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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsKRUGMAN On Fire: The Dixiecrat Solution
So you have this neighbor who has been making your life hell. First he tied you up with a spurious lawsuit; youre both suffering from huge legal bills. Then he threatened bodily harm to your family. Now, however, he says hes willing to compromise: Hell call off the lawsuit, which is to his advantage as well as yours. But in return you must give him your car. Oh, and hell stop threatening your family but only for a week, after which the threats will resume.
Not much of an offer, is it? But heres the kicker: Your neighbors relatives, who have been egging him on, are furious that he didnt also demand that you kill your dog.
And now you understand the current state of budget negotiations.
.........
The question for the next few days is whether plunging markets and urgent appeals from big business will stiffen the non-extremists spines. For as far as I can tell, the reverse-Dixiecrat solution is the only way out of this mess.
the rest:
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/10/14/opinion/krugman-the-dixiecrat-solution.html?nl=todaysheadlines&emc=edit_th_20131014&_r=0
TwilightGardener
(46,416 posts)harun
(11,348 posts)malaise
(269,219 posts)Rec
flamingdem
(39,332 posts)The problem is that John Boehner, the speaker of the House, wont allow such votes, because hes afraid of the backlash from his partys radicals. Which points to a broader conclusion: The biggest problem we as a nation face right now is not the extremism of Republican radicals, which is a given, but the cowardice of Republican non-extremists (it would be stretching to call them moderates).
jmowreader
(50,567 posts)The House now has a rule allowing only Erich Cantor to bring bills to the House floor.
If Boehner's at fault, it's for allowing this to happen. One of two things is at play: either he allowed it to happen and needs to be expelled for damaging America's place in the world, or the tea party did it without Boehner's approval and Boehner needs to be expelled for inability to do his job.
nadinbrzezinski
(154,021 posts)It is to the 1850s. I hope the markets do that short term though. But these people are nuts
lumberjack_jeff
(33,224 posts)Republicans have used wedge politics against us for decades. It's time to return the favor.
Run an ad in his hometown praising Boner for his good faith efforts to bring an end to the impasse created by less rational repubicans.
That'll be the last you see of him. The crazier you have to be to be a republican, the better. The chamber of commerce types are going to abandon those assholes.
muriel_volestrangler
(101,390 posts)The Democrats didn't bother running anyone against him in 2012: http://ballotpedia.org/wiki/index.php/Ohio%27s_8th_congressional_district_elections,_2012
In 2010, he got over twice as many votes as the Democrat. Do you really think he'd be replaced by a Democrat, or a more moderate Republican? If you're going to use a wedge, you have to make sure that you end up with a majority of the result, when added to what you've got.
lumberjack_jeff
(33,224 posts)It isn't the worst of the crazies we should be working to defeat, it's the other... two. It should be made absolutely patently clear that the Republicans are the "shithouse rat" party.
I don't think it's appreciably better to have Bohner in that district than another Bob Beaudelang.
rwsanders
(2,609 posts)muriel_volestrangler
(101,390 posts)Myrina
(12,296 posts).... they'll self-obliterate.
muriel_volestrangler
(101,390 posts)The process of the majority in the House 'self-obliterating' seems highly dangerous for the country anyway. Look at what they're doing now.
Gothmog
(145,666 posts)Prof Krugman is right
young_at_heart
(3,772 posts)They are letting the wackos do all the talking and they are staying in the shadows so the wackos get all the media attention and are somewhat 'legitimized'....what a crying shame for this country. I WANT MY COUNTRY BACK!!!
warrenswil
(60 posts)Krugman nails it again.
He is so smart it is the non- extremists in the GOP who hold the key to solving the crises.
Highly recommended reading.
In the (K)now
Mad-in-Mo
(229 posts)He gets it exactly right.
Flying Squirrel
(3,041 posts)So why are we hearing so little about it?
icymist
(15,888 posts)That's right, Kick!