Click the Dice!
Don't Gamble With Free Republic's Future
Give what you can
Or donate monthly, and a sponsoring FReeper will contribute $10
Become a sponsoring FReeper – Contact TheOldLady
Posted on 08/01/2011 7:17:18 AM PDT by SeekAndFind
The budget deal requires an additional $1.5 trillion in spending cuts to be designed by a “super-committee of legislators” who will propose painful recommendations—and if those recommendations aren’t accepted by both Houses, there will be automatic cuts to Defense and Medicare. The idea here is that Republicans will be restrained from avoiding tough choices by the supercommittee by the prospect of big defense cuts, while Democrats will feel the same way about Medicare.
Oh? So, going into an extremely nerve-wracking election season, only Republicans will care about defense spending? Defense spending has been all but sacrosanct for the past decade, and there’s a reason for that: the public loves the military, it’s the most popular institution in America, we’re fighting two wars, and whatever the military wants it gets. So Democrats don’t mind handing potential rivals an issue relating to their irresponsibility toward our military?
Oh, yes, they sure do and they sure will.
Similarly, it’s one thing for Republicans to redesign Medicare to make it more affordable; not even a conservative Republican politician wants to be held accountable for draconian across-the-board cuts.
Tonight, Barack Obama all but guaranteed the November showdown would involve tax increases (his “balanced” approach). At the same time, House Speaker John Boehner says changes in how the budget is calculated (the “baseline”) makes such tax hikes almost impossible.
But again, let’s look at this practically. Democrats actually want to vote for tax increases going into an election year? The leading Democrat in the Senate, Harry Reid, certainly didn’t want that even now for members of his caucus, 15 months before the election.
So, in the final analysis, the logic of the “trigger” in the showdown depends on Democrats not minding defense cuts and desiring tax hikes. They won’t want either and will therefore be pushed in the Republican direction in the negotiations.
Medicare is the fastest-growing program...far more than other Gov't agencies.
It's also the Dems' most treasured program. So when we try to touch it they bring up what they perceive to be the right's most treasured program...defense.
I think one thing is being overlooked when it comes to the medicare “trigger.” The “cuts” that might happen to medicare won’t affect people ON medicare, they would only happen to hospitals and doctors.
The only cuts the dems agreed to, as far as medicare is concerned, is that the PAYMENTS to doctors would be held back, or reduced.
The dems could care less about that, and the people wouldn’t care either, at least until doctors refused to accept medicare patients anymore.
So the dems have little to lose, while the GOP has everything to lose.
Boehner is a fool....
Boehner got what he said he wanted for months...cuts 1:1 to debt limit and no taxes.
He is no fool.
So if we have a super committee (Gang of 12) where does this leave my US rep? Or yours? This is not the way Congress is supposed to work. We are going to end up with 12 people dictating legislation. It will derail or ignore competing plans from Congressmen/women who are not in the Gang of 12. Plans that might be better.
RE: Cut ObamaCare - YES!
NO, ELIMINATE IT TOTALLY.
no taxes? Just wait for the commission, every democrat on it will demand higher taxes.
Boehner IS a fool...
Sure, just as Obama did this time around. But he failed to get it which is why the left is so angry at him. And Obama didn't win the tax debate either when he signed the Bush tax cut extension. So why are you so negative and so sure they'll win that debate next time around?
Meanwhile our side will be demanding more cuts. One side has to convince at least one member on the other side in order for anything to come to the floor. Obama doesn't want the debate which is why he didn't want this new committee. He knows he'll lose.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.