Democrats put politics ahead of policy -- again
(By Timothy P. Carney, Washington Examiner) - As the debt-ceiling debate wrapped up over the weekend, Democrats once again gave Republicans what they wanted on substance, in exchange for Republicans giving Democrats what they wanted on politics.
Abandoned in the debt deal are the liberal ideal of "shared sacrifice" (i.e., tax increases) and the Keynesian tenet of government spending surges during recessions. Preserved is the political framing that helps the Democrats in the 2012 election: no more embarrassing debt-limit votes before the election, no prominent debate on a balanced budget amendment, and a stage set for some good old corporate-jets-vs.-Medicare demagoguery.
Details of the debt deal were still being finalized as this column went to press, but it appears that the White House and Senate Democrats have agreed to up to $3 trillion in spending cuts with possibly no tax increases. On substantive grounds this is a complete Democratic surrender.
Abandoned in the debt deal are the liberal ideal of "shared sacrifice" (i.e., tax increases) and the Keynesian tenet of government spending surges during recessions. Preserved is the political framing that helps the Democrats in the 2012 election: no more embarrassing debt-limit votes before the election, no prominent debate on a balanced budget amendment, and a stage set for some good old corporate-jets-vs.-Medicare demagoguery.
Details of the debt deal were still being finalized as this column went to press, but it appears that the White House and Senate Democrats have agreed to up to $3 trillion in spending cuts with possibly no tax increases. On substantive grounds this is a complete Democratic surrender.
posted by BP News Bureau | 9:48 AM
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