As the class warfare tactics President Barack Obama is trying to play with his mentions of corporate jets, oil company loopholes and tax breaks for millionaires and billionaires is not shifting a lot of momentum toward his cause, conservative talker Rush Limbaugh has some advice for Republicans leaders: Don’t let the other side define the terms of the debate.
On his Thursday program, Limbaugh offered his concern that the GOP, specifically House Speaker John Boehner, was allowing his opponents to shift the debt ceiling debate from one about spending to one about revenues for the government and tax increases.
“They’ve got Obama, Democrats, the media — all talking about increasing revenue as opposed to raising taxes,” Limbaugh said. “And even Boehner according to Politico is drawing a distinction between the two: ‘Well, tax increases are off the table. Well, we are looking for ways to enhance revenues and so forth.’ They need to stop talking about revenues. Why do we even have a debt limit? This — I just fear they’re not approaching this right based on what I know. Here’s what they ought to be saying in this meeting and I know it’s easy for us as outsiders to concoct all this. You go in there and you say, ‘We are Congress. You don’t have the power to spend any money unless we authorize it first. You don’t and we are telling you we are not funding this anymore. We are not funding your agenda anymore. We’re not going to fund another dime. Now it’s up to you Mr. President to live within the budget we give you, under the debt ceiling we give you.’”
Limbaugh alluded to a Brit Hume Fox News “Special Report” commentary from Wednesday during which the FNC contributor described Obama as in “full retreat” and suggested that should be the basis for which congressional Republican leaders go to the president with what his options are.
“He is the one who could be forced to cave on this,” Limbaugh said. “[M]aybe it’s respect for the office that makes them want to be collegial and congenial about this. But you can go in there and be polite as you want to be and you say, ‘We are Congress. We are not raising taxes. And we’re not paying for this anymore. We’re not funding this anymore. It’s up to you Mr. President to live within the budget under the debt ceiling that we give you. You’ll pay our bills, you’ll cut other spending and we’ll ask you did it in a way that adversely affects as few people as possible and you do it.’ You got an opportunity to talk to the guy — this is what you say.”