Posted on 07/24/2011 7:44:03 AM PDT by jimbo123
Republican U.S. House of Representatives Speaker John Boehner said on Sunday that he would prefer to unveil a bipartisan deal to raise the debt ceiling and that his last offer to Democratic President Barack Obama was still on the table.
-snip-
Boehner said his offer that included some $800 billion in new tax revenue and massive spending cuts was never withdrawn.
That plan was dubbed the "grand bargain" despite his decision to walk away from negotiations with Obama last week.
"I don't know, it may be pretty hard to put Humpty Dumpty back together again. My last offer is still out there. I've never taken my last offer off the table,"
(Excerpt) Read more at reuters.com ...
Oddly, you do seem to think that the Huge SPending Cut debate should be happening right now.
Why do you think that this is the best time to get democrats to agree on huge spending cuts, but NOT a great time to get them to agree on cutting special tax benefits for their constituents? Isn’t the point that we have them over a barrel, and need to get big concessions now?
The beauty of it is that if we eliminate a credit that applies to the rich, but is also refundable to the poor, the democrats have a hard time fighting it (because it’s a tas increase on the rich), but it predominantly will damage them politically with their base who will lose tax breaks.
Meanwhile, it allows the GOP, which has done a pretty poor job of managing the story, to be able to talk about $800 billion of new revenue, so the ignorant masses will say “see, the democrats asked for revenue, the republicans offered more than enough, but the democrats are still fighting”.
Of course, it runs the risk that people on the other side will start screaming about “tax increases”. But that’s the problem with trying to play political games with the ignorant masses. Imagine playing chess where after every move, everybody publicly commented on the move and attacked the players and had a vote in what move happened next.
Now, imagine trying to do a sneakly sacrifice. Either your own side would vote it down, or they would make so much of an argument that the other side would figure out it was a sacrifice, and refuse to take it.
I’d like that, but there are some would believe that “no new taxes” means that we can’t ever allow any single person to pay a dime more than they currently pay — thus locking in the permanent non-taxpaying class of democrat freeloaders living off the working people.
This statement from Cantor is on the Gang of 6 Plan and the tax increases Obama sought on that plan, NOT the Obama-Boehner plan with the $800B in tax increases.
Eliminating the mortgage interest rate would adversely affect the real estate market.
Now is not the time to do anything that hurts an already hurting sector of our economy.
That's the most laughable thing I've seen on this entire thread! I didn't read it. It came from BONEHEAD's lips through the Internet to my ears yesterday, during his live press briefing!
Look, I don't care how you lay it out. Bonehead's current plan grows government by increasing revenue. Big government, excessive regulation, crony capitalism, big unions and lack of tort reform are destroying America.
At least keep the ceiling in place and force the liberals to cut spending. The fight should be over where the cuts are going to be made, not how large to grow the "beast".
I think at this point the Republicans should just go home and let the Democrats drown in their own socialist sea of debt.
I don’t think it reasonable to negotiate in public.
But I do share concern about the issue.
I agree with you. ANd I'd bet most everyone here agrees with you. Where I differ is in the results of cutting spending by 45% overnight. We'd lose the House and not gain the Senate or the White House. IMO.
Hopefully we'll come up with something that minimizes any growth and maximizes our shot at 2012.
Used to be congress was all about negotiating in public. That’s how it was set up to work.
I’d feel more hopeful about Boehner if he hadn’t already sabotaged the best deal on the table: cut,cap,balance.
A moderate plan with moderate cuts that gives the president his debt increase through the 2012 election year.
There is no way in hell the democrats in the senate would have refused to pass cut,cap,balance if the only alternative was doing nothing. NO WAY!
Boehner let them know there would be plenty of alternatives. He sold us out. We’re screwed.
We are going to get a garbage plan at the very last minute that will be passed before we know what’s in it. Guaranteed.
That is the argument the democrats use for refusing to cut spending on ANYTHING. Can’t cut allowances, it will hurt people already hurting. Can’t cut unemployment insurance, it will hurt the unemployed who are already struggling. Can’t let banks foreclose, that will hurt poor innocent homeowners. Can’t cut teachers, can’t cut benefits, can’t cut pell grants, can’t cut food stamps, or medicare, or medicaid, or social security.
I’m tired of the government sticking their tenticles into every aspect of our economy, and then saying they can’t pull them out because it will hurt. Too bad. Pulling the bandage off hurts, but it’s necessary.
Time to let housing prices find their market value.
Yes, he hated that plan. Why are you raising his complaints against that stupid plan, and pretending it was an attack on Boehner’s plan? That seems rather devious to me.
CCB sure as hell should have been debated and voted on. But I see McConnell pulling an epic fail on that. It may still get its day.
He should be able to somehow, some way, force a vote on it. He should also have refrained from offering the alternative that zero and the media are in love with. One of my Senators, Saxby Chambiss, is in the gang. He’s heard from me and it wasn’t friendly. One of my points was that he has undermined CCB.
Unfortunately, hope is not a plan or a means to an end. The current spending ceiling is the lever to use and tea party representatives the fulcrum. As far as 2012, we're going to need a lots of luck to make it to there.
It's time to pick the can up and throw it in the trash.
You are right I shouldn’t be blaming it all on Boehner when McConnell in the Senate has been horrible on this.If I could only get rid of one them it be McConnell gone over Boehner every time.
Grow up? Excuse me? No, the debt ceiling must NOT be raised. Enough is enough. Holding the line on debt is the only way force the kind of spending cuts that are necessary.
Agree completely about the government sticking their tentacles into our economy.
They’ve messed around with the real estate market for decades - always with disruptive results.
If they’re not adjusting the depreciation schedules they’re going after the mortgage interest deduction. They should stay the heck out of the private sector and stop trying to manipulate markets with the tax code.
It does keep the lawyers and the CPAs in business though.
Excellent post!
Thanks!
Not true. Marginal rates would decrease.
When you LOWER taxes the tax base is broadened because new jobs will have been created a la supply side theory. The new jobs provide new tax revenue.
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