SUPER FAILURE: Deficit Committee Certain To Announce Failure Tomorrow

TBI ^ | 11-20-2011 | Zeke Miller

[blam]

SUPER FAILURE: Deficit Committee Certain To Announce Failure Tomorrow

Zeke Miller
Nov. 20, 2011, 8:33 AM

It's over. After months of posturing and secret negotiations, the super committee has failed at its task of reaching $1.2 trillion in deficit cuts.

Via POLITICO's Mike Allen:

The official deadline for action by the Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction is Wednesday, the day before Thanksgiving. The real deadline is Monday night, since any plan has to be posted for 48 hours before it's voted on. So conversations this weekend revolved around how to shut this turkey down. Aides expect some "Hail Mary" offers on Sunday, and there's something on the stove that could be inoffensive to both sides. But the committee may not even have a fig-leaf agreement to announce. Total, embarrassing failure. The markets and the country will hate it.

The most likely scenario: The co-chairs, Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.) and Rep. Jeb Hensarling (R-Texas), on Monday will issue a short joint statement with the basic message: "This marriage is over." Other possibilities are to hold a short going-out-of-business hearing, or to vote down a Republican proposal and a Democratic proposal. But one aide says: "Few, if any, one either side, want a final, ugly food fight ... The chairs are working to figure out how to put the appropriate period on the sentence and do so in the most dignified manner possible. ... [Don't expect] a showdown of dueling voters and a ton of fingerpointing."

For weeks the committee has been stalemated over taxes — with Democrats refusing to extend the Bush tax cuts as part of an agreement, and Republicans unwilling to do so without it (though even their offers of new revenues didn't have the support of many in their caucus).

(snip)

[hal ogen]

Starve the beast. There are many individual ways to do so. Be creative.

[Terry Mross]

Ain’t it the truth! I’ve known this for years. I can’t believe Hannity and Rush didn’t know abou it. They’re mouth pieces for the GOP and they kinda’ have to say something now that it’s out there.

What makes me angry is the media acting all surprised and current politicians now calling for it to end. They get caught then they want to do something.

[okie01]

I’m not sure why anyone believed that a smaller subset of the same dysfunctional body would come up with any less dysfunctional of a result.

It's rather obvious, isn't it? A SuperCommittee composed of seven Republicans and six Democrats would've returned a plan that reduced the debt by the requisite $1.2 trillion by cutting spending -- without raising any taxes.

On the other hand, a SuperCommittee composed of seven Democrats and six Republicans would've returned a plan that cut the deficit by the requisite $1.2 trillion solely by raising taxes -- without cutting spending.

A six-by-six construction ensured the eventual deadlock.

The Democrats and Republicans are what they are. Just like the Israelis and Palestinians are what they are. If the Palestinians laid down their guns, there would be peace. But, if the Israelis laid down their guns, there would be a slaughter.

In this particular struggle, the Republicans (and we conservatives) are the Israelis.

[dirtboy]

Maybe they thought they could mimic the base closings commission. But in this case, the end result is not closing someone's pet obsolete military base in their district. The end result instead gets to the underlying philosophical gaps between the two parties.

And I have an odd prediction - if there is a major market crash tomorrow, and the pundits blame the gridlock of the Super Committee, expect them to suddenly find middle ground and propose a dog's lunch to deal with the deficit. Kinda like TARP passing the second time around.

[okie01]

And I have an odd prediction - if there is a major market crash tomorrow, and the pundits blame the gridlock of the Super Committee, expect them to suddenly find middle ground and propose a dog's lunch to deal with the deficit. Kinda like TARP passing the second time around.

You're probably right. There is nothing responsive about Washington nowadays -- it's all reactive.

Regrettably, I don't see a single GOP presidential candidate who is likely to alter the atmospherics in Washington. Even if we win, we're going to end up with McConnell and Boehner in charge of Congress and a president who won't challenge the "business as usual" approach.

What this country desperately needs is a President who will fundamentally challenge Washington -- a leader who will forcibly dismantle the whole "business as usual" mentality.

In short, to save the Republic, we need an electoral Revolution. We're not going to get one.

Wishing for Sarah Palin...

[fight_truth_decay]

I even remember old Joe Lieberman being asked the insider question quite a while ago,[so, it was known in the media] and he admitted that they, if I remember correctly, were aware no controls existed with teeth in it; and no one had seemed to find the time to act further on the issue. Of course, they could not find the time....ah huh~

[fight_truth_decay]

it's all reactive

for...when they get caught!