In supercommittee, Dems moved right and Republicans moved righter

[JoeChalupa]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/ezra-klein/post/wonkbook-which-party-gave-more-ground-in-the-supercommittee/2011/11/22/gIQAVugkkN_blog.html?wprss=ezra-klein

I concur. The democrats were willing to move towards the center and the right would not budge. Norquist has no power my ass.

[MannyIsGod]

This has been happening for the past 3 years. This is what happens when one party simply refuses to cooperate at all.

[coyotes_geek]

Agreed. The republicans hard line stance on tax cuts is ridiculous, especially so considering how Obama flat out offered a 3-1 ratio on spending cuts to tax increases.

[cheguevara]

yup. And now Reps are criticizing Obama for not coming to the table. Obama was ready to get on his knees and suck dick for a deal, good thing the White House put him on a leash right after Grand Bargain Fiasco cause he is running for president next year.

And reps still critisize him :lol

[coyotes_geek]

Yep. The republicans completely misplayed their hand here. If they were smart they would have come up with about $400 billion worth of revenue increases via things like closing loopholes and maybe even a new tax bracket on millionaires. Then they could have said to the democrats "here's our $400B of new tax revenue, let's see your $1.2 trillion of spending cuts". If the democrats balk at that, republicans get to bash them for not living up to a bargain that their own president offered.

edit: meant $400 billion, not $400 million

[MannyIsGod]

They're all afraid of Grover Norquist and his fucking No Tax pledge. That thing is killing our government right now yet it seems like you can't wield any power in the GOP unless you sign it.

[boutons_deux]

"$400 mil"

bil? right?

[coyotes_geek]

Yes. Should have been $400 billion.

[cheguevara]

http://s3.amazonaws.com/atrfiles/files/files/070711-federalpledgesigners.pdf

[TeyshaBlue]

They're all afraid of Grover Norquist and his fucking No Tax pledge. That thing is killing our government right now yet it seems like you can't wield any power in the GOP unless you sign it.

Yup. Its now a party of idealogues and not ideaology.

[boutons_deux]

Repugs are forcing their extremist ideology and orthodoxies as solutions no matter how badly it hurts Human-Americans, rather than propose pragmatic solutions that provide the greatest benefit/least pain for the greatest number.

Anybody have any idea was Repugs are doing this? Ideology/orthodoxy over pragmatism?

[TeyshaBlue]

Translation.....anybody?

[Winehole23]

boutons seems for once to be unclear about the VRWC's motives, but maybe he's just fishing around for an echo.

[MannyIsGod]

Boutons is just flexing his mastery of the Socratic method. You guys hate on him way too much. He's not too far off from what a lot of you say he just says it in more....colorful...ways. :lol

[boutons_deux]

Mig, gfy :)

[Winehole23]

You guys hate on him way too much.boutons earns every bit. he's no Socrates.

[boutons_deux]

The VRWC hate/propanda machine, VRWC stink tanks, astro-turf tea baggers, FRPN lies and slander have moved/intimidated the political dialog to the right. The political dialog does not reflect accurately the Human-Americans position.

However, "polls show" that even most Repugs are left of the Repug party ideology, eg, on the need for tax increase, job creation, etc.

And of course the military is way left of the Repug party orthodoxy and "Christian" assholes.

The unlimited, cowed dicklessness of the Dems is heavily to blame for not standing up to VRWC bullying and lying.

[Drachen]

Yep. The republicans completely misplayed their hand here. If they were smart they would have come up with about $400 billion worth of revenue increases via things like closing loopholes and maybe even a new tax bracket on millionaires. Then they could have said to the democrats "here's our $400B of new tax revenue, let's see your $1.2 trillion of spending cuts". If the democrats balk at that, republicans get to bash them for not living up to a bargain that their own president offered.

edit: meant $400 billion, not $400 million

I agree with the principle, but would hope for a higher number.

[boutons_deux]

Translation.....anybody?

Enflish, motherfucker, do you read it?

[spursncowboys]

This super-committee is a joke! Even if they come up with an agreement, what makes yall think they will sell it to the rest of the congress. Furthermore The Repubs have nothing to lose. There is no way the Dems will be able to keep the cuts towards Defense where as the Repubs would love this kind of cuts towards Medicare. I say good job Republicans.

