty much have to vote for this, won’t he? So… will he stay on in the House as ex-Speaker? Or retire to a couple of years of full-salaried bagman work, lunchtime cocktails and wobbly golf?

  92. 92.

    eemom

    July 12, 2011 at 3:35 pm

    so if this “clean bill” thing comes to pass, that means all the angst of the last two days over Obama’s proposal to raise the Medicare age was for naught, oui?

  93. 93.

    kdaug

    July 12, 2011 at 3:36 pm

    @Culture of Truth: Pssh. Corral the sub-epsilons on one side of the fence (in a somewhat smaller pen), let them fling their poo, and get to business.

  94. 94.

    Dave

    July 12, 2011 at 3:37 pm

    @Culture of Truth

    The legislation would require Obama to suggest spending cuts to accompany those increases in the debt limit, but would not require such cuts.

    That could be a field day in and of itself. “Here are some subsidies we could do without. Ooh, a defense boondoggle to kill…”

  95. 95.

    Culture of Truth

    July 12, 2011 at 3:37 pm

    Senate Republican Conference Chairman Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) said he had “no idea” whether the proposal could pass the House.

    He then heaved a deep sigh and said “I should have been a farmer.”

  96. 96.

    Martin

    July 12, 2011 at 3:37 pm

    I don’t even know if that is Constitutional.

    I can’t imagine that it is. The plan is basically that Obama would tell Congress that he’s going to raise the debt limit by fiat, Congress censures him, Obama vetoes the censure. That’s not Congress raising the debt limit. That’s not even Congress looking the other way on a constitutional crisis. That’s asking Obama to volunteer to be impeached by the House, and asking the Democratically controlled Senate to help.

    The next few days should be entertaining.

  97. 97.

    TooManyJens

    July 12, 2011 at 3:38 pm

    @eemom: Just like all the drama over the past year or so about how Obama’s planning to gut the New Deal, THIS TIME FOR SURE! Don’t worry, though; nobody who hasn’t already learned will learn this time either.

  98. 98.

    scav

    July 12, 2011 at 3:38 pm

    Life’s rough for a politico with two choke collars and owners with competing destinations and a beef against each other.

  99. 99.

    Ripley

    July 12, 2011 at 3:41 pm

    Erickson probably doesn’t have any affiliate deals with places that sell live weasels.

    They should send gerbils instead. I’m willing to bet Erickson and pals have access to lots and lots of live gerbils.

  100. 100.

    Martin

    July 12, 2011 at 3:41 pm

    so if this “clean bill” thing comes to pass, that means all the angst of the last two days over Obama’s proposal to raise the Medicare age was for naught, oui?

    Yes. Just as the angst over Obama ’embracing the catfood commission’ was for naught prior to the budget fight. Oh, and another revelation for liberal pants-wetters, pro wrestling is all theater as well. Ignore what happened to John Stossel – everybody feels compelled to hit him.

  101. 101.

    Jim, Foolish Literalist

    July 12, 2011 at 3:43 pm

    so if this “clean bill” thing comes to pass, that means all the angst of the last two days over Obama’s proposal to raise the Medicare age was for naught, oui?

    Good, ’cause we never did resolve those question about Obama picking Chuck Hagel as his Veep, Sonia Sotomayor being secretly anti-choice and all the other “Obama is dead to me” moments I’ve enjoyed over the last three years.

  102. 102.

    Butch

    July 12, 2011 at 3:44 pm

    As far as constitutionality, I believe the whole concept of a debt ceiling or debt limit has existed only since about World War I, so the question might not be clear cut.

  103. 103.

    Linda Featheringill

    July 12, 2011 at 3:46 pm

    I think Obama should thank McConnell for his suggestion and reiterate that it just isn’t good enough to be acceptable.

  104. 104.

    Suffern ACE

    July 12, 2011 at 3:47 pm

    Obama should come back and say ‘I asked for 2.6 trillion and you only offered $2.5. Now the offer is $2.9.”

  105. 105.

    Mike in NC

    July 12, 2011 at 3:48 pm

    Obama is scraping all the poker chips into his kitty. Obama bluffed them and blew them off the table.

    NO! He sold us out! Worser preznit than Boosh!

  106. 106.

    jl

    July 12, 2011 at 3:54 pm

    If Obama gets a clean bill, I wonder what song will be running through his head?

    The minute they see me, fear me
    I’m the epitome – a public enemy
    Used, abused without clues
    I refused to blow a fuse
    They even had it on the news
    Don’t believe the hype…

  107. 107.

    Comrade Kevin

    July 12, 2011 at 3:54 pm

    @WereBear:

    Never go in against a Sicilian when death is on the line.

    Awesome, Princess Bride reference!

