2.5 trill is .1 trill more than the amount being bandied about today
how about zero trillion? works for me
proposed medicare budget 2012=468 billion
number of medicare beneficiaries =47 million
This means that Medicare budget has allocated 9800/year per beneficiary =816 dollars/month
Lets eliminate medicare in its entirety-shut down the whole damn program-then take 50% of the budgeted expense =408 dollars/month and give that directly to each medicare beneficiary in their social security payment each month. Tell them IF THEY CHOOSE to do so-go and buy a health insurance policy with the money.
Instant, effective “50% cut in Medicare” -with a potentially better outcome with a private insurer for anyone over 65 -67 who wants health care.
2.5 trillion more debt for less than 18 months???
So the message that the senate Repubs are sending is: Keep on rolling! Spend just as much as you are now and cut nothing.
As a voter, first thing to cut are these idiots.
I’ve ripped into the GOP leadership more times than I care to remember, but honestly, I don’t have a problem with this from a tactical perspective (provided it’s handled properly) under the circumstances.
The problem that we’re facing is that the original proposed cuts have been scaled down to $2 Trillion or so, and of course, the Dems will stand ground claim that it’s only half that, or less- so splitting it down the middle, you’re looking at $1.5 Trillion perhaps (and they need to get to $2.4 T). Because $2.4 Trillion over a decade is a drop in the bucket really, it’s not worth making any concessions now on our side to get to that total.
I think the GOP should use a two-pronged approach: Go for even bigger cuts in “Plan A”- knowing that Obama is going to reject it anyways. Then make Plan B look “reasonable” (throw in a few Federal buildings to sell for “revenues”, etc.), and pass it at the last minute. You get $700 B in cuts now, with second and third opportunities to go for more cuts down the road (*And I’d much rather have $700B in real cuts now than a bunch of phony “cuts” in a supposed $2.4 T proposal- especially if tax hikes are the price).
If Obama vetos plan B, he owns it. If he signs it, hammer him even harder the next time this comes up. I don’t like this idea of continually kicking the can down the road, but if it can be used to extract political leverage against Obama- that’s about all we can ask for at this point.
Just like when the Russians essentially ordered the GOP senaturds to vote “yes” on START... McConnell bends over and grabs the ankles.
I’m so damned disgusted with that party.
I wrote on another thread earlier that I didn’t trust McConnell and Boner.
Guess I was right to be concerned.
This could have been so easy to hang the deficit around Zer0’s neck. How could they screw it up???
Byebye McConnell
Poor guy looks like a woman.
McConnell blinked. It’s all over but the crying.
Some posters are saying there’s a grand strategy behind this. I fail to see it.
I have a better idea. Ignore Obama's imaginary deadline. Bring the game over to our block and he can play ball on our turf.
And Hussein Obama WINS again!!!
Doesn’t matter how left the left goes, the R’s will always stay just to the right of them. Pathetic. The libs have them right where they want them.
Why are they focused on some alternative as though Aug. 2nd actually means anything!? Idiots all.
If anything actually means anything it’s this country, and they are helping to steer it onto the rocks.
Mitch is a SPINELESS COWARD. Not to mention his little proposal urinates on the Constitution!
This sounds like surrender. What’s to stop Obama from offering across-the-board spending cuts that he public declares are a gesture and that he knows will be overridden?
The GOP needs to ditch this terrible idea.
Why did he even bring this up, this should have been the Rats trickery to get it done and force all of their rank and file to vote for the increase bypassing the Republicans... Why would a Republican give them the idea?
There’s more in the article behind the link. Advise to read it.
McConnell’s “three separate stages” would be ground out at three separate times in Congress, giving bipartisan members multiple opportunities to raise taxes by whatever stealthy methods (distractions, propaganda, time for lobbies, other tactics).
The McConnell Debt Proposal Scoreboard
July 12, 2011 4:16 P.M.
By Charlie Cooke
http://www.nationalreview.com/corner/271730/mcconnell-debt-proposal-scoreboard-charlie-cooke
Reaction on the Right to the Mitch McConnell debt-ceiling proposal has been decidedly mixed. Here’s the scoreboard so far:
Pro: Fred Barnes, Jennifer Rubin, John Podhoretz, Grover Norquist, Allahpundit
Con: Michelle Malkin, Erick Erickson, Heritage Action For America, Newt Gingrich, Philip Klein, Brent Bozell, Concerned Women for America, Americans for Prosperity, Let Freedom Ring!
-—and most of the people posting on FR about the subject.
Obama threatened that Social Security checks might not be issued, and Republicans are pretending that they must make a deal with him because of that. It’s crookery. Republicans don’t have to make any deal at all, and the Administration’s actions are the Administration’s actions.