Just pathetic:
A day after the Senate overwhelmingly approved legislation to extend a payroll tax cut for two months, House Republicans made clear Sunday that they would not support the measure.
Speaker John A. Boehner, who had urged his members on Saturday to support the bill, seemingly did an about-face on Sunday and said he and other House Republicans were opposed to the temporary extension, part of a $33 billion package of bills that the Senate passed Saturday. In addition to extending the payroll tax cut for millions of workers, the legislation extends unemployment benefits and avoid cuts in payments to doctors who accept Medicare. The measure would be effective through February.
But in an interview with NBC’s “Meet The Press” on Sunday, Mr. Boehner said the two-month extension would be “just kicking the can down the road.”
He didn’t “seemingly” do an about face, he completely recanted what he said the day before:
The bipartisan compromise passed in the Senate yesterday received 89 votes, including 39 Republican votes, and Speaker Boehner himself just yesterday called it a “good deal” and a “victory.”
One of the untold stories of the past two years is how Boehner has had no control of the clown car caucus that is the GOP. Cantor has been undercutting him and screwing him from the get-go. Boehner is speaker in name only.
dance around in your bones
Fuck Boehner with a big ol’ boner; and Cantor with a big ol’ rusty can opener. Really, I just despise these people.
hells littlest angel
Boehner moves his lips, but it’s the booze that does the talking.
The Dangerman
I thought they would pass the 2 month extension and then hold it hostage again in 60 days….
…it appears that the hostage taking couldn’t wait that long.
Sorry, Folks, I hope the House kills it; not only would Obama win in a landslide and the House would flip (the Senate might go to the Republicans still, however).
Nicole
They will do anything to get that recession going in time for election season.
Meanwhile, a friend of mine has resorted to selling off possessions so she can buy Christmas presents for her kids. Of course, as her husband was essentially a freelance contractor when he was laid off, they didn’t qualify for unemployment anyway.
Good god, do I hate Republicans.
dmsilev
Hasn’t the Senate already left for the holidays? If the bunch of crazy folks currently using Orange John as a figurehead do vote down the Senate bill, or if they pass something else (The “payroll tax cut and liberals suck suck suck” bill, most likely), what happens then?
LT
Can I just say
Corner Stone
I just can’t watch that freakin garbage throwing motion Tebow has.
Seems so disjointed and ungainly and inaccurate.
Kind of like an ABL post. Oh!!
Linnaeus
The neofeudal radicals in the GOP are seeing their chance and going for it.
The Dangerman
@LT:
The New England D-line is terrible (and the secondary is worse; a bad combination).
dmsilev
@The Dangerman:
From a purely political standpoint, I’d agree (“Republicans fight for tax cuts for the rich and tax hikes for the rest of us”), but the actual expiration of said tax cut will hurt a lot of people who don’t really have much room to maneuver.
Violet
I detest Republicans. I keep hoping for karma to catch up with them, but so far it hasn’t. If there were justice, they’d all get swallowed up whole and God would drop a giant tablet from the sky engraved with, “Don’t fuck over the poor, you Republican asshats.” Or words to that effect.
PeakVT
@dmsilev: Another possibility is that Boner could do a deal with Nancy SMASH to pass the bill, but that could cost him his job.
Raven
At least the war is over:
Mark B.
Translation: They can get a better deal if they threaten the hostage a little more.
cat48
@John It only seems like 2 years, this is his first 12 months only of constant bungling & chasing Teabaggers.
I think the Teabaggers are pissed b/c the extension doesn’t include drug testing for U/E & also, school attendance to attain a GED before you can receive an unemployment check. They hate BIG GOVT though.
Also, their Bill cut a bunch of EPA Rules & Obama had to issue an immediate permit for the Pipeline. The Koch Bros. heavily financed the GOP House win & stand to profit greatly from the pipeline; per Reuters.
The Dangerman
@dmsilev:
No doubt, but it would be a wakeup call to the assholes that aren’t paying much attention and voting against their interests (and voting Republican). The pain would suck, but we’re in a Cold Civil War and the Republicans need to get their asses handed to them next November.
Mark B.
