The Boehner Debt Ceiling Bill: Why It Needs To Pass

Allow me to begin by saying as a true large-sized tea party hobbit, I am disappointed in John Boehner's plan to raise the debt limit.  I was hoping for much deeper cuts along the lines of the Ryan budget plan, and the thought of new bi-partisan committee to come up with ideas to close the budget as the second half of the speaker plan gives me the creeps. Somehow those groups always come up with tax increases instead of budget cuts. That being said, I believe it essential for the house to vote yes on the bill today.

On the positive side, the plan cuts spending $1 trillion dollars immediately, does not raise taxes and imposes a spending cap.  In all probability it will not pass the Senate, but the plan's passage put the onus on the progressives to finally come up with a plan and eventually it will lead to a deal.

The bottom line is, as Charles Krauthammer told Bill O'Reilly the other day

“I respect what they want to do; I share what they want to do: shrink the government. But at a time when the country is going into debt and destroying everything in its path, Conservatives need to understand the only way to stop the damage, according to our Constitutional system, is to control the White House and the Congress.

“You cannot govern from one branch. All the Conservatives control now is half a branch … and under our system, you’ve got to have it all.” he said. “All of us respect the Constitution; it sort of defines the new Conservatism. If you believe in it, then respect the Constitution, understand its restraints, and win the election in November.”

Allow me to explain where this will end up. If the Boehner plan passes the House it will not pass the Senate, if the Senate passes the Reid plan it will not pass the House, but as sources inside the Beltway are starting to whisper, the plans are close enough that it will lead to a compromise.

In all probability, if it does lead to a compromise, it will probably take the debt ceiling past the election, have cuts higher than the rise of the debt ceiling ($2.6-2.8 trillion), will not count the bogus war savings, will not raise taxes  and will require a vote in the Senate for the Balanced Budget Amendment.

Think about that for a second, before this debate really heated up, if conservatives were presented with a plan legitimately cutting $2.6 trillion, no taxes and a balanced-budget Amendment vote there would be a huge celebration, not only for what we got, but for the major defeat suffered by President Obama.

And look what the house works on next the budget debate--- an opportunity to cut more.

On the other hand, practically speaking if the Boehner bill fails today, the conservative position loses its leverage, the progressives in the Senate will passe the Reid plan with its bogus cuts and they become the ones who offered the only compromise plan.

Barack Obama and the progressives will become heroes, and the message"the house filled with those evil tea party-backed Republicans who want Granny thrown off the cliff is even too radical to get a plan passed"

As Bill Kristol said yesterday:

To vote against Boehner is to choose to support Barack Obama. It is to choose to increase the chances that worse legislation than Boehner's passes. And it is to choose to increase the chances that Obama emerges from this showdown politically stronger. So when the Heritage Action Fund and the Club for Growth, and Senators Vitter, Paul, et al., choose to urge House Republicans to join the Democrats to defeat Boehner, they're choosing to side with Barack Obama.

The Boehner plan, whether it passes the Senate or leads to a compromise, shackles Obama for the final year and a half of his first term and shows Obama to be ineffectual in this debate. A missile shot into his chances of (God Forbid!) being elected for a second term.

The choice is clear, pass Boehner plan and the conservative wing of the party will most likely win the battle and  gain an advantageous position to win the war (2012 Election) giving us a the opportunity to exorcise Obamacare,  and make the necessary  changes needed to save our country.  Reject the Boehner plan, we may very well lose the battle and the war.

The vote is around Five-O'clock this after noon. I urge you to call your Congressman and tell them to support the Boehner plan.