Gibbs: Senator Obama Only Voted Against Raising Debt Ceiling in 2006 Because He Knew It Would Pass Anyway

Great question Jake.
I definetely understand that not raising the debt ceiling would cause harm to the economy, but being that this will be the 5th time since the 2006 Democrat takeover of the budget that the limit has been raised, wouldn’t it make sense to cut spending DRAMATICLY. If the US taxpayer is made to cut their budgets, then the federal goverment HAS TO do the same. And I don’t mean a million here and a million there; I means DRAMATICLY.
Being that then Senator Obama voted one way because he knew the outcome of the vote and didn’t think his mattered is maddening. My great grandfather fought and bled in WWI under Major General Robert Lee Bullard at the Battle of Cantigny, and his wife suffered at home so that those Americans could pass the ever important individual vote that keeps this a republic free democracy. Obama just admitted he voted “present” again. So going back to atleast 2006, he admits that he doesn’t care about my great-grandfather, or any others that sacrificed so that he(Obama) may have that vote.

There is no inherent problem with lawmakers taking a principled stand and opposing the debt limit increase on these grounds – and when it is understood that it;s going to pass anyway. No one wants the debt of the United States to go up, nor can the tens of trillions of dollars we’re talking about even be fathomed as possible by most people.
The difference here is that the tea party Republicans either do not fully understand the consequences of their position against raising the debt limit or understand the consequences – the destruction of the United States government – and welcome it. That’s crossing the line.

Here’s a thought … leave the debt ceiling as-is and cut government spending so as to not default on money owed. Let’s start with a 20% pay reduction for ALL federal gov employees.

President Obama has said so many things and lied about them, there should be plenty of ammunition for all candidates in 2012.
It’s his agenda that threw out Dems in 2010 but he acts like he had nothing to do with it. This man is not a leader for all, he is a straight campaigner for a few.

In other words, he voted “Present”.

another “hoot” of the day.. hard to hold back the belly laughs when this idiot speaks
At her final press conference as House Speaker, Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) said, “Deficit reduction has been a high priority for us. It is our mantra, pay-as-you-go.”…HA HA HA HA HA
What a clown..and a paintedup one at that
OBAMA VS AMERICA

Yep I said that
I guess Pelosi thinks everyone should be grateful her and her ilk didn’t spend twice what they did. Can you imagine the gall that it takes to make such false and blatant absurdities?

matt: “There is no inherent problem with lawmakers taking a principled stand and opposing the debt limit increase on these grounds – and when it is understood that it;s going to pass anyway.”
It would have been principled if he continued to stand against raising the debt ceiling. Now that the shoe is on the other foot, Obama’s so-called “principles” have gone right out the window. Where your comment lacked in accuracy, it made up for in humor.
matt: “The difference here is that the tea party Republicans either do not fully understand the consequences of their position against raising the debt limit or understand the consequences – the destruction of the United States government – and welcome it. That’s crossing the line.”
Wrong. It’s you liberals who don’t understand how to cut spending. You reveal your loyalties when you excuse Democrats for running the debt right up to the ceiling only to then turn around and criticize Republicans for not wanting to raise that ceiling. Why don’t you consider 2 years of uncontrolled Democrat spending crossing the line? The answer is obvious as is the responsible answer to raising the debt ceiling — it’s well past time to cut spending instead. If some non-essential programs and services temporarily suffer because of it, Democrats and their supporters have no one to blame but themselves. Maybe they should have respected the law of the land rather than play chicken with our country.

Well, there you go.
If the Health Care bill ever becomes popular, the Republicans can say they voted against it because they knew it would pass anyway.

The Bush tax cuts added to the deficit; no healthcare reform will add to the deficit; almost all the program cuts they propose are going to hit the middle class hardest [is there any surprise?]; they intend to launch an offensive against recent policies initiated by Democrats when they made the apparently hollow promise that their main focus would be on job creation. Republicans have no principles.

It just gets better & better. The “pile” delivered from the WH press sec. gets higher & higher. The WH surely has no respect for the intelligence of the American voter. But, who can blame them? In the last 3 presidential elections we had Bush II, x 2 (extremely bad), then BO-words cannot describe, except by perhaps an allegory to Donte’s Inferno-Ninth circle, Round 2, Antenor of Troy (betrayor of his city to the Greeks).

At least the democrats try, but the Republicans do not even attempt tocare. Regrettably the republicans control
most christians, the church, bishops priests, charity hospitals, retreament for millions of retirees, schools and dogmatic colleges and universities, plus hundreds of thousands of lobbyists and tv viewers. Housewives too.

Holding the debt limit at present level does not mean default. The government can pay its obligation by taking some money from other programs right now.

“Republicans have not shown a shred of evidence that they understand how to cut spending either. They just talk about it an awful lot.”
I agree, Skip. They also talk about transparency and accountability, but on their first day in Congress enact rules that take it away. As Norm Ornsteing, puts it, its quite “breathtaking.” Stunning double talk and hypocrisy.
And then there’s the Constitution…
Look at what they actually do, not what they say. Look at what they do and the results.

“Republicans have not shown a shred of evidence that they understand how to cut spending either. They just talk about it an awful lot.” – Skip
The thing is Skip that at least with the Repubs there’s hope they might cut spending. With the Demos it’s a foregone conclusion that spending will not be cut, instead it would increase. So adult voters went with the Repubs on November 2nd. Let’s hope and pray the new conservatives in Congress force spending cuts.

