Where are the center of things?
Via Huffington Post comes this quote:
One senior administration official offered the following explanation as to why they started with a “compromise” offer.
While this is not the president’s ideal deficit-reduction plan, and there are particular proposals in this plan — like the CPI change — that were key Republican requests and not the president’s preferred approach. This is a compromise proposal built on common ground, and the president felt it was important to make it clear that the offer still stands. The president has made clear that he is willing to compromise and do tough things to reduce the deficit, but only in the context of a package like this one that has balance and includes revenues from the wealthiest Americans and that is designed to promote economic growth. That means that the things like CPI that Republican leaders have pushed hard for will only be accepted if congressional Republicans are willing to do more on revenues. This isn’t about political horsetrading; it’s about reducing the deficit in a balanced way that economists say is best for the economy and job creation. That’s why the president’s offer –- which will be reflected in his budget — isn’t a menu of options for them to choose from; it’s a cohesive package that reflects the kind of compromise we should be able to reach.
If this is a compromise proposal, then he should make it clear that this is as far as he is willing to go. But as we know, that ain’t gonna happen….
If this were a real negotiation instead of the R’s vs. The President, the smart thing to do would be to walk away from this “offer” so that no one can accuse your side of wanting to destroy Social Security and Medicare/Medicaid.
You let the President jump up and down insisting you cut SS. And, then after he convinces everyone he’s crazy, just plain mean or some sort of Manchurian candidate, you can say: No,thank you very much! Such benefit cuts will severely hurt the lower income groups while having little effect on the total national debt. Result– We pass on that. So instead, give us…whatevah.
And then, the R’s can close up shop and reopen the next day as the New Democratic Republican Party. It would work. Because Democrats won’t tolerate the President’s SS cuts. I hope because otherwise, we’re screwed. NancyO
Hah! Told you so!
http://editors.talkingpointsmemo.com/archives/2013/04/boehner_not_good_enough.php?ref=fpblg
Gosh, what a surprise! Boehner is having none of it. NancyO 😉
The “senior administration official” is a lying bastard.
SS has not a damn thing to do with “the deficit.” And if the President wanted tax increases he could have had them by DOING NOTHING and letting the Bush tax cuts expire.