@cat48: Honestly, they [the Republicans] got SO MANY goodies* in return for just a two month extension, one wonders why they weren’t racing to approve it. If they can keep doing this kind of hostage-taking for profit every two months, there won’t be anything left of the US that they don’t own within a year.
*Pipeline deal, regulatory changes, etc.
Villago Delenda Est
I’d impinge Boner’s integrity, but, as was once said about Oakland, there’s no there there.
Mark B.
I think this pretty much makes it clear to anyone who’s watching. The Republicans aren’t for low taxes, they are for less taxes on rich people, more taxes on everyone else.
JPL
Since David Gregory didn’t mention the flip-flop, it didn’t happen. That’s how it works.
WTF…New England can’t even stop Tebow… GEEE
MattF
Somewhat weirdly, Boehner’s argument against the bill isn’t ridiculous– one should not, in fact, be doing tax policy on a 60-day basis. In any event, if the Dems can’t manage to pin the tail on this particular donkey, then they’re just hopeless.
Also, fwiw, all day long the WaPo front page (which I won’t link to) has had a ‘Some Say’ headline that just hurts my head every time I see it. I should know better than to click on that link, but the surfing instinct is just too strong.
Hill Dweller
@Mark B.: What were the regulatory changes?
Belafon (formerly anonevent)
If every discussion of legislation coming out of this Congress were to start with “The Republicans are fucking things over again” – see the NDAA as well – not only would the post start out being true, but it would actually start the discussion in the correct direction.
dmsilev
@Villago Delenda Est:
True, but in this case the thing to question is his power and authority over his caucus. Which is apparently none.
Origuy
@The Dangerman: The low-information voters (i.e. independents) would blame Obama anyway. A lot of people blame the president when their sales taxes go up.
sherifffruitfly
(shrug) republicans have not been made to pay any price for their bad behavior.
So-called “progressives” have assisted republicans in this, essentially running cover for republicans, with their Blame Obama For Everything modus operandi. With this behavior, “progressives” have helped normalize republican shittiness.
LT
When Chuck Norris does pushups, he pushes the Earth down. And Tim Tebow pushes it back up. And then divides Chuck Norris by zero.
Mark B.
@Hill Dweller: The one thing I read was increased fees for lenders from Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae, but I think there were also other changes.
Belafon (formerly anonevent)
@MattF:
The crazy party is in charge, the one that would cut off its hand to save a wealthy person who got a paper cut.
Mike in NC
Boehner is probably seriously pickled in eggnog this time of year.
Linnaeus
The GOP is the Keyser Söze of American politics.
Odie Hugh Manatee
@sherifffruitfly:
Shhhh! You don’t want to wake the baby do you? Once that whining starts you know that you’re not getting any peace until it gets bored from listening to itself whine and falls back to sleep.
carpeduum
Which of the firebaggers was the first to blame Obama for this? Someone must have by now. Only question is who was the first to post.
RSA
@The Dangerman:
What would Christmas be like without hostages?
Amir Khalid
@The Dangerman:
I know, it sucks to have to play by the good guy’s rules. Especially when you’re up against hostage takers like the Republican party. But can your side really let millions of already deprived people suffer some more, in order to sound that political wake-up call for 2012? That would be a lot of collateral damage.
Yutsano
Show of hands: who didn’t see this coming? Anyone? Bueller? As soon as I saw the bullshit promise to recall the House I knew the payroll tax cut was screwed.
@The Dangerman:
I’d agree with you if it weren’t for the fact that A) the Democratic candidate is leading in North Dakota and B) Obama has a huge lead in New Mexico right now which is great news for Bingaman.
Formerly Formerly (Formerly Formerly)
@cat48:
The ‘Bagger caucus indeed knows they are gonna need a lot of money flowing into their races and catapult a lot of propaganda to win in 2012. That Koch Industries stands to benefit from Keystone doesn’t exactly point to a quid pro quo between them and the ‘Baggers, but I would say it’d be naive to call their involvement in Keystone a non-factor in what’s going on. The UE benes and tax cut are just bargaining chips, that was obvious all along, but it’s a bit more stark with Boehner flipping all the way around within 24 hours.
Raven
Jesus wept
Raven
@Raven: Jesus
weptfumbledant
fucktard
Mark B.
