Kristol criticizes Bachmann’s ‘silly’ petition to stop raising of debt ceiling
Thursday, January 06, 2011 at 9:57 am
- 10 Comments
William Kristol, prominent neoconservative columnist, said he was disappointed in Rep. Michele Bachmann’s campaign to prevent Congress from raising the debt ceiling to avoid the United States from defaulting on its debt. Writing in the Weekly Standard, Kristol noted his general praise for Bachmann but called her plan “silly” and “irresponsible.”
Bachmann’s petition, which she’s been flogging on national media outlets, reads:
With the national debt $14 trillion and counting, Congress’ spending frenzy cannot continue. It’s time to force our elected officials to stop spending cold turkey, and we can start by making sure they do not raise the debt ceiling.
That’s why I’m asking you to personally tell Congress not to increase the amount of money the government can borrow by adding your name to the “Don’t Raise the Debt Ceiling” petition.
“This is irresponsible,” Kristol wrote. “I’ve seen no plausible plan that would enable us to go ‘cold turkey’ (to use her term) fast enough or dramatically enough that we could reduce the deficit to zero in a few months–which is what would be required if Congress were not to authorize an increase in the debt ceiling.”
He added, “If Michele Bachmann has such a plan, she should share it with us. If not, she should withdraw her endorsement of the “cold turkey” petition, and help figure out what legislation could be attached to the debt ceiling or passed separately that would further the cause of real spending restraint and reduction. But there’s no turkey cold enough to enable us to avoid raising the debt ceiling.”
Follow Andy Birkey on Twitter10 Comments
Comment posted January 6, 2011 @ 11:29 am
Dear Mr. Kristol,
You don’t know Michele Bachmann the way you think you do. It’s not about the petition or getting anything accomplished by circulating the petition. It’s about Michele Bachmann – keeping her name out there, making certain everyone knows who she is. That’s it. That’s all it’s about. That’s all she does. Nothing else. Nothing.
Comment posted January 6, 2011 @ 1:19 pm
You have to understand that Kristol is a big Palin supporter and he sees Bachmann as a threat to his favorite candidate. But secondly, this is about starting the negotiations from a position of strength.
I have no doubt that the debt ceiling will eventually pass but not without significant commitments to spending cuts, even if they have to be phased in. You get there by starting from an extreme position and moving towards the center.
But democrats never have been very good at negotiating for what they want, have they. I mean your “health care reform” is nothing more than a law mandating that you buy health insurance, made more expensive by that law.
Comment posted January 6, 2011 @ 1:23 pm
I forgot to add:
“Those at the extremes enjoy the greatest leverage.”
– Mechanical Engineering 101
Comment posted January 6, 2011 @ 5:30 pm
Bachmann’s plan “silly” ?and “irresponsible”? Strong language, that!
Comment posted January 6, 2011 @ 9:08 pm
Imagine foreign investors deciding that US government bonds are not the rock-solid trustworthy promise they’ve always been?
fail to raise the debt ceiling? watch terrible sudden consequences with fast sharp ripples throughout the global economy
Comment posted January 6, 2011 @ 9:21 pm
“The fact that we’re here today to debate raising America’s debt limit is a sign of leadership failure. Leadership means ‘The buck stops here.’ Instead, Washington is shifting the burden of bad choices today onto the backs of our children and grandchildren. America has a debt problem and a failure of leadership. Americans deserve better. I therefore intend to oppose the effort to increase America’s debt limit.”
Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill.
2006.
Comment posted January 7, 2011 @ 8:26 am
Republican Cannibalism!! I LOVE IT!! You know your INSANE when the likes of Bill Kristol thinks your “Silly”!!
Comment posted January 7, 2011 @ 12:38 pm
It should be great fun watching the Republicans (who at the end of the day want to win elections) having to deal with the groups and people they created by letting them run wild for the last two years such as the Tea Party, the Birthers, Bachmann, Palin, etc…
They let these groups and people go crazy because they were not in power and they wanted to use them – but now that the Republicans have control of the House these same groups and people want the GOP to actually do what they want and what the GOP often said they were going to do once they were back in power.
Of course the real Republicans in power know full well that they can’t actually do the things they said: really cut Federal spending, waste time with the birther stuff, not raise the debt ceiling, etc… because as soon as they do they start losing votes and those will only appeal to a very small percentage of voters.
So – yes – this should be some fun to watch the Republican Leadership have to deal with what they created.
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