• Menu
  • Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Before Header

  • About Us
  • Lexicon
  • Contact Us
  • Our Store
  • ↑
  • ↓
  • ←
  • →

Balloon Juice

Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

Books are my comfort food!

New McCarthy, same old McCarthyism.

We know you aren’t a Democrat but since you seem confused let me help you.

Shallow, uninformed, and lacking identity

Anyone who bans teaching American history has no right to shape America’s future.

It’s easy to sit in safety and prescribe what other people should be doing.

Republicans: The threats are dire, but my tickets are non-refundable!

‘Museums aren’t America’s attic for its racist shit.’

Imperialist aggressors must be defeated, or the whole world loses.

“In the future, this lab will be a museum. don’t touch it.”

He imagines himself as The Big Bad, Who Is Universally Feared… instead of The Big Jagoff, Who Is Universally Mocked.

Too often we hand the biggest microphones to the cynics and the critics who delight in declaring failure.

FFS people, this was a good thing. take the win.

Polls are now a reliable indicator of what corporate Republicans want us to think.

“I never thought they’d lock HIM up,” sobbed a distraught member of the Lock Her Up Party.

Despite his magical powers, I don’t think Trump is thinking this through, to be honest.

Shut up, hissy kitty!

Nikki Haley, who can’t acknowledge ‘slavery’, is a pathetic shill.

Stop using mental illness to avoid talking about armed white supremacy.

Nothing says ‘pro-life’ like letting children go hungry.

The new republican ‘Pastor’ of the House is an odious authoritarian little creep.

This country desperately needs a functioning Fourth Estate.

The arc of the moral universe doesn’t bend itself. it’s up to us.

Pelosi: “He either is stupid, or he thinks the rest of us are.” Why not both?

Mobile Menu

  • Four Directions Montana
  • Donate with Venmo, Zelle & PayPal
  • Site Feedback
  • War in Ukraine
  • Submit Photos to On the Road
  • Politics
  • On The Road
  • Open Threads
  • Topics
  • COVID-19 Coronavirus
  • Authors
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Lexicon
  • Our Store
  • Politics
  • Open Threads
  • 2024 Elections
  • Garden Chats
  • On The Road
  • Targeted Fundraising!
You are here: Home / Mickey grabs mop, chops frantically

Mickey grabs mop, chops frantically

by Tim F|  July 13, 20119:39 am| 44 Comments

This post is in: General Stupidity

FacebookTweetEmail

Big bizness getting nervous about Cantor and Bachmann’s economic suicide squad. I wonder whether they understand that their idiot upstart army carries its own water now.

FacebookTweetEmail
Previous Post: « Peace Out
Next Post: Your tax dollars at work »

Reader Interactions

44Comments

  1. 1.

    liberal

    July 13, 2011 at 9:49 am

    Just more evidence in favor of the assertion that Obama should have, from the beginning, stated he wanted a clean bill and thereafter refused to negotiate.

    Major freakout by ABL, Memwhatsherface, etc, in 3…2…1…

  2. 2.

    General Stuck

    July 13, 2011 at 9:52 am

    I wonder whether they understand that their idiot upstart army carries its own water now.

    Yup. The Aqua Buddha now leaves fortune cookies with missions from Gawd underneath The Tea Tard Tree of Liberty.

    An R by their name, will not save the unholy.

  3. 3.

    Chris

    July 13, 2011 at 9:55 am

    I wonder whether they understand that their idiot upstart army carries its own water now.

    Like I said elsewhere… this whole thing’s a living reminder that rhetoric has consequences.

    The guys at the top keep thinking they can just rile up the rubes, point them at the liberals, and they’ll just quietly go back indoors the minute they’re no longer needed. Bad news, dumbasses…

  4. 4.

    4tehlulz

    July 13, 2011 at 9:57 am

    @liberal: Show your work.

  5. 5.

    Ivan Ivanovich Renko

    July 13, 2011 at 9:59 am

    @liberal: That is precisely what happened. Were you listening?

  6. 6.

    Paul W.

    July 13, 2011 at 10:01 am

    And that’s exactly what he did, minus the not negotiating. But if you aren’t negotiating then you’re in the GOP and off your rocker supposing that only your answer are the valid ones, and that no reconsideration is necessary.

  7. 7.

    Danny

    July 13, 2011 at 10:02 am

    Yes, an ideological suicide pact. That’s what became of Movement Conservatism in the 21st century. I fully expect rabid teapartiers to propose the republican party nominate Pigasus for president in Tampa next year.

