Boehner’s Blunder (If you can't beat 'em, join 'em)

national review ^ | 11/14/12 | m tanner

[bestintxas]

Well, that didn’t take long.

They hadn’t even finished counting the ballots in Florida when House speaker John Boehner indicated that Republicans were preparing to surrender on issues ranging from taxes to health-care reform.

With regard to taxes, Boehner signaled that he was once again open to a “grand bargain” to avoid the looming fiscal cliff. While he kept an increase in tax rates off the table for now, Boehner said that he was open to “additional revenue” as part of a deal. Such additional revenue could, of course, take many forms, such as closing loopholes, raising fees, or counting on increased economic growth. But by preemptively conceding on revenue, Speaker Boehner takes the focus off the need to cut spending.

Advertisement Speaker Boehner correctly noted that everyone agrees we can’t keep spending more than we take in. But that implies that the problem is simply the difference between what comes in and what goes out. It’s not.

The Congressional Budget Office projects that, under current policy, federal spending will reach 46 percent of GDP by mid-century — even if we never add another new government program. True, a substantial portion of that spending will be interest on the federal debt. Theoretically, therefore, if taxes were increased enough to cover spending and close the deficit, adding no additional debt, we’d have far lower interest payments, meaning that total levels of government spending would be lower in the future. Lower, but not that low: Even if one

[sickoflibs]

RE :” Boehner is a coward, period”

Remember all the wishful thinking in 2010? Obama was going to be impeached even before the election

[stephenjohnbanker]

The House has been in hiding since the day Obama took office. Pelosi runs it.

[The_Media_never_lie]

Do they have pictures of him with a goat? He acts like they do.

[Impy]

Captain Dudley Smith

is on basic cable with

That fruity gay spock

[Varsity Flight]

Swindler Party planned all along. Tried to sneak in a Trojan Horse from Massachusetts, with all the insider fascists (including stealing Social Security), so now the deception can’t be hidden fully any longer, comes into broad daylight.

[GOPsterinMA]

Impy is a Haikuist of the highest order.

Here’s today’s contribution:

Captain Dudley Smith
Gay, fruity Spock, wearing pink
Demote the F M

I was high ranking
Now, I’m a lowly sergeant
Gay Spock, please save me

I drink to forget
Look, the internet is on
Loins are afire