DKos: Let's say the House passes a bill next month saying defense cuts are exempt from the trigger

[highplainsdem]

From Hunter at Daily Kos:

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2011/08/01/1001466/-White-House-spin-on-debt-ceiling-deal-promises-Democrats-will-be-able-to-stand-firm%E2%80%94next-time

This presumes, however, that the same House and Senate Republicans who insist on not increasing taxes on the rich, on pain of breaking their very solemn tea party pledge, would suddenly reverse that stance if defense were also on the line. Is that assured? Is it really true that all Boehner would have to do, to get his troops in line and have them vote for an actual, bona fide tax increase, is to tell them that otherwise defense gets cut?

I don't think that's as simple as the White House argues it to be—by a longshot, in fact. All that is required to demand both no new taxes and that defense cuts not be made is, well, to simply pass something saying that those defense cuts won't be made. The House can do it easily, which leaves the Senate Democrats as having to choose between "increasing taxes!" or "hurting the troops!"—Democrats are on the defensive on both sides of the equation. They get full blame for any tax increases, and they also get full blame for "endangering our national security" by not giving in to Republican demands. Remember, that's a well-worn argument used in nearly every presidential election. The Democrats are weak on national security! they say, or military readiness is being placed at an all-time low by these draconian cuts that Democrats, and only Democrats, are insisting on!

How do we think that's going to play out? Let's say the House passes a bill next month saying, "Oh by the way, defense cuts are exempt from the trigger"? What happens? What happens if the usual Senate Democrats go along with it, and send it to the president, and Obama is presented, for signature or veto, something named the "Protecting American Freedom Act" or some such thing?

I'll tell you what happens: the GOP has its new we-love-America slogan for the elections, and President Obama, by supporting the defense cuts against their budget-busting carve-out, gets painted as a Muslimish not-caring-about-defense guy. Ditto for every single last Democratic candidate. If I can easily think of how the GOP will game this system, I think it's fairly obvious the GOP can think up the same things.

[Rageneau]

1. I fear your fears may be fear-worthy.

From the instant I heard that "defense cuts' would be on the table down-the-line, by-and-by, one-of-these-days, I knew that they will never happen. Republicans are liars and thieves. They will agree today and renege tomorrow. And when it comes to the Military-Industrial Complex, their only rule is "We win by any means."

[highplainsdem]

4. "They will agree today and renege tomorrow." I agree.

[tularetom]

2. Boner already told Obama he wouldn't hold the debt limit hostage

Told him that last December when Obama extended the bush tax cuts for 2 years and then went back on it when it came down to the short strokes.

So who's going to guarantee that he won't go back on it again when the defense cuts come up for a vote.

[Romulox]

3. Either way, a current Congress can't bind the decisions of a future Congress. nt

[highplainsdem]

5. kick