How we got to the edge of the cliff

I've been too frustrated by the stupidity of the debt ceiling debate to post more frequently about it.  But this pretty much sums up my thoughts.

Just a reminder on why we're even in this mess tonight: it's self-inflicted. Entirely. It's entirely political, entirely partisan, entirely hard-right ideological, and it doesn't have a damn thing to do with the "debt ceiling," or even the deficit, except as proxy for the one and only thing that does matter to Republicans: cutting social programs. Fixing the tax structure? Forget it. Deficits? Hell, Republicans have voted for deficits for a fine long time now. Didn't bother them. They even said it "didn't matter"—remember that one?

So why are we talking about "catastrophe" all of a sudden? Because they want to talk about it, and because they have found in the debt ceiling a fine hostage that the crazier among them aren't afraid to shoot.

• We're at this point because of the Bush tax cuts. That's the one biggest contributor to the deficit, and it was the sole reason for the last of these hostage-taking sessions by Republicans. They demanded that we not let them expire. Didn't give a crap about the deficit then.
• We're at this point because Republicans insist that the rich pay not one penny more in taxes, despite enjoying the lowest effective tax rates in modern U.S. history. Instead, Republicans demand cuts to Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid. Straight-up class warfare, though they will send for the fainting couch if you point that out.
• We're at this point because no matter what proposal McConnell or another Republican comes forward with, within the same week they've walked away from the talks again, demanding still more, and insisting that their own proposal isn't enough.
• We're at this point tonight because McConnell is currently filibustering a bill that, in large part, is his own damn right-wing proposal (see above). But he's not done taking hostages yet.
• We're at this point because our own news media is too goddamn stupid to recognize when one side is doing something truly extremist in nature—never done before, and something both sides did without much bluster—and insists that no, both parties must somehow be at fault.

Because if the economy is in good shape a year from now, President Obama gets reelected.  And Republicans will do ANYTHING to stop that.  Even tank the economy.

I suggested this to some conservatives a few weeks ago and they were shocked that anyone would say that.  Of course, all I have to go on for that shocking statement is what the Republicans have explicitly said and done over the past couple of years.  Just that.

Thanks to the Daily Kos.