@Raven: Why hast thou forsaken me, Tebow?
Raven
@Mark B.: It’s my motion throwingness. . .
Formerly Formerly (Formerly Formerly)
@Formerly Formerly (Formerly Formerly):
Adding, I think perhaps what happened is that many in the House GOP caucus realized that Obama was serious in that there was a very good chance that he would kill Keystone and that is just not an option that many members could abide by, given the kind of money they need to raise and spread around in the next three quarters.
Raven
@Formerly Formerly (Formerly Formerly): The dude abides.
Raven
Type “let it snow” into google!
MaxB
Speaker of the Mouse.
goblue72
Tom Terrific > Jesus
Tebow can’t hold Brady’s jock. When Timmy is in church on Sunday mornings praying to his Personal Jesus for touchdows, Brady is already suited up & practicing his spirals.
piratedan
we could offer the R’s first night privileges with our nubile virgin daughters and it still wouldn’t be enough because they’d want the livestock too, they are a bunch of sick fuckers who are hell bent on making the country into a “white man fantasyland”. The rest of us are just pieces on the board in their sociopathic little game.
Help the 99ers
I wish I could tattoo this graph on the forehead of each and every Representative who’s opposing this:
schrodinger's cat
And everybody from the tea baggers to the firebaggers and their friends in the media will tell us how this Obama’s fault.
Raven
Divine intervention in Dember!
boss bitch
@The Dangerman:
Sorry, I don’t care about the politics. This deal includes unemployment benefits and people need that money. Badly. If it was just tax cuts, I wouldn’t care.
Cain
Do you guys see that our problem is congress? They come up with crappy bills, poison pills, and renege on promises. You cannot deal with them. The house has turned into wasteland.
We need to do huge GOTV efforts for both state and federal positions if we want things to change. We worry less about Obama and more about getting the best people in charge. That also means that we have to make the case to the people in the red states about government. That’s the real battle here, making the case that govt can do great things if managed correctly.
srv
It’s so fitting we’ve been talking about Peanuts’ Christmas Specials this week. Boehner would make a good Lucy.
Dead Earnest
@Raven: very nice. Thanks.
[after reading this post, better than a ‘unicorn chaser’, which never really made me feel any better. Reckon I like seals on sofas more than unicorns anyway]
dmsilev
@schrodinger’s cat: I took a quick look at firedoglake, and the front-page story they had on this was pretty reasonable in reporting what happened and laying the blame on (a) a bunch of crazy House Republicans and (b) Boehner for being such a weak leader that he can’t do anything about (a).
The comments to that story, on the other hand…
schrodinger's cat
@dmsilev: Well that’s good to know. The other day I was at the dentist and there I was reading the New York magazine and the cover story was how the Occupy movement is a problem for Obama. According to the MSM Obama is either responsible for every bad thing that happens or it is some how bad for him politically.
peach flavored shampoo
Wait, why did the Senate vote on this first? I thought all spending bills had to originate in the House. Is this not a spending bill?
Hill Dweller
@dmsilev:
I’m not going to go read the comments, but if they are anything other than unmitigated vitriol aimed at republicans, the author is an imbecile.
Mark B.
@dmsilev: Yeah, I really enjoy TBogg, who is hosted on FDL, but it seems to be a haven for people who seemed to think that Obama was a progressive messiah, and now that they found out he’s a centrist who is a pragmatic compromiser, they want to completely destroy him.
It reminds me of the people who were glad in 1980 that Reagan beat Carter, so we could see how horrible the right wing really was and a really strong progressive movement would rise from the ashes. Purity tests are for teabaggers, if you’re trying to run a government, you have to have an agenda which isn’t optimal.
And all of this isn’t to say that I think that Obama has been a great president. He’s done a crappy job communicating his agenda and fighting for it, and he’s let the right wing drive the agenda. But I honestly don’t know anyone who’s currently nationally prominent who can do better now. He’s accomplished some good things, but he needs to do better in his second term. Of course, the alternative is thousands of times worse.
Judas Escargot
IMO they want the Keystone pipeline as yet another concession.
Never mind that huge aquifer beneath. The Kochs have work to do.
sherifffruitfly
Pats currently on pace to exceed my 20 point win prediction against the Denver Tebows.
