Cantor's Clout

Politico Arena Topic: Should Speaker Boehner Watch His Back?

I think John Boehner truly wants to get a big deal done—the $4 trillion grand bargain—which could calm the financial markets and go a long way toward paying down America’s debt. He said as much last week. Boehner must of figured that as Speaker of the House, he was the leader of his party in the House. That’s clearly not the case. Majority Leader Eric Cantor, his second in command, is the guy in charge. After throwing Boehner under the bus by pulling out of the debt ceiling talks a couple weeks ago, Cantor is leading the charge for a smaller deal that would include zero compromise on the revenue side—no tax increases on the wealthy, no closing of tax loopholes, nothing with the word “tax” in it unless it is followed by the word “cut”. The Cantor-led GOP will agree to nothing unless they get all of what they want. At a White House meeting yesterday, Cantor did most of the talking—indicative of his new found clout.



The White House knows the GOP position is unreasonable and will exploit it. President Obama will take to the bully pulpit and Democratic surrogates will hit the airwaves and hammer the Republicans for protecting the wealthy at the expense of the middle and working classes. Democrats have already agreed to make painful cuts in popular entitlement programs such as Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security. What pain are Republicans willing to dole out to their benefactors? If Cantor and his crowd get their way: none. Fear of Tea Party primary challenges and Grover Norquist overwhelm any ability of most in the GOP caucus to strike a reasonable deal. Boehner was right to seek the Grand Bargain—it would have been good for the country and his party. Unfortunately, he way overestimated his own ability to deliver.

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Recess is Over

Politico Arena Topic: President Obama: Scolder-in-Chief?

Congressional Republicans have been doing more than just acting like children with regard to the debt ceiling--to play a game of political chicken with the nation’s debt limit is extremely irresponsible. At no time in our nation’s history has a political party held the country’s debt ceiling hostage to ideological demands. Previous Democratic and Republican presidents and congresses have acted responsibly by raising the debt ceiling when needed. True, at times they waited until the last possible moment but at no time did recalcitrant lawmakers threaten that if they did not get their way - and only their way - that they would allow the United States government to default on their its debt obligations.

The fact that President Obama has been forced into the middle of negotiations should be victory enough for the GOP because he will now be forced to cut a deficit-reducing deal and may pay a political cost for it - especially if negotiations go badly. The Obama administration would have been better off insisting on a clean debt limit vote, saving deficit reduction for budget negotiations. Now both parties must negotiate with the added pressure of an August 2 guillotine hanging over the heads.

Finally, I think it is apropos that President Obama compare his kids to the GOP leadership. After all, it was House Majority Leader Cantor who took his ball and went home last week after negotiations did not go as he planned. Hopefully his actions haven’t soiled the sandbox too much for the other kids.

Recess is over (and the GOP should probably think twice about going on another one this weekend). It’s time to get to work and understand that in a negotiation, both sides need to get something. Clearly the House majority leader and many of his Republican colleagues do not understand that concept.

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Boehner Gets Tossed Under Bus By Cantor on Debt-Ceiling Talks

Politico Arena Topic: Eric Cantor Gutsy or 'Gutless' on Debt-Talk Walkout?

Will Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) be able to cut a deal with the White House and Senate Democrats without angering his base? Short answer: no way. It looks as if the House Majority Leader has thrown his fellow leader under the bus on the debt ceiling talks. The fact that House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-VA) did not consult with or inform the speaker of his intentions to withdraw from the negotiations until he went public, reveals a major rift in the House GOP leadership. Boehner and Cantor may not be exchanging holiday cards with one another this year.

If Boehner succeeds in closing a deal with Obama and the Dems, that deal will likely include elimination of some tax breaks to big oil and other special interests — something Republicans are loathe to do and the Speaker will get crucified from conservatives for this. Boehner will also face opposition from the tea party and small government crowd who are flat out against raising the debt ceiling despite the economic chaos that will likely happen if those efforts fail. And if Boehner fails to cut a deal, he’ll be blamed for that as well. He is in a box alone, courtesy of Cantor and company.

Though Republicans are calling for President Obama to get involved to jump start negotiations, this is a merely a political ploy to force the president to put some skin in the game that can be used against him in 2012. The White House would be better served to let the president concentrate on using the bully pulpit to hammer the GOP on this issue. Meanwhile, Vice President Biden can continue to hold negotiations out of public view.

In the end, all Americans should hope this game of political chicken being played ends soon. The markets don’t like uncertainty. And if it ends badly, uncertainty will reign supreme.

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