2011 story of the year: Super committee stacked with untouchables by PRonlineNews

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Super Committee was stacked with untouchables; Kick the can was the pre-planned outcome  - Hank Richards, Managing Partner at PRonlineNews.com

Congressional Antics - Kick the Can

Sources close to Harry Reid and Mitch McConnell explained that there would never be a deal from the super committee and the decision was sealed well beyond a month ago.

Members of both parties in the House are furious with their leadership since the failure can have re-election effects on all but six (6) members.

First: The goal for the [s]uper [c]ommittee was to actually fail and not cut the budget by $1.2 – $1.5 trillion because the concept of ‘business as usual’ had to be the outcome. That decision was made even before the committee was selected.

This is the partisanship that the voter has been looking for.

Next: The [s]uper [c]ommittee was organized with ‘protected politicians,’  actually called the ‘untouchables‘ in the chambers, who were not necessarily the best people for the job but ones who could take the blame on the senate’s side.

Failure without political impact in the senate was decided, so all that was left to do was select safe ‘re-electable senators and house representatives’ to take the heat for the failure; a task so skillfully performed by Reid, McConnell, Boehner and Pelosi.

There’s that partisanship again.

Finally: The committee had to be made up of members with little or no skin in the game, meaning their level of risk [not being re-elected because of failure] needed to be nearly zero.

The U.S. Senate was easy since no one faces re-election in 2012; all House members are up for re-election but each committee member won their last contest by a 62% or greater vote margin.

Given that statistically, 85% or greater of all incumbents get re-elected because of re-districting, gerrymandering or literally stacking the voters in their favor, there’s little to no risk that the [s]uper [c]ommittee House members will be replaced for this budgetary failure exercise that was supposed to happen anyway because the census mandates redistricting for the 2012 elections.

U.S. Senate Super Committee Member/s 2012 status

Kyl – Republican - Not seeking re-election in 2012

Baucus – Democrat – Re-election in 2014

Kerry – Democrat – Re-Election 2014

Murray – Democrat – Re-election 2016

Portman – Republican – Re-election 2016

Toomey – Republican – Re-election 2016

U.S. House of Representatives Member/s last election results

Upton – Republican – won by 62%

Clyburn – Democrat – won by 63%

Camp – Republican – won by 66%

Hensarling – won by 71%

Van Hollen – Democrat – won by 73%

Becerra – Democrat – won by 84%

So what does the failure by the [s]uper [c]ommittee mean? Nothing since any budget changes are not going to take effect until after 2012; and that’s at least 14 months from now which is eternity for a D.C. politician including a president who managed to kick the can again.

So what has really changed? Nothing since the process provides for budget increases of at minimum 5% for most department levels at and after the 2012 elections.

Conclusively: The goal of any politicians upon election to any office, including the presidency, is to get re-elected and to begin that re-election campaign the day after the prior election cycle completes.

The Bottom Line: The words ‘Failed Super-Committee‘ coincided with another failed phrase at weeks end by the First Lady, ‘Gentleman Start Your Engines‘ interpreted by some to mean the official opening of Election 2012.

 

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