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Debt Deal's Winners and Losers

Mitch McConnell, Tea Party at the forefront: Chris Cillizza

By Matt Cantor,  Newser Staff

Posted Aug 1, 2011 7:57 AM CDT

(Newser) – The debt-deal dust has yet to settle, but that's not stopping anyone from analyzing its political consequences. In the Washington Post, Chris Cillizza notes the winners:

  • Mitch McConnell was “the Mariano Rivera of the debt deal. He waited until the game was in its final moments, came onto the field and helped close things down.”
  • The Tea Party showed its sway, driving John Boehner to delay his bill and “add conservative sweeteners to get the 217 votes he needed.”

  • President Obama may not have scored with the left, but in 2012, he’s aiming for moderates and independents. “And those fence-sitters love compromise in almost any form.” (Click to hear from two pundits who disagree.)
  • David Wu: “Has a member of Congress forced to resign amid a sex scandal ever drawn less media attention?”
Among the losers:
  • Congress just keeps sinking in the public estimation, particularly “after this high-profile demonstration of brinkmanship and intransigence.”
  • Gang of Six: “The group was supposed to put lie to the idea that true bipartisanship—in which both sides give somewhat equally—was dead.” It didn’t work.
  • Liberals: No revenue? Possible Medicare cuts? “There’s not much for the ideological left to celebrate.”
Click for more of Cillizza's winners and losers.

Tea Party activists were winners in the debt debate, writes Chris Cillizza.
Tea Party activists were winners in the debt debate, writes Chris Cillizza.   (AP Photo/Steve Yeater)
Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky has something to smile about, writes Chris Cillizza.
Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky has something to smile about, writes Chris Cillizza.   (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)
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COMMENTS
Showing 3 of 18 comments
toeser
Aug 1, 2011 12:14 PM CDT
Winners:  Government big spenders. Losers:  Most of the rest of us, but in particular, future generations. How utterly immoral to pass these horrendous problems down to our kids and their kids.
saucier111
Aug 1, 2011 11:21 AM CDT
All senators and congressmen have to take a oath to serve and protect America. Now the GOP and the tea tards took a pledge with grover norquest ATR, or another words their rich friends that own them the lobbyist. Do you remember jack abramoff he's in prison now for robbing and cheating indian casinos out of 84,000,000 dollars.Do you remember some of his old gang ralph e. reed jr. and grover norquest.Once john McCain was in charge of the investigation things got swept under the rug rather quickly,
Spudsy
Aug 1, 2011 10:42 AM CDT
Obama caved in to the right but the joke is on him. They still hate him. 

 
Congress • Mitch McConnell • Congressional Budget Office • liberals • Grover Norquist • President Obama • Tea Party • David Wu • Gang of Six

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