Giving Reid and McConnell the Benefit of the Doubt
I may regret this, but here it goes.
Consistent with my “stop the hate” post earlier today, I am going to give the Senate Majority Leader and his counterpart the benefit of the doubt on this one.
As has already been reported, progressive Dems complained about the Baucus-Grassley bill, after which it appears Reid consulted with Baucus and Grassley, as well as Minority Leader McConnell. Underwhelmed by the Republican response, Reid decided to go for a more streamlined bill.
Here’s one theory about how the conversation with McConnell might have gone …
Reid: I just met with the progressive wing of our party and I’m getting major heat about this bill from them. But we’ll try to get it through anyway. How much Republican support can we count on?
McConnell: We’ll look at it, but no promises.
That would be a perfectly reasonable response from McConnell, especially if Grassley failed to consult with him beforehand. At the same time, if this is representative of the actual conversation, then it’s hard to begrudge Reid his decision.
On the other hand, their confab might have gone something like this …
Reid: I just met with the progressive wing of our party and I’m getting major heat about this bill from them. I’m not sure we’ll be able to get this through in its current form. How fixated are you on the current version?
McConnell: We’ll have to look at it more closely, but I trust Grassley and I’m optimistic we’ll be able to get something like the current version approved.
In that case, it would appear Reid lost his nerve and caved to the progressive Democrats.
Granted, we may never know which of those or some other scenario transpired. And I suspect there are many who will be quick to jump to the latter conclusion, i.e., that Reid lost his nerve. But again, for my part, until we know more — if we ever know more — I’ll give both him and McConnell the benefit of the doubt. Not because I have any vested interest in doing so, but because I’m on a new kick of innocent until provent incompetent.
8 Responses to “Giving Reid and McConnell the Benefit of the Doubt”
It's a game with these folks, the bill is one the R's can't afford to say no to (however much that is out of character for them) and it's one the D's can claim some measure (however small) of traction with. The real question is whether or not it's big enough and targeted enough to do some good.
I WIN!!! I predited the narrative would become “It is the Republican's fault AND it was a bi-partisan move by Reid” on right here at TMV, not 4 hours ago or so:
http://themoderatevoice.com/62669/sanctions-not…
Good thing you didn't laugh Jazz!
Schaden, what exactly are you so excited about here? Looks pretty hum drum to me.
GOP sycophants scream at Obama for not using deficit spending to create jobs, while also screaming about the deficit. They conveniently forget how the tax cuts in the stimulus had very little to do with job creation, and were solely put there to appease their very manias.
Now, they wanted to attach more deficit-raising tax cuts that had nothing to do with job creation to a bill intended for job creation, and then they go to the media and have a little cry because Reid rediscovered his minerals and denied them their ideological candy.
And then there are people on this site who are arrogant enough to ask me why I am so hateful all the time!
Axel, I think it's less a case of sycophancy than it is of brainwashery. Still… the sad result.
“it would appear Reid lost his nerve and caved to the progressive Democrats”
Or this is an attempt to say No to the professional opposition (the GOP), Pete.
They still don't know what they want, but as opponents they can't but be encouraged by the current floundering of the Dems. (In fact, I suspect that some in the GOP or some conservatives might be rushing to conclude their prospects have improved more than they really have.)
[...] It would seem, looking at that, the killed jobs bill wasn’t a case of both Senate leaders reading their caucuses and pulling the pause button, but rather Reid leaning forward with a strategy that will break the jobs measure in pieces, [...]
I think the heat that moved Harry Reid wasn't progressives, but from moderate democrats and republicans who's vote he needed but couldn't get with a bloated Stimulas II bill. Pelosi is not particularly happy, so I have doubts about the levels of heat from progressives in Congress having much influence. The moderates make or break it in most cases not the fringe.
But I really should shut up and let them take the credit and then ask them if they are so for Reid's approach of a streamed down bill actually more related to the jobs issue without the other bloating items, if they will support a similar approach to the House bill that is currently about twice the size of the former senate bill and en times larger than Reid's proposal. If they are serious about their concerns we should see them pitching a royal fit about Pelosi's monster bill., weighing in at something like $154 billion compared to the $85 billion Grassey one, and $15 billion Reid one. Could we be pleasantly surprised by an uproar from progressives calling on Pelosi to take 90% out of her bill? I kinda doubt it.