  108. 108.

    Ash Can

    July 12, 2011 at 3:55 pm

    @Jim, Foolish Literalist: If the big-money guys are holding big enough sticks, I’m not sure he’d even end up as ex-speaker. You get Wall Street’s support by doing things that make more money for them, not by aligning yourself with people who are too stupid and/or careless to keep from taking napalm to your personal and professional assets and driving your clientele literally to the other side of the planet (assuming there’s any clientele left after the conflagrations burn themselves out). A few options traders might be happy for a while, but if they find there’s no economy left for them to spend their cash in, that won’t last long.

    In short, I don’t see the heavyweights saying, “Oh yes, by all means, let’s have that little sniveling putz Cantor as Speaker of the House instead; he and his teabagger buddies are just what we need.” I think Cantor hasn’t been able to see past his own aggrandizement, and is going to find that hubris alone isn’t going to be enough to get him into the speaker’s chair.

  109. 109.

    daveNYC

    July 12, 2011 at 3:57 pm

    I see how McConnell’s plan could work in the Senate. But isn’t there still the problem of the freak show in the House? If this does go down, how does Bohner stay leader?

    Not to mention all the primary challenges that’ll come from this. I suspect a lot of Senators will be retiring rather than have to deal with the crazy.

  110. 110.

    patrick

    July 12, 2011 at 3:58 pm

    I doubt McConnell’s proposal would pass the senate, personally…I’d hold out for a true clean bill….

    as far as the house, couldn’t nancy tell all the dems to vote “present” thus making the repubs own any vote to raise the debt ceiling?

    also, on McConnell’s plan, the way I understand the later censure vote, what’s to say that the censure vote would even get a majority in the Senate? I presume it would have to pass both houses of Congress for the Pres to veto?

  111. 111.

    jacy

    July 12, 2011 at 3:59 pm

    @FlipYrWhig:

    Or Sean Cair, if he’s not too drunk to pontificate.

  112. 112.

    Martin

    July 12, 2011 at 4:00 pm

    Obama should come back and say ‘I asked for 2.6 trillion and you only offered $2.5. Now the offer is $2.9.”

    Yeah, something more like this.

    I think it’ll be “I’ve been negotiating to get a $4T deficit reduction plan, and the GOP is countering with no deficit reduction and a proposal that doesn’t appear to be constitutional. I said I wouldn’t sign a short-term solution so the GOP needs to send me a serious long-term solution so that we can get back to the business of governing and economic recovery.”

  113. 113.

    JGabriel

    July 12, 2011 at 4:01 pm

    @jl:

    Anything on how to revive a deer etted garden, booze or advice on cheap mantoy knicknacks?

    Heh. Nope, sorry, but I did want to make the additional point that it’s hard to see how inaction in Syria makes the US look weak, when, in fact, no one wants to stick their finger in that pot.

    .

  114. 114.

    IrishGirl

    July 12, 2011 at 4:05 pm

    Come on, we all KNOW that “Juan Cole” is your alter ego!

    LMFAO!

  115. 115.

    sukabi

    July 12, 2011 at 4:06 pm

    shorter McConnell… “ok, you can have your ‘clean bill’ for raising the debt ceiling, but you’ve got to give us a stick to beat you with until the election.”

    which is the only thing they’ve been interested in the entire time.

  116. 116.

    Southern Beale

    July 12, 2011 at 4:08 pm

    LOL. So they confused “John Cole” with “Juan Cole” –> Insert racist Hispanic joke here.

  117. 117.

    jl

    July 12, 2011 at 4:15 pm

    Boehner just said this, according to TPM front page:

    “The Speaker shares the Leader’s frustration. Republicans are unified in our commitment to ensuring that the debt limit is not used as leverage to saddle small businesses with increased taxes that destroy jobs.”

    Looks like it was all a big bluff that blew up in their faces.

    Edit: will the mics be able to pick up the laughter whenever these GOP Congressional leadership clowns get up speak?

  118. 118.

    J.W. Hamner

    July 12, 2011 at 4:15 pm

    I love this quote from Boehner at TPM:

    The Speaker shares the Leader’s frustration. Republicans are unified in our commitment to ensuring that the debt limit is not used as leverage to saddle small businesses with increased taxes that destroy jobs.

    lollerz.

    EDIT: Curse you jl! /shakes fist

  119. 119.

    JGabriel

    July 12, 2011 at 4:16 pm

    @Southern Beale:

    So they confused “John Cole” with “Juan Cole”—> Insert racist Hispanic joke here.

    Those Coles all look alike to me.

    .

  120. 120.

