Senate Republicans vow to again sabotage government rather than play any role in governing

[Zorro]

The nation is now used to seeing political standoffs whenever the time again comes to raise the now-infamous "debt ceiling." The nation is also generally aware of the dynamic that plays out each time the United States needs to raise the artificially set debt cap in order to keep paying the bills that Congress itself ordered the nation to pay: During times of Republican governance, Republicans hand out tax cuts to whoever the steady rotation of lobbyists in their offices tell them to, draining federal coffers. During times of Democratic governance, Republicans scream loudly about the money being spent on Actual Things, proclaim themselves outraged at federal deficits, and vow that they will absolutely not be a part of this fine mess that their yesterday selves got us into.

I'm not sure there's been any past Republican effort as lazily nihilistic as the one that's currently forming, however. The seemingly unanimous take of Senate Republicans, as guided by (of course) Sen. Mitch McConnell, is that the debt ceiling of course needs to be raised as rote responsibility of government—and that Republicans will absolutely block attempts all attempts to do so so that Democrats have to do it without them.

It's not a "we must reduce the debt" stance. It's not an attempt to play chicken with the nation's credit rating or an attempt to shut down government this time around. The Republican position this time is that while this paperwork may be a necessary part of government, it's better for Republicans to not do that governing so they're just ... not going to.

On Tuesday, Sen. McConnell turtled to reporters that Senate Republicans were "united in opposition to raising the debt ceiling." Party cranks had previously promised to filibuster any legislation raising the ceiling, thus cutting off both the notion that the ceiling could be raised with Republican votes and the ability of Senate Democrats to even bring such a bill for a vote.

https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2021/9/15/2052432/-Senate-Republicans-vow-to-again-sabotage-government-rather-than-play-any-role-in-governing

[The Magistrate]

1. Push It through On Reconciliation, Sir

Raise the thing to some reasonable figure like ten quadrillions and look back in on the matter a few centuries hence....

[MiniMe]

4. That only works if they have 50 democratic votes plus the VP

The VP in no problem, but Cinema and Manchin are, and maybe a few others.

[Moostache]

2. Someone better let a certain man from West Virginia in on this...

I hear there is also a certain woman from Arizona that may likewise need to be explained to about "bipartisanship"...

[TheRealNorth]

3. If Manchin or Sinema are not on board....

And it causes a shut down, then throw them out. It is better that any shutdown be attributed to the Turtle then a Democratic-controlled Senate, than to keep power that cannot be exercised and have to explain next year why the government was shut down on your watch.

[H2Oart]

5. Or

Or we push and push to keep our seats and win at least 2-3 new seats, then we can circumvent Manchin and Simena votes.

[LastLiberal in PalmSprings]

6. Manchin and Sinema just don't like large numbers. They strain their little brains.

The "national debt" is a bullshit term created by the GQP to use against the Dems. Notice Moscow Mitch and his merry band of lemmings were perfectly happy to raise the debt when T**** was giving trillions away in tax breaks for the rich and corporations, and to continue funding that sucking sound that was the Afghanistan war. I told my wife the day that Biden was declared winner, "Watch the Repugs suddenly discover the national debt the moment Biden is inaugurated." I was wrong, they started yelling about it the day Biden won. It was suddenly the "Obama-Biden national debt," and as we got closer to the inauguration it became "the Biden debt."

F*ck the GQP. F*ck Manchin and Sinema. It's time for the economy to work for everyone, not only the very rich and corporations.