The Sedition Papers: My response to Mitch McConnell's debt ceiling speech to the senate

Mike Shaner
August 2, 2011

I just finished listening to Mitch McConnell praise himself and his colleagues for selling America down the river by raising the debt ceiling. At times he sounded like he was accepting an academy award. It is hard to believe that this clown is so far removed from reality that he actually believes they accomplished something good. Here are some of the highlights and my response:

Whoever the next President is will be back asking to raise the debt ceiling again.

This is true, Unless that President is Ron Paul. I think this quote is very telling. My question would be, if this deal really does reduce spending, why would there be a need to raise the debt ceiling again?

We will be back at it in 2013, trying to continue to reduce the size and scope of government and reducing spending.

How perverse can one be? So McConnell believes that raising the debt ceiling which allows the government to continue spending, somehow limits government and reduces spending? This is like saying that I will lose weight by eating more.

This kind of discussion isn’t something to dread. It’s something to welcome.

Uhh...no Mitch, it’s something to dread.

The President may not have enjoyed the debate we’ve just been through, it was a debate Washington very much needed to have.

What debate? Anyone with half a brain saw this coming. You clowns posture like pro wrestlers, with the hope of creating the illusion that you are working for your constituents but everyone knew the ceiling would be raised. What sort of debate is it when both sides agree the government should continue to borrow and spend?

It (the bill) doesn’t include a dime of job killing tax hikes.

Really? What do you call the massive inflation that will occur? The weakening of an already fragile economy? What about the next time it needs to be raised? You cannot continue to borrow and spend forever without eventually increasing revenues. Make no mistake: this is a tax bill.

The President is now agreeing to trillions of dollars in spending cuts.

In the first place, it is not up to the President to agree with anything. Congress controls the purse strings. The President must make due with what he is given.

In the second place, no spending cuts were offered and none were accepted. Yes, he agreed to spend less than he wanted too but not less than we are spending now.

That’s like saying I will reduce household spending by not buying a new car. It’s preposterous. The fact is, government spending will rise next year, just not as much as some would like. That is hardly a “spending cut”.

Let me be clear (is he Obama now) The legislation Senate is about to vote on is just a first step but it is a crucial step toward fiscal sanity.

Again, the opposite is true. It is just one of many steps congress has taken to destroy this country. The debt ceiling has been raised 102 times since 1917. This time is no different. As far as fiscal sanity goes, you guys have none. Ron Paul offered a bill that marched toward fiscal sanity. You should read it.

We’ve had to settle for less than we wanted.

Ha! Only slightly, i’m sure you would have spent more if you thought it was politically viable.

The American people agreed with us on the nature of the problem. They know that government didn’t accumulate $14.5 trillion in debt because it didn’t tax enough.

The American people understand the problem. You never did. We have reached no agreement with you on the nature of this problem. You are correct that we understand that government debt wasn’t accumulated by lack of revenue. It was accumulated by continuing to raise the debt ceiling. Borrowing equals debt. To lower the debt quit borrowing money, see where i’m going here...

If you are spending yourself into oblivion the solution isn’t to spend more. It’s to spend less.

Exactly what i’ve been trying to tell you!

Neither side got everything they wanted in these negotiations but I think it was the view of those in my party that we try to get as much spending cuts as we could from a government that we didn’t control.

I think both sides got exactly what they wanted: more borrowing and spending. If it was the goal of the Republican party to cut spending, you failed miserably. Republicans do control this portion of the government. If the house had voted not to raise the debt ceiling, that would have been the end of it. Any Republican who voted to allow more government borrowing and spending should be fired.

This is not the deficit reduction package that I would have written.

I know. This is.

The fact that we’re on pace to add another $7 trillion over the next 10 years is nothing to celebrate.

This is my point! so why did you do it and why the hell are you celebrating it?

Slowing down the big government freight train from it’s current trajectory will give us the time we need to work toward a real solution or give the American people the time they need to make their voices heard.

You did not slow down big government. How long have Republicans known about this crisis? Didn’t you know about it in November of 2010? My god, how much time do you need?

I’d like to say a word about some of those who made today’s vote possible.

I told you he sounded like he won an award. Here he goes with the “first i’d like to thank” speech.

I’ll start with Speaker Boehner. It should be noted that he helped set the terms of this debate.

Yes, it should.

I want to think my friend the majority leader for his work in getting this agreement over the finish line.

How sweet. I am sure Harry Reid appreciates Mitch McConnell as well. After all, they are on the same team.

We may disagree a lot

Not really...You and Harry seem to get along pretty well.

I think today we can prove that when it comes down to it we’ll get together when the greater good is at stake.

Ahh collectivism. Unfortunately you collectively sold out the American people, who were overwhelmingly opposed to this bill.

He goes on to thank the President, vice President, their staffs, and almost everyone but John Maynard Keynes, who was conspicuously left out of his speech.

The American people spoke out and we heard them.

It is possible you heard us but if so, we were ignored.

The American People want to see accountability and cooperation in Washington.

We may hold you accountable but we do not want to see you cooperatively allow more borrowing and spending. The only time we want to see cooperation is when the scope of government is reduced. The only time a bill should pass through Congress is when it meets the original intent of the Constitution and the spirit of liberty.

Now this bill does not solve the problem.

No kidding.

We are nowhere near where we need to be.

You got that right.

In the end we are back to where we started.

Not quite...we are further in debt.

For the first time in a very long timeI think we can say to the American people that we are finally facing in the right direction.

You can say that but you’d be lying. I guess you are accustomed to that. I still say he should be water-boarded

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