Maude
We need to know how many Republicans are unemployed or low wage workers. They get hurt by this.
Mark B.
@sherifffruitfly: Well, no matter how many points ahead the Pats are with a few moments left, Tebow can start making the other team fumble and miss coverages and he can overcome the deficit. He’s just that awesome.
gaz
In the immortal words of Dr. House / Hugh Laurie:
“You’re Orange, you Moron!”
Not much more needs to be said on the subject of Boehner. That pretty much covers all the bases, afaiac.
Gustopher
The Administration let it slip that with only 60 days to approve or deny the pipeline, it would likely deny it.
Sloppy, and probably the cause of this.
Raven
@Gustopher: Maybe that’s what they want?
cat48
@schrodinger’s cat:
Occupy is bad for Obama. The GOP plans a 1968 Redux for the Election. Occupy DesMoines is attempting to shutdown his campaign offices and plan to target/protest the Iowa Caucuses. I don’t know how it could be considered good for him in any way at this point.
Hill Dweller
@Gustopher: The State Dept. told the Republicans this long before they started demanding a decision in 60 days.
Yutsano
Hill Dweller
@cat48: OWS is a net benefit for Obama because they brought income inequality to the forefront. Income inequality, the gutted middle class, low wages, corporate malfeasance, etc. is Democratic turf. Obama can win that debate, especially with Willard Howell III as his opponent.
Judas Escargot
Why is Newt talking like a Catholic Fascist from the 1930s? On Face the Nation, BTW, not some fringe cable network.
Somebody had better come along and close the Overton window soon. It’s starting to get a little drafty in here.
reality-based
(sigh) I was just at ABC news (for more of the cute baby seal story) so I checked their story – they never even mentioned that Boehner was saying the complete opposite of this yesterday.
Really, I can’t even bother to ratchet up the hate on the Orangeman and his group of savages – I’m too busy hating our %^%(^%^% media right now.
RinaX
@Hill Dweller:
Yes, but you have to admit that it was really unfair of the State department to communicate exactly what would happen if they pressed for a decision and then expect the Republicans to take this and other concrete facts (such as Nebraskans actually not being in favor of this deal, it not creating nearly as many jobs as the Republicans claim, etc) into account. Really, the nerve.
Oh, and McConnell is backing Boehner now despite having a number of his own Senators vote for the deal. And in a couple of days, this will be all Obama’s fault.
debbie
This is the very same thing he did when he backed out of a “grand plan” with Obama towards the end of last summer. Changed his mind at the last minute and totally negated everything he’d said he’d agree to earlier in the process.
I hope this gets pointed out during the campaign.
MattF
@Judas Escargot: Uh, yikes.
I think it’s time to drop the ‘neo’ from neo-Fascist.
The Snarxist Formerly Known As Kryptik
@debbie:
Because see, that would be partisan to say that they double backed completely. And that’s just not objective journalism. You have to take him by his word.
JPL
The NYTimes has an article up now about Boehner’s change of mind..
burnspbesq
This is what I said on this subject earlier today. Nothing has happened in the last five hours to change my mind.
harlana
@piratedan:
Chuck Butcher
So the Prez won’t have to sign the XL bill as written?
lamh35
So now I see that McConnell is backing Boehner.
WTF? So now he’s against his own damn bill that he and his caucus helped pass in Senate?
WTH is going on with this yahoos?
harlana
i am sorry that people have to suffer because republicans are just rotted-out inside assholes, but if that’s how it’s gonna be, i hope they keep this shit up all the way to election time so we can get the House back
they’re not even trying to pretend they give a shit about anybody but the 1%
unfortunately, a lot of the dumbfucks that voted for them have to see/experience this kind of crap ad nauseum before they finally get the point
carpeduum
@lamh35: Do you have to ask? Now it’s about messaging and the media repeatedly has shown they will go with the Republican messaging. Get it?! It’s about trying to make Obama look bad. It’s ALWAYS about trying to make Obama look bad.
So first they stirred up the firebaggers with the BS provisions and now they are gonna throw their side some red meat.
So now the wingnuts can say Obama raised taxes on the middle class and the media will dutifully go along. Get it?
