Overview for congressional-gop

Brinkmanship Works

It seems that everyone is deploring the “tactics” of the House Republicans in refusing to pass a two-month extension of the payroll tax cut and by doing so, drawing out the standoff until the last minute. Is this the way resolve a dispute? Yes, deadlines force the combatants to make concessions…

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Written by Howard Foster on Wednesday December 21, 2011

Dysfunctional Politics Have a Price

S&P has now downgraded the US government from AAA to AA+, a historic downgrade. The effects of this downgrade will no doubt echo throughout the US and global economy. Zero Hedge posts the full text of the S&P statement. Contrary to what you might read in some quarters of the media , …

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Written by Fred Bauer on Friday August 5, 2011

Seven Ideas for the GOP After Debt Day

In my column for CNN , I discuss seven ideas for the GOP to take up after the debt crisis has passed: 1) Unemployment is a more urgent problem than debt. The U.S. can borrow money for 10 years at less than 3%. It can borrow money for two years at less than one-half a percent. Yes, the …

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Written by David Frum on Monday August 1, 2011

Did Boehner Win - or Did Bachmann Lose?

The Thursday vote on the Boehner debt ceiling bill was a clarifying moment, and one that should be reexamined as House Republicans now consider how to vote on a deal with the White House, announced on Sunday evening. Firstly, the Boehner vote served to illustrate what separates those who would …

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Written by Tim Mak on Monday August 1, 2011

Payback's a Bitch

Consider this scenario: President Palin (or Romney or Perry or Pawlenty or whoever) is sworn in with great jubilation among movement conservatives in January 2013. Voter distaste with Democrats also led to the crushing defeat for Democratic Congressional incumbents, leaving Republicans with hefty …

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Written by Fred Bauer on Saturday July 23, 2011

Looking for the Exits

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Written by David Frum on Friday July 22, 2011

Free Pass for Red State Dems?

Why would the GOP want to give Senate Dems in red states like Mark Pryor (Arkansas), Jon Tester (Montana), Claire McCaskill (Missouri), a free, throwaway, CYA vote on Cut, Cap, and Balance?

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Written by Kevin Jones on Tuesday July 19, 2011

Will the "No New Taxes" Pledge Cause Financial Disaster?

The Cato Institute held a debate at the Rayburn House Office Building to discuss whether the Republican Party’s “No New Taxes” pledge is an effective tool for Conservatives’ ultimate goals of shrinking the federal government and restoring fiscal responsibility to Washington. Arguing that …

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Written by Fred Messner on Tuesday July 19, 2011

Mitt Romney Dodges on the Debt Ceiling

Romney doesn't want to oppose the House Republicans, but he sure is not endorsing them. Mitt Romney gave an artful answer today to the debt-ceiling question “The answer for the country is for the president to agree to cut federal spending and cap federal spending and put into place a …

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Written by David Frum on Thursday July 14, 2011