Posted on 07/12/2011 4:05:49 AM PDT by tobyhill
President Barack Obama’s deficit strategy is a combination of audacity, hope and — in the eyes of Republicans — chutzpah.
Obama, vilified by opponents for ducking the debt debate earlier this year, has seized the opportunity to portray himself as the champion of a $4 trillion “grand bargain” on tax and entitlement reform. This, after Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio), who spent months pushing the president in that direction, pulled out of any attempt to “go big” over the weekend.
“Obama wants $4 trillion in debt reduction, while GOP wants only $2-$3 trillion,” wrote veteran Democratic pollster Geoff Garin. “[It] seems clear now which one is serious about tackling the debt.”
Added a senior Democratic aide, “He’s got the high ground. He’s the adult in the room. He’s looking good right now.”
Many Democrats believe Obama’s proposed $4 trillion deficit-cutting deal, panned by lawmakers in both parties as too unpalatable to pass, may be a win-win politically for the president.
If it were to go through, he would get credit for tackling an issue that is a priority among independent voters likely to decide next year’s presidential election. But failure would have its own rewards, giving Obama the chance to exploit disagreements among Republican leaders while touting a massive deficit reduction plan without expending the political capital necessary to achieve it.
(Excerpt) Read more at politico.com ...
how about the freedom of dues act.
it federally mandates no governmental body on any level may auto deduct union dues. Dues have to be paid directly by the menber.
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