Politics were on full display on MSNBC’s Morning Joe with Pat Buchanan demanding that Republicans do nothing on the upcoming vote to raise the debt ceiling. Buchanan’s reasoning to his Republican friends in Congress? – Don’t raise the debt ceiling because “Obama will fold!”
In his call for the Republicans to do nothing, Pat Buchanan went as far as to suggest that if Republicans do what’s best for the country and raise the debt ceiling, Boehner and the rest of the Republicans will not be able to go home and face their constituents. When it was explained to Buchanan that it is simply impossible to balance the budget on spending cuts alone without bringing in revenues from taxes at the same time, Buchanan replied;
If you take a look at John Boehner, he can’t go home again if he signs on to taxes. He’s dead if he signs on to higher taxes.
It should be noted that the “higher taxes” Buchanan and Republicans in general are talking about, is a 3% raise in the tax rate of millionaires and billionaires – essentially going back to the rate as they existed under Bill Clinton.
Apparently, the politics of doing nothing and further tanking the economy, will be better for Republicans and their constituents, notwithstanding the fact that this political decision will cause severe consequences to the nation’s economy.