"Cut, Cap, and Balance" Constitutional Amendment

[leftysergeant]

The Gang of Six plan sounds ambitious (and I'm skeptical that they really could have come up with a major tax overhaul that quickly), but it won't sail because of the "absolutely never" votes in the House. Sadly, I think some version of the McConnell shell game is the only thing that will get through.

The McConnell game sounds like a winner to me.

He just admits that the Republicons can't get it done in time and hands it all to Obama, figuring that he is going to screw it up so badly that the Dems and Obama get blown out of the water next year.

Letting the GOP do this would absolve them of any responsibility for what Obama does on his own newly-given powers to rule by fiat.

This is good. It also makes them look like total dorks if he succedes.

(Like they really needed help with THAT!)

 

[JoeTheJuggler]

The McConnell game sounds like a winner to me.

He just admits that the Republicons can't get it done in time and hands it all to Obama, figuring that he is going to screw it up so badly that the Dems and Obama get blown out of the water next year.

Letting the GOP do this would absolve them of any responsibility for what Obama does on his own newly-given powers to rule by fiat.

This is good. It also makes them look like total dorks if he succedes.

(Like they really needed help with THAT!)

I disagree. I think the worst effects on the economy (and the stock market) will be the continued lack of a resolution of this issue and therefore continued uncertainty. That's what the GOP is trying for just so Obama can't take any credit for getting a comprehensive compromise that will fix this problem (bumping up against the debt ceiling). And they will certainly blame him for "failure of leadership" in only being able to get this McConnell plan which essentially just gets us by (sort of) while prolonging uncertainty which can be hugely damaging to the economy.

 

[Puppycow]

http://pollingreport.com/budget.htm

According to a recent poll, 74% favor a "a constitutional amendment to require a balanced federal budget." The GOP wants to package this (Cut, Cap and Balance) and sell it as a balanced budget amendment, and it seems that, so far anyway, they are succeeding.

This poll asked about three of the possible deals under discussion to raise the debt ceiling, including the McConnell plan, the Gang of Six plan, and the Cut, Cap and Balance plan. A lot of this, I think, has to do with the way to question was worded, but 66% said that they would favor the following:

"In another proposal, Congress would raise the debt ceiling only if a balanced budget amendment were passed by both houses of Congress and substantial spending cuts and caps on future spending were approved. Would you favor or oppose this proposal?"

In the same poll however, large majorities also opposed cutting farm subsidies, Medicaid, Social Security or Medicare.

People don't seem to understand that this isn't just another balanced budget amendment (which would be a bad idea anyway, but not as bad as this one).

 

[JoeTheJuggler]

http://pollingreport.com/budget.htm

According to a recent poll, 74% favor a "a constitutional amendment to require a balanced federal budget." The GOP wants to package this (Cut, Cap and Balance) and sell it as a balanced budget amendment, and it seems that, so far anyway, they are succeeding.

This poll asked about three of the possible deals under discussion to raise the debt ceiling, including the McConnell plan, the Gang of Six plan, and the Cut, Cap and Balance plan. A lot of this, I think, has to do with the way to question was worded, but 66% said that they would favor the following:


In the same poll however, large majorities also opposed cutting farm subsidies, Medicaid, Social Security or Medicare.

People don't seem to understand that this isn't just another balanced budget amendment (which would be a bad idea anyway, but not as bad as this one).

While I'd rather our politicians pander to ill-informed voters than to assert an ideology regardless of the polls, I'm glad we don't govern by polls. Don't forget the bandwagon fallacy. A majority of Americans believe in some form of creationism.

 

[Beerina]

Everyone seems to forget that an amendment has to be ratified by 3/4 (or 38) states as well.

That's actually probably the easy part.


I don't like the idea of encoding GDP percents and other crap into an amendment.

I do like the idea of no raising taxes or spending or borrowing unless there's a *declared* war or you have a 2/3 supermajority.


Yes, indeed it does tie their hands. That's the whole point.



Actually, I'd have a supermajority for any law to be passed. If you can't get 2/3 (or 3/4) of the people to agree something should be a law, it probably shouldn't be.



This whole 51% dictates everything and can pass laws for all eternity is an embarrassing piece of crap design. It's just an ignorant encodification of might makes right. We are a great nation because we are free, not because we are an unrestricted democracy.

 

[DeathDart]

I don't like the idea of encoding GDP percents and other crap into an amendment.

Yes, indeed it does tie their hands. That's the whole point.

Actually, I'd have a supermajority for any law to be passed. If you can't get 2/3 (or 3/4) of the people to agree something should be a law, it probably shouldn't be.

Life must be really good for you, or you must be really stupid.

With the Governments hands tied, who is going to stop the Corporations?
They will just use their newly acquired Courts to allow them to bust up unions and the Democratic Party.

We can't get them to use the laws that are already on the books.

Wall Street can be charged under plain old fraud and theft for what they have done. We don't have anyone left in the Department of Justice looking out for us.

They are just threatening to burn down the house, if we won't help them, burn down the house.

DUH! Fore Head slap, that is their plan!