Debt Ceiling Shenanigans: Lawrence O'Donnell Breaks it Down (and Criticizes "Progressives")

Ol’ Blue Eyes Strikes Again

Lawrence O’Donnell has been on fire as of late. Below is his latest on the debt ceiling shenannies.

Notably, he had the following to say:

Consider the lead editorial today in Rupert Murdoch’s Wall Street Journal.  Normally a champion of the most ludicrous Republican policies and strategies… they have finally caught on to what they say today: “the President’s strategy all along: take the debt limit talks behind closed doors, make major spending cuts seem possible in the early days, but then hammer republicans publicly as the deadline nears for refusing to raise taxes on business and the rich.”

If the Republicans had a plan that they thought would work when they took the debt ceiling hostage, it could only have been the misguided expectation that when the moment came for the presidential decision in these discussion, Barack Obama would simply cave to the hostage takers’ demands.  Ironically, others who shared that view as the possible outcome, here on the left side of our politics, have positions in the blogosphere and megaphones in which they have trumpeted their distrust of Barack Obama’s strength of character and his command of presidential power. As of tonight, the one person who we know is not panicking about what to do next is Barack Obama. Eric Cantor, however, has just described the meeting tonight at the White House this way to reporters. He, the president got very agitated, said that he had sat there long enough, that Ronald Reagan wouldn’t sit here like this, and that he’s reached the point that something’s got to give. a Democratic aide tells NBC, Cantor’s account of tonight’s meeting is completely overblown.

[video after the jump]

And of course, those who insist on believing that Obama can never do anything right, have not dialed down the “Obama is a Cavemeister” rhetoric.

Our Lady of Hamsher, for example, appeared on AJEnglish this evening to push the Republican narrative that Obama walked out of the negotiations:

Reportedly, Hamsher also babbled about Obama’s “threat” to Social Security recipients is illegal.¹

::eyeroll::

::yawn::

O’DOnnell went on to discuss the symbolic “Shared sacrifice” vote which Senator Reid brought to the floor, and which the Republicans (and a couple Blue Dogs) soundly rejected:

The Senate on Wednesday blocked a resolution that would have called for “shared sacrifice” from the wealthy in resolving the ongoing debt-limit impasse.

The symbolic measure, introduced last month by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.), failed to secure the 60 votes necessary to end debate. Fifty-one members, all members of the Senate Democratic caucus, voted in favor of proceeding on the measure, while 49 senators – including 47 Republicans and two Democrats, Sens. Mark Pryor (Ark.) and Ben Nelson (Neb.) – voted “no.”

So, Republicans in the Senate are on the record as favoring tax breaks for the rich; the House refuses to close tax loopholes as part of a deal to raise the debt ceiling ::coughNorquist:: and is decidedly freaking the fuck out — all due to the ol’ Obama/Reid one-two punch.

Aces.

¹ Reportedly, as in “via the Twitterz.”

[cross-posted at Balloon Juice]