How Sweet it is 2.0

     I just published a post with this title but there's so much great stuff out there right now. For the previous post:

     http://diaryofarepublicanhater.blogspot.com/2013/01/how-sweet-it-is-house-passes-fiscal.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+DiaryOfARepublicanHater+%28Diary+of+a+Republican+Hater%29

    While some liberals insist on not seeing this as the victory it was, House Republican Steve LaTourette has no problem seeing it:

    "Rep. Steve LaTourette (R-OH) on Wednesday said that Republicans "got whooped" in the fiscal cliff negotiations."

   "We all knew the President was going to get his way," LaTourette said on "CBS This Morning." "He campaigned on raising taxes, he wanted to raise taxes. He wins."

    Yep. There were no spending cuts either though the GOP hopes-wrongly I predict-to be able to force spending cuts later via the debt ceiling and the sequester cuts. What they ignore is that elections have consequences. What they lack is anywhere near the political capital to permanently hold the country hostage in exchange for implementing a political agenda that lost at the polls.

    Every time they've tried this in the past-shutting down the government in 1995 or playing debt ceiling chicken in 2011 they've been the one to take the political hit. Yet, both years, they had much more political capital than they do now-if they have any it's very modest. Maybe some GOP congressmen have some capital within their own districts. However, do you really believe that a couple of GOP leaning districts are going to be able to thwart the will of the entire country forever?

    Speaking of the government shutdown of 1995, the architect of the shutdown isn't happy with the fiscal curb deal. Here's New Gingrich on Twitter yesterday before the House vote:

     "My simple message to house republicans is "dont cave"! You can amend the bill and the Senate will have to face reality that you exist."

     Wait a minute! It doesn't sound like they took Newt's advice! After he complained:

     "The gop has been engaged in a two month dance of defeat and surrender! I hope tonight is the end of this self defeating strategy."

      https://twitter.com/newtgingrich

 

      Now Newt predicts a GOP civil war:

      "In a report published by Politico on Wednesday, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich predicted that the fiscal cliff deal passed by the House of Representatives late Tuesday night will lead to deep infighting within the Republican Party."

     "Gingrich called the compromise, which was opposed by both House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-VA) and House Majority Whip Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) but supported by House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) and Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI), “a bad bill written in a terrible process and worthy of defeat."
  
    “It will lead to a profound fight in the GOP," Gingrich said

      http://livewire.talkingpointsmemo.com/entry/gingrich-fiscal-cliff-deal-will-lead-to-profound?ref=fpb

     Nothing underscores the precarious state of today's GOP than the fact that Newt remains this big voice of authority within the party. This is someone who's been out of politics since 1998. It's hard to see why his advice is sought as he didn't exactly leave politics the way you'd want to either, being forced out due to his ethics charges and the dirt Larry Flint got on him during the time Newt was leading a witchunt against President Clinton because of a personal affair.

    What exactly can today's Republicans learn from him? His story is one of failure, disgrace and defeat. The only talent he seems to have is keeping himself in the news. Although he's irrelevant the news media continues to act otherwise. Yet this is due mostly to the total vacuum of Republican leaders today.

    For more conservatives talking about how much they hate this deal see here.

    http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/01/01/the-fiscal-cliff_n_2393835.html

    I find it therapeutic myself. Someone else who finds the entire deal therapeutic-and very sweet: the market, up 250 points on the news.

    http://www.cnbc.com/id/100348612