    Here’s Erick Erickson of RedState, today:

    This time, the GOP should embrace the apocalyptic future, call B.S. on the fear mongering, and shoot their debt ceiling hostage.

    Shoot the hostage, embrace the apocalyptic future, Helter Skelter and fuck the pigs. Got it.

  8. 8.

    Napoleon

    July 13, 2011 at 10:08 am

    Shoot the hostage, embrace the apocalyptic future, Helter Skelter and fuck the pigs.

    You didn’t mention sticking a fork in a belly.

  9. 9.

    xian

    July 13, 2011 at 10:19 am

    at least they admit they are hostage-takers now

  10. 10.

    Brandon

    July 13, 2011 at 10:26 am

    I cannot be the only one who believes that the power of the Tea Party is vastly overstated. At the heights of their Koch funded idiocy they couldn’t stop healthcare, even after laying seige to the Capitol Bldg. In the months that followed, poll after poll showed dwindling support. Cantor obviously has a vested interest in overstating their power because he needs to raise his own standing army to challenge Boner. And of course the GOP loves to trot these morons out every time they try to force Obama’s hand on something. But otherwise I’d expect that they could pass a clean bill and exactly nothing would happen except for Michele Malkin throwing a fit. The real issue is here is that Boner is a weak leader and Cantor is trying to build a competing power center. Nothing more, nothing less.

  11. 11.

    The Moar You Know

    July 13, 2011 at 10:33 am

    This time, the GOP should embrace the apocalyptic future, call B.S. on the fear mongering, and shoot their debt ceiling hostage.

    That’s right out of every revolutionary manifesto I’ve ever read. Who the hell does Erik think he is, Che?

  12. 12.

    aisce

    July 13, 2011 at 10:37 am

    @ liberal

    Just more evidence in favor of the assertion that Obama should have, from the beginning, stated he wanted a clean bill and thereafter refused to negotiate.

    do you freaks ever intend to give the president a little credit?

    getting a clean raise wasn’t his priority. trapping the republicans into raising taxes, splitting their base, and reaping massive political love for a multi-trillion dollar compromise was his priority. getting a clean bill was the backup plan.

    sheesh.

  13. 13.

    Bob Natas

    July 13, 2011 at 10:39 am

    The real issue is here is that Boner is a weak leader and Cantor is trying to build a competing power center. Nothing more, nothing less.

    I think this is exactly right; not raising the debt ceiling was never a particularly credible threat, mainly because of the influence of “business” organizations like the Chamber of Commerce, but Cantor needs to be seen as willing to go right up to the brink; it is crucial, though, that someone appear to let him save face. This is the role of McConnell in all of this.

  14. 14.

    liberal

    July 13, 2011 at 10:44 am

    Ivan Ivanovich Renko

    @liberal: That is precisely what happened. Were you listening?

    I guess you can’t read, as I wrote, …and thereafter refused to negotiate.

  15. 15.

    liberal

    July 13, 2011 at 10:46 am

    4tehlulz

    @liberal: Show your work.

    Not my fault if you can’t read (in this case the linked article).

  16. 16.

    cmorenc

    July 13, 2011 at 10:47 am

    Meanwhile, on CNBC last night, Larry Kudlow was preaching that debt default by the US government would not cause any serious negative consequences for business or interest rates, because the current rate was so low etc. etc. and BTW an IPSOS Poll showed that by a 56-36 margin, the American people were against the debt ceiling being raised, a grass-roots uprising against big government. No mention of how the poll was done, what questions were actually asked, etc.

    Kudlow is such a complete jackass.

  17. 17.

    liberal

    July 13, 2011 at 10:49 am

    Paul W. blithered,

    And that’s exactly what he did, minus the not negotiating.

    Yeah, well, the “not negotiating” is the whole point.

    But if you aren’t negotiating then you’re in the GOP and off your rocker supposing that only your answer are the valid ones, and that no reconsideration is necessary.

    Really? So you think that one should negotiate everywhere, everytime, in every context, with every counterparty?

    Speaking of off your rocker…

  18. 18.

    liberal

    July 13, 2011 at 10:50 am

    @13 Bob Natas wrote,

    I think this is exactly right; not raising the debt ceiling was never a particularly credible threat, …

    So why exactly did Obama negotiate in the first place?

  19. 19.

    catclub

    July 13, 2011 at 10:53 am

    The stock markets may be saying they think the McConnell cave was noteworthy – and indicates end of crisis.

  20. 20.

    General Stuck

    July 13, 2011 at 10:55 am

    So why exactly did Obama negotiate in the first place?

