Posted on 11/09/2011 3:25:24 PM PST by SeekAndFind
So says Rand Paul to Hannity. Rich Lowry’s hearing the same thing:
Democrats last night rejected a framework for compromise that would have included significant new revenues. They had sounded amenable to the possible deal, but their position suddenly hardened after going back to their caucus. It is almost surely an indication that they want to do everything they can to validate President Obama’s line of attack on a “do nothing” Congress. Sen. Pat Toomey had worked out a framework that he considered pro-growth and a reasonable first step toward fiscal restraint, while making a major concession to Democrats on revenue in the interests of getting a deal. Max Baucus especially had sounded open to it and a sub-group of the supercommittee had been discussing it seriously–but no more…
There had also been discussions about reforming corporate taxes to go to a 25 percent top rate and a territorial system. John Kerry, Max Baucus, and Chris Van Hollen had initially seemed open to the idea. That’s dead, too.
With the framework rejected, the operative word you hear from people familiar with the deliberations is “impasse.” Republicans are hoping Democrats come back to the table, but no one is betting on it. President Obama is probably going to get the optic he wants.
A GOP aide confirmed to NBC that the Dems have stepped out of the batter’s box after Republicans tossed them that nasty $300 billion curveball. No less than Dick Durbin called the Republican proposal a “breakthrough” insofar as it shattered the taboo on the right against new revenues, but Lowry’s obviously right that that concession is less valuable to them than maintaining voter perceptions about the GOP being hopelessly obstructionist. The lefty blogosphere’s been buzzing for days about new polls that suggest some significant number of voters think the GOP’s trying to tank the economy in hopes that Obama will take the blame at the polls next year. See TPM for a summary; the margins aren’t overwhelming but PPP at least already shows independents at 51 percent on the question. Democrats obviously believe there’s room to grow, and the first step in that growth is making sure that the image of Republicans as opposed to meaningful compromise of any sort is cemented in voters’ minds. If they can pull that off, maybe they can shift responsibility for the economy to the GOP just in time for election day. That’s been O’s strategy all along with his jobs bill, in fact, weighing it down with tax hikes in full knowledge that the House GOP would choke on it and nothing would get done. Here’s the logical conclusion.
Update: Jerrold Nadler lets the mask slip:
“I hope that they cannot reach an agreement,” Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D-N.Y.) said, according to Capital New York.
Some Democrats have suggested that they might have the upper hand in the negotiations because of the rare opportunity for deep reductions in defense spending — something some Democrats have wished for before.
Nadler said there should be significant cuts to military spending.
“I think we should have large military cuts,” Nadler added. “Why do we need, how many troops — 60, 70,000 troops — still in Germany? Why do we need troops in half the places they’re at? We’re still worried about Soviet tank armors invading Western Europe? It’s ridiculous.”
That’s lovely, but the automatic defense cuts will almost surely be rolled back on a bipartisan vote in Congress if the Committee deadlocks. Makes no sense to hope for failure on those grounds.
why is it that the republicans MUST bend to the demoncraps? I say enough... time to clean the entire lot of them out
The GOP are morons. You could see this coming a hundred miles away when the Dems proposed the super committee. The GOP had it all sewed up by demanding spending cuts in exchange for raising the spending limit. The retards wimped out once again and gave away their strength.
The GOP are hopeless. I don’t see how we beat the socialist Dems and their union/welfare lackies with this bunch of gutless wimps and morons. This kind of group won’t even overturn Obamacare - they would try to “fix” it to their advantage.
We are so screwed.
I meant the “debt” limit.
Are these Dems from Wisconsin too?
You can bet the sink that Obama told them to walk away and that he’ll do a few of the Executive Orders....legal or not.
What a surprise.
This commIttee was a total waste of time and was never set up to accomplish anything except to cave to the lie- o- crats.
That’s the ‘rats, cut and run when they don’t get their way(it’s been proven in TX, WI, OK, IN, maybe AR); oh well, it’s probably just as well, anything this ‘super’ committee does will probably do more harm than good.
Cut the spending.
GOP should never have agreed to go after the military budget disproportionally, but they did.
That’s on the “leadership”.
What a surprise.
This commIttee was a total waste of time and was never set up to accomplish anything except to cave to the lie- o- crats.
Super Committee had to be a Democrat idea
Simple.
Since the nation has devolved into an out of control democracy instead of Republic the Founders set up, Senior military commanders need to round up the reds (the “progressive congressional caucus” for starters) and put them on a couple of planes to Cuba or Venezuela.
Provisional military government for 6 months, then new elections for all congressional seats and the WH, incumbents need not apply.
Only tax paying citizens and veterans are enfranchised in the new Republic.
All amendments other than the original bill of rights are repealed.
“Dueling” legalized within Washington DC limits.
Problem solved
"Democracies have been found incompatible with personal security or the rights of property; and have in general been as short in their lives as they have been violent in their death." James Madison
Remember democracy never lasts long. It soon wastes, exhausts, and murders itself. There never was a democracy yet that did not commit suicide. John Adams: letter to John Taylor, April 15, 1814
The democracy will cease to exist when you take away from those who are willing to work and give to those who would not.:Thomas Jefferson
It's all theater.
They will most likely not report a bill. If there is one, it will be unacceptable to either the House or the Senate. The end result will be sequestration.
It is just the briar patch the Democrats want, then they can paint the Republicans into a corner during the campaign season.
The big end of the cuts in Sequestration comes out of the military and the entitled class gets a lighter hit on their budget. The ground rules are already known to the players.
Again, it is just theater.
The “supercommittee” is now officially a farce.
It always was, of course, but for a while those who still believed in compromise were buoyed up. But with the intransigence out on view for all to see, there is no more pretense.
Time to take a chain saw to the budget, insofar as any budget even exists.
Sadly, says it all.
:’o /
I never took a marketing class in college, but this ad just writes itself..and it would hit home to the proletariat!!
any of those guys expecting the democrats to act in good faith get what they deserve.
The "super committee" was Mitch McConnell's brilliant idea, as a way to get around the TEA Party freshmen:
Flashback: McConnell Signals that ‘Super Committee’ Could Spur ‘Major’ Entitlement Reform
Flashback: Sen. McConnell Promises Super Committee Will "Focus On Entitlements"
Flashback: McConnell: "Very close" on deal to avoid default
Flashback: Tweaking Mitch McConnell’s ‘escape hatch’
The Republicans only have themselves to blame for this clusterfark (just as most of us predicted back in July and August).
One of the provisions of the “super committee” scam was that if they don’t come up with a budgeting plan by 11/23 there will be certain austerity provisions that automatically kick in. Reid and Pelosi are at work amending that order to eliminate the automatic budget cutting.
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