Boehner's Cards

In the past few weeks on negotiations on this debt ceiling/spending/taxes thing, I clearly remember the President telling Eric Cantor and Speaker Boehner "not to call my bluff" on this deal.  The President wants something long term that actually addresses the problems of tax code loopholes (NOT tax increases to most Americans but rather just those who are making tons of money by cheating the system), and that addresses federal spending in areas that are the causes of our increased debt (Medicare/Medicaid, Social Security, Defense).  To accomplish this, the President actually has gone against the wants of his party and constituents by offering up other sorts of entitlement programs to the GOP to show that, "Yes, I am serious about this - I'm willing to put my neck out on this to reach a compromise, now throw in your chips too."  But he said clearly: "Don't call my bluff."

Well, the House Republicans had to go and call because they think they're all friggin' cowboys and good guys don't budge on principle (even if that principle has very, very steep consequences).  And well, it looks like Boehner was holding ace-high, and not a whole lot besides that.  Saying he even had ace-high is generous, because honestly, when you get called out by the CBO for proposing something that the President has already said he won't sign and the Senate is unlikely to pass anyways, you really are holding a whole lot of crap.  Considering that he decided to step away from negotiations with President Obama when they were relatively close to a deal, and then deliver this flop (and even more pathetically, how the House Republican caucus tried to rally around it), well someone has pie on his face, and I think Speaker Boehner is tasting cream when he licks his lips.

So I guess what the endgame comes to is this:  Are the people we chose to represent us in office going to fail us and allow the nation to default on it's credit?  As The Atlantic points out, the President and his party have offered many, many concessions to negotiate a compromise and throw ourselves a rope as we head off the brink.  Even the Senate Republicans would be happy with the deal he crafted.  But the fools in the People's Chamber are the ones who want to play this deadly hand of cards with a weak hand and better options.

It makes me so mad to see these cowards controlling our country in this pivotal moment when there are so many good people who are trying to do the right thing and not play games with this.  Why did I think getting back into blogging with my family history of high blood pressure was a good idea when you could see this coming down the road?  Sigh.