Despite having raised the debt ceiling eight times during the Bush administration without any party holding the country hostage for their own pet ideological projects, the Republicans in Congress have decided that now that there's a Democrat in the White House, it's finally time to take hostages. They've demanded $2 trillion in cuts to a government they've been trying to strangle for decades, the result of which would be higher unemployment and reduction in critical services at a time when many Americans need those services more than ever.
As he has done often over the past two years, the President has negotiated with them from a center-right position rather than from a progressive position, insanely upping their ante and offering $4 trillion in cuts, so long as there were some revenue-raising provisions.
Let me repeat that: The Republicans want $2 trillion in cuts, the President offered $4 trillion.
So why don't we have a deal? The Bush tax cuts for the rich.
The Republicans knee-jerk, out of reality, insistence on no new taxes anytime anywhere, a position which ultimately would lead to America's demise, has caused them to turn down an offer of twice what they wanted, what they say they've wanted for decades, in order to preserve tax cuts which won't hurt the rich in any way. The Republicans are willing to gut social security, medicaid and medicare, but won't touch a small increase in taxes for those doing better than at any time in American history.
Yes, the Republicans certainly have the best interests of the country at heart.
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