Obama is merely a politician who fooled most of America. Now, America has awaken and sees this clown for what he is. He voted “present” in Illinois so he wouldn’t have a record to defend. He has raised taxes on middle calss citizens at will (cigarette, health care, etc.). He thinks he is the smartest person in any room he happens to be in. Some group has coddled this guy from a young age to where he is now. How do you get to be Editor-in-Chief of a law journal and never published anything. You don’t. Someday the facts will come out and they will not be pretty. Pops

Alyson: “They also talk about transparency and accountability, but on their first day in Congress enact rules that take it away.”
Like these listed on the Republican House rules committee website:
1. Citing Authority under the Constitution – require new legislation to attach a Constitutional justification citing the authority granted in the Constitution for passing a certain bill.
2. 3-Day Availability for Unreported Bills – require new legislation be posted online for public review 3 days prior to a vote.
3. Transparency for House and Committee Operations – includes transitioning to modern and searchable document formats for bills (helps to parse huge bills like the Stimulus and Obamacare that were intentionally made difficult to search), making bills available in a single location online, webcast and make available recordings online of committee hearing meetings where practicable, requires committee votes be posted online within 48 hours, and several other changes to strengthen transparency.
4. Initiatives to Reduce Spending and Improve Accountability – requires expensive bills adhere to cut-go (or cut-as-you-go) where new spending is matched with cuts elsewhere in the budget, strikes down the “Gephardt rule” that allowed for House members to raise the debt-limit without going on the record as having done so, and places restrictions on reconciliation directives.
5. Limitation on Long-term Spending – require new legislation to forecast budget impact out to 40 years instead of just 10 years as we have now. This prevents politicians from hiding deficits and unsustainability until the 11th year and beyond, like Democrats did with Obamacare.
Only bitter, delusional liberals would classify these rules as taking away transparency and accountability. Your bearings on such concepts are likely warped after 4 years of a Democrat Congress.

Anonymous,
Here is the rule I was referencing and Norm Ornstein’s response to it:
“the provision in the rules to deputize the chairman of the House Budget Committee to unilaterally create spending and revenue limits and caps by committee and enact them simply by publishing them in the Congressional Record.
This is breathtaking: It demolishes the Congressional budget process in one fell swoop, and it takes away the accountability, openness and deliberation that a regular budget process provides. This is the opposite of accountability; Members, by voting in lockstep to enact a package of rules, will implicitly vote for a budget they have never seen. It will be binding in the House.
When individual appropriations come up, any proposal that changes the edicts of Budget Chairman Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) by restoring cuts in spending will be ruled out of order. Dramatic and Draconian budget cuts without votes or debate. That is the new open and deliberative House?”
Not open, not deliberative.

“You made clear that it only matters when it’s convenient for you.”
I can point to exactly where it’s covered in the Constitution. The Commerce Clause. The only part really in question is the individual mandate and the question will ultimately go to the Supreme Court as the answer is not cut and dried. I see it as being covered by Congress’s Commerce Clause power and as an exercise of its taxing power under the General Welfare Clause.

“I see it as being covered by Congress’s Commerce Clause power and as an exercise of its taxing power under the General Welfare Clause.” – Alyson
That’s what any tried and true socialist would see.
A citizen of a strong republic would see it differently.
Since we don’t live in France and the good old USA is a Republic, the mandate in Yes WecanCare™ is unconstitutional.
It’s cut and dried.

Alyson, I took umbrage with your statement that the constitutionality of the Mandate isn’t cut and dried. I contend that readers of the constitution with a strong grasp of what a Republic is would disagree. The matter is cut and dried, the Mandate is unconstitutional.

Clarity isn’t my problem Alyson, you are the one trying to apply French Style Governance to the Republic that is the USA.

Since I have little faith in your knowledge of the constitution, Article VI, clause 3:“The Senators and Representatives before mentioned, and the members of the several state legislatures, and all executive and judicial officers, both of the United States and of the several states, shall be bound by oath or affirmation, to support this Constitution.”
Fitzpatrick also may have violated House ethics rules.

“However your comment about umbrage was confusing. Are you implying that he/she used the word incorrectly in a sentence?”
No. I’m saying– not implying– if she took it, she may want to give it back for the reasons I gave.
Humor. har. It is worth having a sense of.
Have you heard what they say about assuming? If you are as interested in me as you appear, you may want to reread and step outside what appear to be your preconceived (and not very prettily wrapped) notions. Actually read the back and forth and drop the exaggerations. Stick to the words on the page and what they mean… not your assumptions or applications of overgeneralizations and inverse projections.

The entire Congress and the President are all liars and are only concerned in moving forward with their own personal agendas. One day, Americans will finally wake up and see them all for what they truly are. Americans should be on the streets like the people of Greece. I heard the President appointed a board to identify goverment waste. He should start at his own doorsteps with all the taxpayer dollars being wasted on his overseas trips and family vactions to Hawaii. A balanced budget is pretty simple to obtain:
Don’t raise the debt limit, Reduce the military and military spending to 50% of current level and consolidate branches, bring all troops on foreign soil home, implement a federal flat tax and eliminate income tax, eliminate all of Obama’s socialist programs, decrease foreign aid – take care of problems at home first, consolidate goverment subagencies and eliminate those that are redundant. Personally, I think we’re doomed no matter what we do and the U.S. in the future will look nothing like our founders invisioned.