    Dave

    July 12, 2011 at 4:17 pm

    This “debt limit censure” tomfoolery could blow up in the GOP’s face as well. If the President proposed the non-existent cuts to be things like “allowing the government to negotiate drug prices” or “ending subsidies for oil companies” and other items, and then forcing the GOP to vote AGAINST those “cuts”, would make them look really bad.

  121. 121.

    scav

    July 12, 2011 at 4:18 pm

    We are here at this heavily-trafficked blog, where we’ve secretly replaced the fine smooth opinions of Middle Eastern history and politics they usually serve with sharp crystals of intemperate and cat-heavy rants. Let’s see if the commentariat can tell the difference!

    ETA: segue to Juan/John/Jon Valdez

  122. 122.

    les

    July 12, 2011 at 4:20 pm

    @Martin:

    I’m not sure it matters; none of the debt ceiling bullshit is constitutional in the first place–that is, it’s not a constitutional requirement that there be a debt ceiling or that it be raised periodically, it’s always been a political dickdance. So I think they can set up any stupid procedure they care to, to try to keep the teatards from seeing a full on collapse.

  123. 123.

    jl

    July 12, 2011 at 4:21 pm

    @117: No. Lines from great literature like that should be savored and enjoyed, over and over again.

  124. 124.

    jacy

    July 12, 2011 at 4:21 pm

    @scav:

    Is that cat-heavy rants or heavy cat rants?

    (No offense to big-boned felines.)

  125. 125.

    Ruckus

    July 12, 2011 at 4:23 pm

    TooManyJens

    Are you kidding? The “Keep the Government Out of My Medicare” crowd has a bottomless stupidity reserve.

    Now I believe it’s bottomless, no not believe, I’m sure of it. I just don’t believe they are keeping any in reserve. That would take some smarts and the proof of the lack of that is that the stupidity is bottomless.

  126. 126.

    jl

    July 12, 2011 at 4:24 pm

    I would imagine the GOP would not want to give an excuse for Obama to ‘get to the constitutional question’ at this point.

    As commenter above says, if their dumbass BS PR three vote double reverse vote agin it and 2/3 veto legislative proposal does go through, Obama could make them vote against lots of very popular debt reduction ideas.

    The wide view before us would be limited only by cowardice and stupidity of some Congressional Democrats.

  127. 127.

    Cain

    July 12, 2011 at 4:33 pm

    and while they are blinking, Obama does this

    Obama names first openly gay west point official. He’s having a good day today.

    Oh yeah, I suppose we should complain that Obama hates teh Ghey!

  128. 128.

    a hip hop artist from Idaho (fka Bella Q)

    July 12, 2011 at 4:36 pm

    The Actual Orange Satan is not having a good day, as he’s got to deal with those loons in the House. Mitch McConnell is still a creepy cynical idiot. Jon Kohl’s blog traffic numbers saw a sudden spike, however.

  129. 129.

    scav

    July 12, 2011 at 4:37 pm

    @jacy: :)

  130. 130.

    pragmatism

    July 12, 2011 at 4:41 pm

    did vanderallen make dick cheney’s labradoodle an editor finally for politico? maybe he published a ruff draft.

  131. 131.

    Amir_Khalid

    July 12, 2011 at 5:31 pm

    At Politico, there are two comments on the story berating Epstein for his silly mistake, which has yet to be corrected.

  132. 132.

    burnspbesq

    July 12, 2011 at 9:37 pm

    @Martin:

    If something is Unconstitutional but nobody has standing to challenge it because the Rehnquist and Roberts courts have fucked up the law of standing beyond repair, does it matter?

    This has been your two scoops of irony, with schadenfreude sauce and a cherry on top.

  133. 133.

    SFAW

    July 12, 2011 at 10:33 pm

    So fer years – YEARS, I tells ya! – I been asking (in the comments here) if Pantload has paid off yet on the bet they made back in 200X, and I get nary a fucking peep outta the guy what “runs” this site.

    So then some two-bit, penny-ante, allegedly political site says it JUST ONCE, and JC gets his knickers all in a twist, and goes all “I’m-a gonna FP those bastarbs!”. I swear, there’s no fucking justice.

    On the other hand, I now have as much “credibility” as Politico, so that’s something, I guess. Right? RIGHT??

  134. 134.

    Svlad Jelly

    July 13, 2011 at 9:08 am

    That’s not a good analogy because the Junky and the Crack Whore are smart enough to tell you to listen to the fucking doctors.

Comments are closed.

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  1. The Eternal Temptation Of Centrism | Poison Your Mind says:
    July 12, 2011 at 3:42 pm

    […] few semi-random right-wing bloggers on the other. “You gotta love that line of logic,” John Cole explained. “When I need a medical procedure done, I often consult two doctors, and then I check with a […]

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