Deficit Talks Scaled Back Over Tax Increases.

[elleng]

Citing differences over tax revenues, House Speaker John A. Boehner said on Saturday night that he would pull back from joint efforts with President Obama to reach a sweeping $4 trillion deficit-reduction plan tied to a proposal to increase the federal debt limit.

On the eve of a second round of high-level bipartisan talks set for Sunday, Mr. Boehner issued a statement saying he would now urge negotiators to instead focus on crafting a smaller package more in line with the $2 trillion to $3 trillion in spending cuts and revenue increases negotiated earlier by Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr.

The decision was a major reversal for Mr. Boehner, a veteran Congressional deal-maker who along with Mr. Obama had been the major advocate for seeking a far-reaching deal that would have combined a debt limit increase with substantial spending cuts, significant changes in social programs like Medicare, Medicaid and perhaps Social Security, and as much as $1 trillion in new revenues. Following a secret meeting between the two last weekend, Mr. Obama went public with his own call for a broad package. . .

As potential elements of the plan became public, Mr. Boehner was encountering stiff resistance from fellow Republicans determined to oppose any package containing proposals that could be construed as a tax increase, worried such a deal could cost the party dearly in the 2012 elections. In the initial White House talks last Thursday, Representative Eric Cantor of Virginia, the No. 2 House Republican, broke with the speaker and pushed for a mid-range agreement.

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/07/10/us/politics/10debt.html?hp

[DJ13]

1. Boehner was encountering stiff resistance...

...... from fellow Republicans determined to oppose any package containing proposals that could be construed as a tax increase, worried such a deal could cost the party dearly in the 2012 elections.



If they think tax increases would cost the party next year, imagine what their causing a default would cost them.

President Obama, that says you have no need to compromise with them, they WILL cave completely if it looks like they will be blamed for a default.

[applegrove]

2. He's blinking.

[Doctor_J]

3. I thought blinking meant giving in

where do you see that?

[applegrove]

5. Oh. I just meant that he is stalling and showing a sign of weakness.

[Doctor_J]

4. All of that golf and buddy-buddy stuff and concessions on Medicare

benefits didn't do shit. The prez is a slow learner. Maybe as a last resort he'll ask the Dems and the left what they would like