Oh, and morAn firebaggers like Cole get sucked into the vortex as well.
dogwood
The Republicans are walking a fine line here politically. I imagine they think if they can screw up the economy just enough to raise unemployment, they’ll take the Senate and the White House. Conventional wisdom might agree with this. But candidates and campaigns still matter. I’d be shittin bricks if I were one of those teatard congressman who got elected in a district that won’t be so easy in a presidential election year. Do they think Mitt or Newt will have coattails long enough to drag them over the finish line? I read the other day that the Obama campaign has more Iowa offices and has made more direct contact with voters there than any of the Republican candidates. What’s up with that?
cmorenc
@John Cole:
This observation invites the further related question of why Boehner doesn’t use the powers he has as Speaker to cut the balls off a treacherously disloyal backstabber like Cantor. True, in part the Speaker today doesn’t have the sort of nearly unfettered leverage over Congressional members of his own party the way he would have several decades ago. Nevertheless, if you aren’t willing to take the risk of provoking a potentially successful rebellion against your speakership by exercising your power and leverage to intimidatingly discipline traitorous pricks within your ranks who are out to undermine you, you risk allowing them to undermine you to little more than a figurehead shell anyway without having to go to the trouble and risk themselves of actually launching a revolt to have you removed.
Don’t get me wrong; I am NOT rooting either for Boehmer to “succeed” as speaker or for Cantor to effectively control the House of Representatives by turning Boehmer into a useless figurehead. However, Boehmer’s irresolute weakness and unreliability as a figure anyone on the Democratic side can make any interim deals with simply to stave off disaster …is NOT at all good for the republic or the public. We kinda, sorta, need Bohemer to be just a tad more effective from now until more responsible folks hopefully take back control of the House, hopefully as soon as the 2012 elections.
carpeduum
@dogwood: GOPers already lost the 2012 election. Prez and probably the house. They just don’t realize it yet.
Only think still uncertain is the senate.
carpeduum
@cat48: lol….your funny. Obama and Dems were talking about the 99% vs 1% long before OWS was even an idea much less a website.
OzoneR
@Amir Khalid:
The question is, if we do, are those who become collateral damage going to blame Republicans, or “both sides”
ChrisNYC
Just to be clear — the language on Keystone in the bill passed by the Senate does NOT require Obama to approve Keystone. What it does is require him to make a decision in two months. This is simply an attempt by the GOP to fool the TPers into thinking they aren’t giving Obama something without extracting concessions.
The left needs to not fall for the GOP spin.
The State Dept says that it will have to delay the final decision on Keystone in order to prepare and review environmental impact statements relating to alternative routes. The GOP gov of Nebraska asked for consideration of such alternative routes. The GOP is trying to make it appear that they are “forcing” Obama to make a tough political decision (disappoint enviros or kill jobs) in 2012. The provision in the Senate bill will do no such thing. Obama has plenty of room to satisfy the provision and DELAY construction on Keystone until the State Dept finishes its process.
This GOP smokescreen is why there were tons of stories yesterday about how ooh the GOP had Obama backed into a corner on Keystone — because Boehner can’t control his caucus and was trying to fool them into thinking the Senate bill was a TP victory.
William Hurley
The only real question is this: How much political muscle will Barry use to “convince” Pelosi to corral her caucus into voting for – and passing – a Republican bill. We wouldn’t want Barry to have to think-up real ideas to stimulate the economy that don’t threaten SocSec now do we? Why lead when following is easier and might actually open the door to his reelection.
Amir Khalid
@William Hurley:
Unless you’re a member of his family, you should probably not refer to your president as Barry.
Elizabelle
@Amir Khalid:
I think of William Hurley as huckleBarry.
Pie.
William Hurley
@Amir Khalid:
Until Barry or another member of his family suggests otherwise I’ll keep my own counsel, thank you.
This message endorsed by Hillary, W, Bill, Ronnie, Tip, Ted and many other familiar public servants.
William Hurley
@Elizabelle:
Very clever. Clever indeed.
I’ll keep my eye on you. You’re going places! A wit such as yours….
Enhanced Voting Techniques
@carpeduum:
I think they have in the house and see this as their last year for glory.