Posted on 02/16/2010 11:16:43 PM PST by maggief
President Obama will name Alan K. Simpson, a former Senate Republican leader, and Erskine B. Bowles, a top official in the Clinton White House, to chair a special commission to solve the nation's budget problems, administration officials said Tuesday.
Obama plans to make the announcement Thursday, when he intends to sign an executive order creating the 18-member panel, which will be tasked with drafting a plan to significantly reduce soaring budget deficits by 2015.
(snip)
Simpson, who informed Boehner and McConnell of his decision to lead the panel, said he has little patience for such talk, especially since Republicans did nothing to cut spending during the George W. Bush administration.
"If they don't participate, they run a real hazard in these times," he said. "The [Senate] election in Massachusetts was not so much a glorious Republican victory as a bunch of people who were damned mad saying, 'Why don't you get a handle on this stuff?' You can't get a handle on it if you don't participate."
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com ...
“Isnt this the JOB of the president and Congress?”
Yes, it is. Dear Reader & Co. don’t have a clue, or more likely are passing this worsening economic disaster off as bipartisan.
Gentlemen, The recommendation is to cut spending. Here is the budget and here is a red pen. Go.
These special commissions aren’t special at all. They only enable law makers to avoid responsibility for their decision making
Or to shuffle off unfavorable issues to give themselves cover for not doing anything.
Cannot cut those SEIU jobs.
: o /
The replies so far are all about Simpson. Has anyone checked Bowles’ cost cutting record at UNC? If he couldn’t cut costs at a university, I guess his prescription for deficit reduction will be limited to higher taxes.
I have a better suggestion than either of these two. Why not put Chris Christie in charge as he certainly does understand what the problem is and is at least making an attempt to correct it.
One can only hope he wll succeed, given what he is going to have to deal with, unions and liberals at every turn. At least he is listening to the voters which is more than can be said about Washington.
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