    Because the republicans now control a branch of government and are a real player in the acts of governance in a divided system like we have. When it was dems that controlled everything, it was an entirely different dynamic where most negotiations were with Obama’s own party. And done with a lower tone and tenor.

    Some extra lame trollery liberal, even for your usual bullshit.

  21. 21.

    Danny

    July 13, 2011 at 10:55 am

    @The Moar You Know

    I’ll have you know that the founding fathers were revolutionaries (in addition to social conservatives, libertarians and christians), so there you go.

  22. 22.

    4tehlulz

    July 13, 2011 at 10:57 am

    Not my fault if you can’t read

    Stop arguing like a Republican and make an case.

  23. 23.

    The Moar You Know

    July 13, 2011 at 11:03 am

    Kudlow is such a complete jackass.

    It would be nice if he would get back on the blow, overdose, and die.

  24. 24.

    Tim F.

    July 13, 2011 at 11:05 am

    So why exactly did Obama negotiate in the first place?

    Obama negotiated because he genuinely wants a deal. He wants to rack up achievements and a deficit deal is about the only one he could even theoretically achieve in this environment.

  25. 25.

    Danny

    July 13, 2011 at 11:07 am

    @liberal

    He negotiated because he wants to do long term deficit reduction.

    And we should do long term deficit reduction. Pretty much no-one disagrees; most net & nutroots just want to wait beyond this year or the next year or until the recovery is solid.

    But why not get the deal now, with all the political benefits? Reported by republican sources to The Corner @ NRO, the democrats offered a sum total of 2 Billion $ in reduced discretionary spending for 2012. That’s basically nothing and wont make a difference either way wrt the recovery. And that’s why Obama and the dems are proposing it.

    Long term deficit reduction that doesn’t hurt the recovery is just as much in the interest of progressives as it is in the interest of conservatives. The measures to get there are in contention though, of course.

  26. 26.

    Hewer of Wood, Drawer of Water

    July 13, 2011 at 11:13 am

    liberal

    It’s evidence of what, exactly? That the president shouldn’t have let the republicans make complete idiots of themselves? That he shouldn’t have let them prove to everyone how their ideology is more important than what’s best for the country? That he shouldn’t have let them prove how unserious they are about deficit reduction?

  27. 27.

    FlipYrWhig

    July 13, 2011 at 11:16 am

    Frankly, I think the “grand bargain” that would have been worth pursuing–and still is, conceptually–is short-term stimulus for long-term deficit reduction. Now the former has become anathema even to (strangely many) Democrats, so this is all fantasy baseball. But that would have been an approach that could have succeeded in binding up the deficit-hawk Democrats concerned about spending with the Keynesians concerned about raising demand. Something for each side. Haggle it out and you’ve got The Democratic Plan that everyone from Jim McGovern to Heath Shuler could love. Sigh.

  28. 28.

    General Stuck

    July 13, 2011 at 11:16 am

    He negotiated because he wants to do long term deficit reduction.

    So do I, and always have been something of a deficit hawk. And people forget, these budgets are mostly political documents, until the appropriations process, where they be changed all over again. And stretched over ten years, and supplanted with other subsequent budgets, most of which will occur to the degree they get through the appropriations process as spending cuts, well past when we should be in some kind of sustained economic recovery.

    I believe in government doing good works for the poor and middle class, and acting as a purveyor of economic and social justice and equality. But I damn sure don’t want that to cost any more than it has to.

  29. 29.

    Bob Natas

    July 13, 2011 at 11:18 am

    So why exactly did Obama negotiate in the first place?

    I don’t know exactly; maybe he thinks (incorrectly) that people will remember this next year when they stumble toward the ballot box. Perhaps he thinks that Cantor intends to make good on his threat (or somehow has the capability of making good on the threat)

    I’ve got to say, though, that my preferred theory is that he wants what other commenters are calling “long term deficit reduction,” but he wants to achieve this without goring the oxen of the good folks at the US Chamber of Commerce.

  30. 30.

    Monkey Business

    July 13, 2011 at 11:27 am

    I don’t think the Tea Party has a ton of power in the general election, but in the Primaries they can make the GOP’s life miserable.

    The GOP’s standard bearer is Mitt Romney. The Tea Party’s standard bearer is Michelle Bachmann. One of these people is electable in a Presidential race. The other one will look like Johnson-Goldwater in ’64, or Nixon-McGovern or Reagan-Carter in ’72 and ’84. Basically, the Tea Party gave the GOP the House and cost them the Senate. If they continue being a force in GOP politics, they’ll cost them the White House and the House.

  31. 31.

