Brunswick Beacon, 06.08.23
When Kevin McCarthy invited President Biden to meet for lunch, he offered to bring “soft food,” mocking Biden’s age. McCarthy planned to use the debt ceiling to bully Biden into gutting his administration’s legislative achievements.
Trump also had a strategy, urging MAGA Republicans to “do a default” if Biden didn’t cave. As president, Trump said, “I can’t imagine anybody ever even thinking of using the debt ceiling as a negotiating wedge.” He called it “sacred.” Asked what changed, Trump said, “I was president then. I’m not president now.”
Trump was happy to destroy America’s credit rating, wreck the economy and wipe out your savings, just to hurt Biden.
McCarthy went to the Oval Office expecting to show Biden who’s boss. Instead, he agreed to suspend the debt ceiling for two years and got almost nothing in return. MAGA Republican Dan Bishop (R-NC) couldn’t stomach the agreement and tweeted a vomiting emoji.
Bishop and other MAGA Republicans were nauseous over the two-year suspension: “It removes the issue from the presidential election,” he complained. “How could you more successfully kneecap any Republican [candidate] than to take that issue out of his or her hands?”
Bishop gave away the game. He revealed the MAGA Republicans’ real reason for taking the economy hostage was to blow it up and blame Biden in the 2024 campaign.
Nancy Mace (R-SC) said “Republicans got outsmarted by a president who can’t find his pants.” Her uncivil comment perfectly illustrates what Newt Gingrich was warning Republicans about when he told them to “quit underestimating President Joe Biden.”
Asked if Biden got the better of McCarthy, Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY), said, “Yeah, I think that’s a fair assumption.” He was proven right when both the House and Senate passed the deal with more votes from Democrats than Republicans!
McCarthy said, “I thought his team was very professional, very smart, very tough.” Reporters asked if that included Biden. McCarthy replied, “I was talking about President Biden, yes.”
They didn’t ask who ate whose lunch. They didn’t have to.
Arthur Hill
Southport