[coyotes_geek]

Enflish, motherfucker, do you read it?

:lol

Not sure if this was intentional or not, but either way it's funny.

[cheguevara]

:lol

Not sure if this was intentional or not, but either way it's funny.

Button speaks Elfish?

[boutons_deux]

eg, A large majority of Repug voters want EPA left untouched, UCA has the Repug politicians trying to kill EPA.

[TeyshaBlue]

:lol

Not sure if this was intentional or not, but either way it's funny.

Shup! Boutons is from Enfland!

[TeyshaBlue]

Enflish, motherfucker, do you read it?

English, motherfucker. Can you write it?:lmao

[coyotes_geek]

Shup! Boutons is from Enfland!

Isn't that a hobbit community in the suburbs of The Shire?

[FuzzyLumpkins]

Boutons is just flexing his mastery of the Socratic method. You guys hate on him way too much. He's not too far off from what a lot of you say he just says it in more....colorful...ways. :lol

He still has his blue pom poms mindlessly out and he still tries and portrays corporate political interest as some boogeyman.

Its not hard to find them. You look at the congressional committees and requisite members then you look at the contributions. For example. Take the senate committee of banking, housing and urban affairs.

http://banking.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=CommitteeInformation.Subcommi ttees

There is there website. You can from there look at the committee heads and senior members that because of senate rules maintain their posts in said committees. You then look at their campaign contributions which are public record and you quickly see where the rubber meets the road because that is exactly the front line of political corruption and dysfunction.

when he portrays such mechanism as a boogeyman he makes himself look foolish and paints the situation in a light as if there is nothing that can be done. You hear similar nonsense about the devil within religious circles. its bullshit.

[boutons_deux]

Despite Supercommittee Failure, Republicans Intend to Get Their Pound of Flesh in 2012


From reports now leaking out, it is apparent that Democrats on the supercommittee offered massive cuts to Medicare and Medicaid, amounting to a minimum of $500 billion over the coming decade. Those cuts were in addition to the automatic $1.2 trillion automatic additional deficit cuts negotiated as part of last August's debt ceiling deal. That deal already authorized $1 trillion in spending-only cuts. So, the Democrats' offer was the $1.2 trillion automatic deficit cuts - all spending, and about equally divided between defense and nondefense cuts - plus another $500 billion in Medicare-Medicaid, matched by another roughly equal $500 billion in tax revenue increases.

The Republicans on the supercommittee offered a different "mix" of tax revenue and spending cuts. Their counter was $760 billion in Medicare-Medicaid cuts, plus approximately $300 billion in tax revenue recovery. However, that tax revenue recovery was largely raised from increasing taxes on the middle class, by reducing the mortgage interest deduction and other middle-class tax breaks. In addition, the Republicans required a further major tax break for the top personal income tax bracket and for the corporate income tax. Both currently are set at a 35 percent tax rate. Republicans proposed to reduce both to between 25 and 28 percent. In other words, raise taxes on the middle class and give the money to the rich and their corporations. And make seniors, retirees and the poor pay $760 billion in Medicare-Medicaid benefit cuts.

First, Republicans' top priority is shielding the Bush tax cuts. Those cuts cost the US budget a minimum of $2.9 trillion last decade, another $450 billion in extensions in 2010-2012 and a projected $2.2 to $2.7 trillion if extended for another decade.

Second, it is clear the Democrats continue to be more than willing to put Medicare-Medicaid on the chopping block.

Third, the sticking point between the two is not whether Medicare-Medicaid will eventually be cut, but when - nor is the amount of these cuts really in question. It will be between $500 billion and $1 trillion, when it happens - and it will, eventually, happen.


Fourth, the real bottleneck is the Bush tax cuts and Republican efforts to not only protect those cuts, but to extend them as well, even if, now, at the expense of the middle class.


http://www.truth-out.org/despite-supercommittee-failure-republicans-will-get-their-pound-flesh-2012/1322076830

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iow, the 99% WILL BE SCREWED, the 1% will be protected and enriched further.