    Rome Again

    July 13, 2011 at 11:28 am

    I wonder whether they understand that their idiot upstart army carries its own water now.

    This is the question I’ve got on my mind also, and I plan to seek out evidence to confirm (or maybe not) that they do. I would be happy knowing they’ve figured this part out since yesterday, but I have little faith they actually know how to do that.

  32. 32.

    Martin

    July 13, 2011 at 11:56 am

    So why exactly did Obama negotiate in the first place?

    If you look at HOW he negotiated, you’d find the answer. He went from no negotiation to just weeks before the drop-dead deadline (weeks after we passed the debt limit) to asking for everything – $4T in deficit reductions, as a combination of tax increases and cuts and entitlement reform. He made the problem so large that it couldn’t be solved in the time remaining through negotiation. The only possible result would then be a simple debt ceiling increase, which is what he wanted in the first place.

    He was negotiating, not so much for what should be in this grand bargain (though I think he’d be happy if such a thing miraculously happened), but between doing this massive thing that the GOP couldn’t support and doing this simple thing, which it’s looking like they will support.

    The GOP made this molehill into a mountain and Obama then made it into a small moon. The molehill is what he wanted and the molehill is what he’s going to get. How can that not be considered good negotiating?

  33. 33.

    Martin

    July 13, 2011 at 12:06 pm

    I don’t think the Tea Party has a ton of power in the general election, but in the Primaries they can make the GOP’s life miserable.

    But that’s their power in the general, by forcing Republicans that would otherwise be electable in the general to take untenable positions in order to hold off the challenger. We saw that here in CA where the GOP systematically fucked themselves trying to cover the tea party in the primary and wound up losing every race in the general. It’s not a problem in SC, but I don’t think Ohio voters are going to fall for it in a presidential election, with a full democratic turnout.

  34. 34.

    Paul W.

    July 13, 2011 at 12:12 pm

    @liberal #17

    Negotiate every time, everywhere, with ever one? No.

    But when you only hold 1 of the two bodies of Congress and need the House to pass something… yeah, you’re gonna have to negotiate. I don’t get how you don’t, because the Speaker sets the agenda, so without some sort of cooperation from the other side then nothing will come out of the House.

  35. 35.

    ThatLeftTurnInABQ

    July 13, 2011 at 12:28 pm

    @Martin #32:

    The GOP made this molehill into a mountain and Obama then made it into a small moon.

    That’s no moon.
    It’s a spacestation!

    /sorry, couldn’t resist. Please continue.

  36. 36.

    lojasmo

    July 13, 2011 at 12:37 pm

    https://balloon-juice.com/2011/07/13/mickey-grabs-mop-chops-frantically/#comment-2669073

    @ Liberal

    Answered above, but I’ll be succinct.

    He negotiated because he is the president, is smarter than you, me, Cantor, and Boner combined, and in the end, he got what he initially said he wanted. Even shorter: Because he’s damn good at it.

  37. 37.

    Bob Natas

    July 13, 2011 at 12:37 pm

    He was negotiating, not so much for what should be in this grand bargain (though I think he’d be happy if such a thing miraculously happened), but between doing this massive thing that the GOP couldn’t support and doing this simple thing, which it’s looking like they will support

    Everyone involved in this “negotiation” wants to see an increase in the debt ceiling.

  38. 38.

    Bob Natas

    July 13, 2011 at 12:48 pm

    He negotiated because he is the president, is smarter than you, me, Cantor, and Boner combined, and in the end, he got what he initially said he wanted.

    That is an open question. If the position he takes during this process requires him to make some actual cuts, he isn’t going to look so smart in one years time.

  39. 39.

    Gravie

    July 13, 2011 at 1:41 pm

    Great headline!

  40. 40.

    geisha gurl

    July 13, 2011 at 2:17 pm

    How long before we find out GOP leadership and/or the Teahadists are finding messages in the Beatles’ White Album.

  41. 41.

    liberal

    July 13, 2011 at 3:21 pm

    Paul W. wrote,

    But when you only hold 1 of the two bodies of Congress and need the House to pass something… yeah, you’re gonna have to negotiate.

    Really? No matter what the Republican preconditions, the Democrats are obliged to negotiate?

  42. 42.

    liberal

    July 13, 2011 at 3:22 pm

    Martin wrote,

    The GOP made this molehill into a mountain and Obama then made it into a small moon. The molehill is what he wanted and the molehill is what he’s going to get. How can that not be considered good negotiating?

    Uh, because he could get the same thing by not negotiating, and by doing so not do stupid things like tarnish the Democratic brand by proposing cuts to entitlements?

