Rep. Barney Frank: Supercommittee failure ‘good news’ for Dems

[babylonsister]

http://thehill.com/blogs/defcon-hill/budget-approriations/195139-rep-frank-supercommittee-failure-good-news-for-democrats

Rep. Barney Frank: Supercommittee failure ‘good news’ for Dems
By Jeremy Herb - 11/22/11 01:59 PM ET


Rep. Barney Frank (D-Mass.) said the congressional supercommittee's failure Monday to come to an agreement on spending reforms was “good news” because it will help to end the Bush-era tax cuts and give Democrats more bargaining power in budget negotiations.

snip//

“The people who want to say ‘no’ have more leverage,” Frank said in a telephone interview. “Every showdown until now, the right wing had more leverage. They tended to benefit more from gridlock. Now, thanks to sequestration and the expiration of the Bush tax cuts, gridlock is bad for the right wing. So they are now going to be forced to deal.”

Frank said the supercommittee’s inability to produce a plan was not a failure of Congress, but rather a reflection of the country’s “peak divisions.”

He said that Democrats should offer to extend the Bush tax cuts for the middle class and end them for the wealthy, counting that as savings against the automatic cuts.

“And if you don’t like it,” Frank said, “well, then we’ll just sit back, see sequestration and the taxes go up on everybody.”

[Deep13]

1. good news for everyone. nt

[razorman]

3. As if there was any other possible outcome. It was designed for failure.

[Deep13]

10. Well, the D.s might have caved in. nt

[politicasista]

2. And Dems here are getting bashed for it

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=439x2360602

[karynnj]

4. Are you having fun?

On that thread YOU are the most persistent person bringing that up - as you are here and on another thread. It is pretty disingenuous to CONSTANTLY bring up that others are bashing him - in threads where that is not a main theme. If you agree, just say so - if you disagree, refute it where it is said.

This is pretty passive regressive - bringing up negative comments where they aren't while bemoaning them.

Read the op in that link - it is the opposite of bashing:

Just saw John Kerry on MTP and he did a good job.

I feel renewed confidence that our guys in the Senate are trying to do the right thing. We are the adults in the room. Before I saw this I was just frustrated, but now that Kerry talked through the discussions they were having I can't disagree with how our guys handled things.

Ignoring your several comments and the one I just added, there is ONE negative comment from a poster, who I like and think a very good person and sincere, which is why I answered it. It was not bashing, though he/she was very unhappy with the position taken. The ONLY posts I would call bashing - eve though they were cloaked in words distancing the writer - were yours - and yes, I saw your many posts that you were not "bashing".

[Mass]

5. +1

[politicasista]

6. Not having fun, just being an observer

His Facebook page (Murray's too) was filled with vile comments blaming him for the SC's failure (even if he meant losing some support here, despite his proven liberal record).

Granted it was freeper trolls, but also others (maybe concerned Dems?) Hopefully, their staffers are moderating their pages. Therefore, Congressmen Frank, Senator Sanders, President Obama, etc should be aware of this. Glad they know who the real enemies are

Just DU and beyond social network observation, and knew there was going to be respectful disagreements, but that it is ok.

[karynnj]

7. I wouldn't take much from trolls posting negative messages on his facebook page

- especially any blaming him for the failure of the SC. You can bet that they are NOT Democrats and likely never voted for him. I saw one person on one of the articles in Politico blaming him and proudly declaring he was from MA and had always voted against him. Now, as this is likely completely true, it puts him in the 19% who voted against him in 2002 and in the 33% who voted against him in 2008.

Kerry himself has said several times that he was ready to take a political hit if it meant doing the right thing. In the MTP interview, that was also what he was speaking of when he spoke of going to Arlington cemetery with some college friends. The point was that his commitment is to the country - not his political popularity.

The comments that likely hurt more personally are from people who have always liked him and are unhappy. However, it is to those people who were likely most happy to hear his comments Sunday and Monday. His comments then reflect the values he has always held. Making policy is not a game and the negotiating was not just politics - and Kerry took flack for not leaking and not speaking to the media. It is clear from behind the scenes comments that Kerry worked as hard and sincerely as any on teh committee to actually try to get a fairer solution than the automatic cuts. However, once the committee was no longer, Kerry shifted roles and was acting politically and doing an excellent job.

MTP and the other appearances were, to some degree, politics - and the Democrat most out there was Kerry. Do you think that was just chance? That Murray, Baucus, Van Hollen etc were just busy? Or, do you thing it was that Kerry has the gravitas, expertise and ability to be the carrier of the Democratic POV on what happened. Note that the RW is extremely unhappy saying the media is blaming the Republicans and saying the failure was due to Norquist and wanting to keep the Bush tax cuts.

Think of the take away of thinks like "it is unconscionable to ask senior citizens on tight budgets and people on Medicaid to pay more when the wealthiest Americans, paying historically low taxes, get another tax break" It is hard to frame the choice in a better way for Democrats.

No one knows what will happen between now and 2014, but if the situation is that he is Senator and wants another term, his actions here will almost certainly not hurt him in 2014. Not to mention, it is highly likely he is to the left of both Obama and Warren, who very likely voted for Reagan. (Not to mention, Kerry did several points better in MA than Obama in 2008 - not the other way around.)

[politicasista]

11. Ok. Did reach a bit in comments the last days and month

Not a SN junkie or anything, and will have to be more careful not to fall for unofficial leaks. :dunce: Sometimes, and be thick skinned. :hide:

Caught the MTP interview, he was good if not a peeved at the GOP's un-cooperation. That excerpt about going to Arlington sounded very personal.

You are right about the comments and it was best not to leak and speak to the media too soon IMO. It was just the Kerry has the gravitas (lots of tweets thought he did well, while Brown's people sounded dizzy and desperate lol!) The rest, I will agree with and is an excellent summary.

As for 2014, while no one knows what will happen, the BH is :silly: to think that this SC fiasco will hurt him (they are worried about Scotty!), but hopefully (factors involved) he will continue to represent MA again. Didn't know that about Obama and Warren (the Gipper thing, though hope she wins). Hope he has a nice, relaxing Thanksgiving holiday with family.


Again, did reach a bit, but thanks for the clear up. :hi:

[Mass]

12. And the BH is always right. Not so....

This is political propaganda in direct line from the GOP. There is no point repeating it here or somewhere else. I am not sure if you have an agenda or not, but if not, stop posting things like these posts. All you do is bring the bashers (though you can notice there are none in the two threads).

[politicasista]

14. I don't have an agenda and never have

Just making a observation, but I guess that it is not a big deal here anymore.

It is alright, will just go back to lurk mode since I don't have anything meaningful to add to any discussion.

[ClassWarrior]

8. I've seen no Dems bashing the Prez for this, but I've seen plenty of people accusing Dems...

...of bashing the Prez for this.

Weak.

NGU.

[politicasista]

9. Ok.

:hide:

[ClassWarrior]

16. (see below)

NGU.

[politicasista]

17. ok n/t

[joshcryer]

13. By the "left."

[politicasista]

18. Ok.

Will just leave a that. Peace.

[politicasista]

15. Sorry for ruining the thread everyone. Peace n/t

[Vattel]

19. He's got it right, as usual.