Day 28... Dear Mr. President...Pick up your toys and step away from the sandbox.

Day 28 – June 1, 2011

Dear Mr. President,

Once again the Republicans want to engage you in a game of “chicken,” but this time instead of threatening you if you don’t extend the Bush tax cuts for the rich, they are threatening to vote against lifting the debt ceiling unless you make cuts first. And the cuts they will ask you to make are to Medicare.

They are doing this to try to force you into making the same mistake they made when they voted in lock step to support Paul Ryan’s Medicare voucher program, which badly backfired on them when an easy Republican win in New York’s 26^th district went to Democrat Kathy Hochul instead.

Now they want you to do the same thing by agreeing to make cuts to Medicare first or they won’t vote to raise the debt ceiling. Slick, Mr. President, very slick. Republicans know perfectly well that they made a horrendous mistake by voting for the Ryan plan, but rather than admit they made a tactical error, they want you to make the same error so they can wrap it around your neck as well. It’s time to call their bluff, because that’s just what it is… “A big fat bluff.” The Chamber of Commerce has made it perfectly clear that they want the debt ceiling raised by the August 2^nd deadline, and who does the Chamber of Commerce reward with campaign donations? That’s right, the Republicans.  They all know it’s a bluff, but they’re hoping you won’t want to risk it.

Don’t fall for this trick again… I cannot emphasize this point enough… “You cannot negotiate with Republicans!” Every time you try, they turn your efforts around and beat you up with them. Once Republicans get what they wanton one thing, they move on to the next thing, and the next thing. They do not have an ethical bone in their collective body… they will never play fair in the sandbox. You’ve tried and tried again, it doesn’t work! Stop trying to reason with them, it is impossible!

Stand firm Mr. President… tell them you will discuss cuts, but you will NOT discuss cuts to Medicare. Pick up your toys and step away from the sandbox… “You cannot negotiate with Republicans!”

Most Respectfully,

Marcia Reimers

The Gadfly Granny