Quote of the Day

"I think the obligation to avoid a catastrophe is a mutual obligation. Right now the Republican party is being blackmailed by a segment, which may be a strong segment, within the Republican party, but which does not represent the national will. The Tea Party does not speak for the majority of Americans. And yet the argument that's being made is, 'Unless you go along with us 100%, we're going to let the country rock.'"

~Zbigniew Brzezinski on MSNBC's Morning Joe, responding to a ridiculous statement by Pat Buchanan that no matter what is presented to the President as the debt ceiling proposal, default is all on him and therefore he cannot veto it.

In fact, it was so ridiculous, I'll transcribe what previously transpired:

PB: Dr. Brzezinski, whether we call it intransigence or a principled position, the Republicans aren't going to agree to tax increases and Harry Reid has apparently accepted that as has Boehner, and so there won't be any tax increases. When the debt ceiling, as it will be I believe, is sent down to the President of the United States with three or four days, or two days before the perceived default, he pretty much has to sign that rather than really drop the financial situation of the world into a crisis, does he not?

ZB: Well I'm not sure that's the right definition of the problem. There may be no tax increases but we certainly have a problem with very significant loopholes for people who are extraordinarily rich and some of whom have made a lot of money in recent years largely by speculating, not by contributing to national wealth, but by managing the financial system in such a fashion that they could clean up to degrees which are just unimaginable to most people.  I find it very difficult...

PB: Alright, but he's not he's not gonna get that through...

ZB: ...to imagine that these loopholes are not going to be closed.

PB: ...Well, they're not going to be. I don't believe...

ZB: And I can't see the Republicans arguing that that's fair.

Here comes the kicker:

PB: Well, look it may not be fair, but they're not gonna get 'em closed, they're not even in the Reid bill. The President in my judgment cannot veto a debt ceiling increase when, as he said himself, the potential on the other side we are risking a catastrophe. He can't do that even if he's defeated, can he?

And that lead to the quote of the day.


UPDATE: Here's the video. Worth watching.

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