Next on the Agenda for Washington: Fight Over Debt

[sasha031]

WASHINGTON — The down-to-the-wire partisan struggle over cuts to this year’s federal budget has intensified concern in Washington, on Wall Street and among economists about the more consequential clash coming over increasing the government’s borrowing limit.

Congressional Republicans are vowing that before they will agree to raise the current $14.25 trillion federal debt ceiling — a step that will become necessary in as little as five weeks — President Obama and Senate Democrats will have to agree to far deeper spending cuts for next year and beyond than those contained in the six-month budget deal agreed to late Friday night that cut $38 billion and averted a government shutdown.

Republicans have also signaled that they will again demand fundamental changes in policy on health care, the environment, abortion rights and more, as the price of their support for raising the debt ceiling.In a letter last week, Treasury Secretary Timothy F. Geithner told Congressional leaders the government would hit the limit no later than May 16. He outlined “extraordinary measures” — essentially moving money among federal accounts — that could buy time until July 8.

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/10/us/politics/10debt.html?partner=rss&emc=rss

[labor4ever]

1. Targets Aquired: Social Security, Medicare, and Healthcare

Hopefully the multi-dimensional chess skills will prevail.

Go Team Obama :bounce:

[RC]

2. What is so hard about rescinding bu$h's tax cuts?

And stopping 2½ wars? Bring our troops home.
And drastically cutting our defense budget?
Nationalizing the health insurance companies and instituting Single Payer Universal Health Care?

[FrenchieCat]

6. Ever heard of Congress?

Why don't you ask them your questions.....
and see who would vote for what you bring forth in your "Lookit Ma, it's easy as 1, 2, 3....
as long as we don't need to count congressional votes!"...which of course, we do.....
and always have.

[Exilednight]

3. As usual, Obama is already losing ground. Republicans are already out in force and

framing the debate. This war will be fought on their terms.

For a campaign that was disciplined in messaging during the 2008 campaign, they're very undisciplined about messaging while governing.

[FrenchieCat]

4. and as usual, the cynics are here dumping on the President,

instead of spreading any frame of a debate that could aid him.

For a campaign that people heard clearly was people powered,
many sure in the fuck don't like having to do much more than criticize,
meanwhile the President has to govern.

[Exilednight]

5. The people were out in front when he first took office, but he cut their feet out from

underneath them. He compromised and capitulated on too many early promises and he's lost support in the process.

[FrenchieCat]

7. The only people I saw where the Teabaggers......

Because remember....the Stimulus was too small, etc... according to the constant critiques there from day one; them and the Blue dogs that weren't about to back a progressive agenda.

He lost your support because he wasn't superdictator from day one.
He was blamed because his majorities weren't ever solid enough
to get what some of youse ordered, and when you realized you couldn't get
exactly what you wanted, you decided that pissing on this President about everything
was the magic bullet....that somehow would magically make Blue Dogs Democrats vote for your exact
agenda. You failed....cause your strategy didn't make any sense...unless you cut out
the moderates and the conservatives and the corporate media from the picture,
and made Obama the dictator that you thought you voted for.

[Exilednight]

8. Again with the personal attacks. Is that all you have? Do you have any facts to back up your

accusations about me?

[FrenchieCat]

9. I'm not personally attacking you, I am talking about your political mentality....

currently, as it appears.

I'm certain that beyond that, you are a splendid individual.

[Exilednight]

10. My "political mentality", as you put it, is part of me. So yes, you are attacking me. n/t

[FrenchieCat]

11. Your negativity toward much when it comes to this Prez has been noted,

But it would be my hope that in your private life, you aren't as judgmental, negative,
cynical and pessimistic...as you seem to be in reference to this one individual, barring
the six months that you initially gave him to prove you wrong.

[zigzag69]

12. Just my opinion but....

You should tell her your private life is not her concern. Nor is your attitude to a politician.