Maddowblog - "The hostage McConnell sees as 'worth ransoming'"

The mainstream media repeatedly suggests that Democrats are overreaching by only asking for a slight increase on tax rates for the top 2 percent. Yet, Republicans get a free pass on vocally threatening to hold out Nation's economy hostage to protect such tax cuts and pay for them with cuts to programs that benefit the middle class.

http://maddowblog.msnbc.com/_news/2012/12/12/15865305-the-hostage-mcconnell-sees-as-worth-ransoming

A year ago, immediately after the debt-ceiling fiasco was resolved, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) offered a chilling assessment of the crisis he helped create. "What we did learn is this -- it's a hostage that's worth ransoming," he said.

It's one of the more important comments McConnell has ever made. He and his allies had just threatened to crash the economy on purpose, which led to severe consequences, including our first modern downgrade. But the lesson the Republicans' Senate leader learned from the debacle is that he should do all of this all over again.

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McConnell specifically said he sees an "opportunity ... when the debt ceiling issue arrives." He added, "We are going to insist that we have another discussion about the future of our country in connection with the request of us to raise the debt ceiling."

The Senate Republican leader is, to be sure, using the most diplomatic language possible, but there can be no doubt as to his underlying message: McConnell is threatening to hurt Americans on purpose.

If the political world treats this as somehow routine, we're making an important mistake.