  43. 43.

    liberal

    July 13, 2011 at 3:25 pm

    General Stuck blithered,

    So do I, and always have been something of a deficit hawk.

    LOL. On the discretionary side, most of the stuff that should be cut is DOD. On the mandatory/entitlement side, most of the stuff that should be cut is payments to medical providers for useless shit, and excess payments to pharma for patented drugs.

    Neither of those classes of cuts are going to happen (in any meaningful size) under any bargain coming out of this process.

  44. 44.

    Danny

    July 13, 2011 at 4:23 pm

    @Liberal

    No matter what the Republican preconditions, the Democrats are obliged to negotiate?

    What Republican preconditions were there? What do you even mean? Did the Democrats accept any republican preconditions before sitting down at the table?

    That sounds like… bullshit.

    Neither of those classes of cuts are going to happen (in any meaningful size) under any bargain coming out of this process.

    Why, because you’re a fortune teller?

    I get the feeling that your own conception of a successful negotiating strategy is that certain things that you may want you wouldn’t dare proposing because your counterpart would never accept them? That sounds like… a fucking stupid negotiating strategy.

    I think proposing those “cuts” is exactly what the democrats should do and what they’ve done. They offered trillions of “cuts” in defence spending and medicare reimbursement rates. The republicans wanted “cuts” and we offered them “cuts”, and some new “revenues”. It’s not our problem if the “cuts” were not the kind republicans like.

    You OTOH sound like someone who doesn’t know shit about getting what you want, but ain’t afraid to talk a good game while striking a pose. Kind of embarrassing from a person who have no apparent problem carping about the presidents lacking negotiating skills.

    But yeah, yeah: par for the course from the nutroot/firebagger crowd.

Comments are closed.

Primary Sidebar

Recent Comments

  • citizen dave on Monday Evening Open Thread: Another ‘Rich’ Narcissist, Having A Bad Start to His Week (Apr 15, 2024 @ 10:29pm)
  • HumboldtBlue on Monday Evening Open Thread: Another ‘Rich’ Narcissist, Having A Bad Start to His Week (Apr 15, 2024 @ 10:28pm)
  • like a metaphor on Monday Evening Open Thread: Another ‘Rich’ Narcissist, Having A Bad Start to His Week (Apr 15, 2024 @ 10:27pm)
  • Another Scott on War for Ukraine Day 782: If the Opposite of Pro Is Con, Then the Opposite of Progress is a GOP Majority in Congress (Apr 15, 2024 @ 10:24pm)
  • NotMax on Monday Evening Open Thread: Another ‘Rich’ Narcissist, Having A Bad Start to His Week (Apr 15, 2024 @ 10:24pm)

🎈Keep Balloon Juice Ad Free

Become a Balloon Juice Patreon
Donate with Venmo, Zelle or PayPal

Balloon Juice Posts

View by Topic
View by Author
View by Month & Year
View by Past Author

Balloon Juice Meetups!

All Meetups
Talk of Meetups – Meetup Planning
Proposed BJ meetups list from frosty

Fundraising 2023-24

Wis*Dems Supreme Court + SD-8
Virginia House Races
Four Directions – Montana
Worker Power AZ
Four Directions – Arizona
Four Directions – Nevada

Featuring

Medium Cool
Artists in Our Midst
Authors in Our Midst
Positive Climate News
War in Ukraine
Cole’s “Stories from the Road”
Classified Documents Primer

Calling All Jackals

Site Feedback
Nominate a Rotating Tag
Submit Photos to On the Road
Balloon Juice Mailing List Signup
Balloon Juice Anniversary (All Links)
Balloon Juice Anniversary (All Posts)

Fix Nyms with Apostrophes

Balloon Juice for Ukraine

Donate

Twitter / Spoutible

Balloon Juice (Spoutible)
WaterGirl (Spoutible)
TaMara (Spoutible)
John Cole
DougJ (aka NYT Pitchbot)
Betty Cracker
Tom Levenson
David Anderson
Major Major Major Major
ActualCitizensUnited

Political Action 2024

Postcard Writing Information

Balloon Juice for Four Directions AZ

Donate

Balloon Juice for Four Directions NV

Donate

Site Footer

Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

  • Facebook
  • RSS
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
  • Comment Policy
  • Our Authors
  • Blogroll
  • Our Artists
  • Privacy Policy

Copyright © 2024 Dev Balloon Juice · All Rights Reserved · Powered by BizBudding Inc

Share this ArticleLike this article? Email it to a friend!

Email sent!