Wednesday, July 11, 2012

Caddell's Take

Pat Caddell has been around for a long time.  He's a "Kennedy Democrat", and is a very enjoyable guy.  He's extremely unhappy with what the post-1968 (D) Party has become, and it shows here.  Of course, he also pins the correct label on the (R) Party (hint:  Joe Sobran said it first...)

...If the voters had known in 2010 what they know in 2012--that Obamacare is ObamaTax--the bill would not have passed. And Obama and the Democrats know that, too. That’s why they are still fighting over whether or not it’s a tax or a penalty; for the sake of their own survival, they need to keep their rhetorical fog machine fogging. In this effort, partisan Democrats enjoy the full support of the hard ideological left, and the left knows that if Obamacare is brought down, it is unlikely that replacement legislation of European-style scope would have a chance of passage. In other words, this is a last stand for the bureaucratic left--and last-standers have a way of fighting to the death....

Interesting phrasing.  The Wisconsin recall(s)  were also a Last Stand.  Hmmmm.

 In politics, as in a courtroom, when the facts change, the argument must change. If a key witness has been revealed as a perjurer, a mistrial is declared, and a new trial must commence.
 
Similarly, Republicans should heed the lesson--and the opportunity--of the Roberts ruling. It’s not particularly productive for the GOP to simply keep repeating its rote mantra of “Repeal and Replace,” or even just “Repeal.” Frankly, to merely repeat the old words sounds stale; as with anything involving humans and their attention spans, the message must be kept fresh. Moreover, in their determination to refight the old battle against Obamacare on the exact same terms as two years ago, there’s even a whiff of sour grapes. The Republicans are acting like the Bourbon kings of France. As Talleyrand said of them, “They have learned nothing, and forgotten nothing.” 

Yah, well, that's why there's a Tea Party.

...on the tax issue, the Democrats in the House and Senate are between a rock and a hard place.  Either they admit that they were misleading voters and raised taxes, or they admit that they participated in the misleading--and raised taxes. If they admit that they raised taxes, and lied about, they are dead. On the other hand, if they claim that they, too, were victims of misinformation, then they face the natural test--they must vote to repeal the ObamaTax and the mandate. But to do that, to vote for repeal, is to blow up Obamacare, and with it, the Democratic power structure. That they cannot do. That’s their choice--their Hobson’s Choice.  

...To date, the Republicans seem absolutely confused and in political disarray. As we have seen, many Republicans are leery of seeking to uproot the bill outright. Some fear that taking on Obamacare is just a distraction. Others seem resigned to waving the white flag of surrender on the issue. Indeed, some who profess to be in favor of outright repeal also, at the same time, profess to be pessimistic about their chances--that’s no way to fire up their troops. What general says, “C’mon men! Forward to the fight. We probably won’t succeed, but let’s fight anyway”?

One guess....

Mitch McConnell

Yup.  The very re-incarnation of Foghorn Leghorn, McConnell.  (You can look up ol' Foghorn, kids.)

1 comment:

Jim said...

Oh shit, oh shit, oh shit, my hair is on fire!!!!

Except that it doesn't really matter all that much whether it's a tax or a penalty (hint: it's a penalty but it doesn't matter).

Even if you call it a tax, it is applicable to an estimated 4 million Americans, fewer than 1.5%. And it only applies to the free-loaders who can afford to buy health insurance but won't.

That's supposed to put the Democrats between a rock and a hard place? They must be quaking in their boots.

This Caddell guy must get paid by the word with a bonus for the more absurd he can be. But Breitbart published it, so there you go.