Was Mitch McConnell onto something Wednesday evening in the Senate? Hmm...
Townhall: Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell took to the floor and offered an immediate vote on President Obama's fiscal cliff plan, which shocked the Beltway late last week. (In case you're keeping score at home, this was the surreal proposal that induced McConnell to laugh out loud as it was outlined by Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner). Harry Reid quickly objected and shut the whole thing down, labeling the suggestion a "stunt." Think about that. The President of the United States, a Democrat, crafted a fiscal cliff package that would give him everything he wants. It has tax hikes on the rich. It has huge tax hikes on investments and estates. It has more stimulus spending. It has no meaningful, specific, or guaranteed spending cuts. And it compels Congress to cede control of the debt ceiling to him. This is "fairness" on steroids. The Senate's top Republican proposed an up-or-down vote on everything the president wants, yet Democrats, who control the upper chamber, instantly blocked it. By what definition is it a "stunt" to hold a vote on the president's full, public plan? The White House has insisted it's a serious document, yet Hill Democrats don't want it to see the light of day.
Some would say it was a risky move, and could have very well surrendered to the Democrats & given Obama everything he wished for; but it appears that McConnell called the Senate's bluff, and they didn't want to take it. Is there any doubt out there that Obama and Democrats really don't want a deal? While Geithner said, "We laid out a very detailed set of proposals," Reid insists the Obama proposal doesn't exist. Seems clear that they want to go over the fiscal cliff, and thus raise taxes on everybody.
Guy Benson at Townhall also reminds us that Geithner said The White House is "absolutely" willing to go over the fiscal cliff (which they themselves say will cause a recession) if they don't get their tax rate hikes...the ones that McConnell just gave the Senate an opportunity to vote on and perhaps pass!
This is all so bizarre. Eh, it's probably one of those 'I-didn't-propose-it-so-it's-not-gonna-happen' moments that have become synonymous with a Reid/Pelosi/Obama power wield. Or, it may simply mean they now demand more. Still very telling, though.
UPDATE: Strike two. What are you afraid of, Harry?
TheHill: Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) compared Republicans to the New York Jets on Thursday, saing the GOP doesn’t know who its quarterback is.
Reid made the comparison after blocking another attempt by McConnell to force a Senate vote on Obama’s deficit-reduction plan.
