Let's say Obama keeps his pledge to not negotiate on the debt ceiling. Would the GOP cave and pass a clean bill or are they really that crazy? I guess a more accurate question is, would Boehner allow a vote on a clean bill with a Democratic & moderate GOP coalition?

It's probably time for a separate debt ceiling thread. Mods, please change title to "Debt Ceiling 2: Self-Inflicted Crisis"

I would be interested in what the board thinks would be an appropriate way for the GOP to try and enact spending changes?

Appropriations? Almost anything, really.

1) Identify what spending they want changed

The GOP could start by, you know, actually proposing some spending cuts. Saying 'we have a spending problem' is not sufficient. Saying 'we need to limit deductions' is not sufficient. Saying 'we need entitlement reform' is not sufficient.

There won't be a #2 to this plan

It was so lol how the Republicans did the fiscal cliff by first saying Obama must lead, then attacking him for coming up with a plan, then refusing to come up with a plan on what to cut insisting Dems go first, then trying to pass a "plan B" and failing, then having the Senate come up with a plan and then having the House speaker insult Reid for coming up with a plan and then barely passing that Dem plan in the House that got through the Senate.

I expect the debt ceiling to be even funnier because half the reason the Republicans just about managed to avert the fiscal cliff (more or less) is because for a month they were saying to the crazies they would have more leverage on the ceiling than they did on the cliff while also admitting publicly they just plain dont.

TBH I expect the result will be some spending cuts but not many, some tax loophole closing, maybe some light reform to some entitlements but probably not and the ceiling will be lifted until at least 2017. Everyone gets something and they both get to forget about it for another 4 years. That will follow a couple months of circus act clowning mostly coming from the House Republicans and a mix of the moderate Reps and the financial sector will just ensure really basic deal is passed though it almost certainly wont be a clean bill.

Boehner didn't tell Reid to **** off because he came up with a plan. He told him to **** off because he said he went to the Senate floor and called him a dictator who was only interested in holding onto his job rather than doing the work.

Yeah, I was being exaggeratory.

Sounds reasonable to me.

While I certainly hope the Republicans are "that crazy", I suspect both sides will posture until the last minute, then a compromise will be struck that calls for insignificant spending cuts at some point in the future. That seems to be the way of it lately.

weird_there's_another_one_of_these_posting_tea_par ty_rhetoric_imo

source

85 RINO's amirite?

Gonna be interesting to see if boehner continues to bypass the tea party and just passes bills with his ~100 or so "rinos" and dems

Pretty much, although I'm not a Republican or a fan of the Tea Party.

Can't imagine he would last long as Speaker in this scenario.

how does the speakership work in the case of a parliamentary style no confidence vote? Can he be turfed between Congressional sessions, or would he just resign like Newt did.

You mean, "Debt Ceiling 2: Fiscal Boogaloo?" Or perhaps "post-election boogaloo?"

I stand corrected

It might be a decent strategy going forward. It would protect the far right wing from having to vote on bills that might bite them in primaries. It would mean relying on the Senate to broker deals but it seems unlikely that the House GOP to unite and exercise much power.

He can be removed based on a majority vote of the whole house, so practically it'd have to be a Tea Party/D coalition.

My hopes and dreams for the debt ceiling showdown are pretty simple. Amid much bitterness and acrimony, talks break down as House Republicans descend into open warfare within their own ranks. (Republicans can't stand being owned by Obama - it's driving them nuts.) The more radical and strident House Republicans decide they have had enough of Obama being declared "the winner" every time while they are perceived as dropping their pants and bending over, so now it's Custer's last stand.

House Republicans, fired up by Eric Cantor, break out in open revolt against Speaker Boehner. The more strident GOP House members declare "If we don't draw a line in the sand right here and right now, we'll never get spending cuts. The time for pussyfooting around is over! This is war!"

This will play right into President Obama's hands. He'll let the Republicans force a Government shutdown confident in the belief that they'll get all the blame. Chaos will ensue as government workers are sent home (on paid leave) while government contract workers are sent home on unpaid leave. The stock market will crash amid much hand wringing and predictions of financial armageddon by commentatots and "experts" on CNBC. Laid off defense workers (and Social Security recipients) will rush Capitol Hill mad as hell over losing their jobs or not receiving their monthly checks. President Obama will be on TV every day shaking his head and declaring that this is all the fault of Republicans. He'll make another cute remark about how the Republicans need to "eat their peas" and get to work - which will make Tea Party zealots even crazier.

The heat in the kitchen will get really hot as we're treated to the spectacle of Republicans - especially House Republicans - in full melt down mode. Republicans will be forced into another humiliating defeat as they cave to Obama one more time. Rush Limbaugh will have a field day grousing about the capitulation. In the aftermath, there's a "night of the long knives" as Eric Cantor leads an open revolt to depose Boehner as House Speaker. (Nancy Pelosi naturally encourages all of her members to vote with the rebellious Republicans to ditch Boehner.)

This is my "dream" scenario. Of course, this is the kind of spectacle you enjoy if you're an anarchist.

Lol at Pelosi leading Dems to help oust Boehner. Boehner is like the smartest kid in the special needs class but if he is ousted he will just be replaced by another kid from the same class. There are no stronger moderates to replace him who will whip the Republicans harder to stop passing ****ty bills and budgets that wont even be heard in the Senate let alone be passed into law.

The funny thing is the second smartest kid in the special needs class is just smart enough to realise he doesnt want to be the speaker. Its a death job. So if Boehner falls the guys who want his job are like the 10th+ choice of who you want up there. Speaker Trump?

You gotta love that Obama actually says he wants to raise taxes to offset any spending cuts, instead you know, actually cutting defense spending? Wtf?

Err, he wants to cut defense spending. Republicans just spent 12 months attacking him for it with their figurehead claiming they should spend even more on defense.