President Obama turns to his bipartisan deficit commission’s blueprint for reducing debt

[Better Believe It]

Obama turns to his bipartisan deficit commission’s blueprint for reducing debt
By Lori Montgomery and Zachary A. Goldfarb
April 11, 2011

President Obama plans this week to respond to a Republican blueprint for tackling the soaring national debt by promoting a bipartisan approach pioneered by an independent presidential commission rather than introducing his own detailed plan.

Obama will not blaze a fresh path when he delivers a much-anticipated speech Wednesday afternoon at George Washington University. Instead, he is expected to offer support for the commission’s work and a related effort underway in the Senate to develop a strategy for curbing borrowing. Obama will frame the approach as a responsible alternative to the 2012 plan unveiled last week by House Republicans, according to people briefed by the White House.

Like the House GOP budget plan, the Senate effort — led by three Democrats and three Republicans known as the Gang of Six — aims to cut about $4 trillion from the debt over the next decade. But the group is looking to reduce spending in all categories, while urging a rewrite of the tax code that would raise revenue. The Republican plan would cut spending on domestic programs while protecting the military and preserving George W. Bush-era tax cuts that disproportionately benefit high earners.

The work of the Gang of Six is modeled on recommendations of the fiscal commission Obama appointed last year. On Monday, White House press secretary Jay Carney said the commission had “created a framework that may help us reach a deal and a compromise.” “Everyone,” he said, must “share in the burden of bringing our fiscal house into order.”

Read the full article at:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/economy/obama-turns-to-his-bipartisan-deficit-commissions-blueprint-for-reducing-debt/2011/04/11/AF7azCND_story.html

[CrossChris]

1. See, this is why there's a push to redefine Alan Simpson as a pro-gay moderate

Obama's going to push the Catfood Commission as bipartisan, "adult" cuts to SS and Medicare. Just like the "far left" warned, and got shouted down for.

[AtomicKitten]

2. It included a thumps-up for the Public Option.

[Hell Hath No Fury]

3. If the Commission's recommendations are O's starting point -

for negotiations then we are seriously fucked. :( We know in which direction he moves from his "starting" points.

[leftstreet]

4. K&R

[badtoworse]

5. Did anyone not see this coming?

Did anyone really believe the Catfood Commission wouln't be heard from again? Whatever happens, you can bet it will involve substantial reduction in spending on social programs and the military. It will also involve tax increases on everyone

[Poboy]

6. Manufacturing consent, even when it is rejected. They just plow on and steamroll.

They pretend as though consensus has been achieved, denying us any voice whatsoever.

[bvar22]

7. "They" are coming for your Social Security & Medicare,

...AND "they" will get it too,
...AND it will be signed by Centrist President Obama,



"By their WORKS, you will know THEM.




Who will STAND UP and FIGHT for THIS American Majority?

[Poboy]

8. "cause they OWN this fucking place."

George Carlin called it.

[Johonny]

9. There were no recommendations from this commision thus to say it is based on them is dishonest

The commission fell short of the required votes to recommend anything. These are a collection of ideas so bad not even the "bipartisan" commission could agree to endorse them.

A report was released on December 1, 2010, but failed a vote on December 3 with 11 of 18 votes in favor, with a supermajority of 14 votes needed to formally endorse the blueprint

[leftstreet]

10. Their job was to start the game with the lowest bar possible n/t

[gratuitous]

15. There wasn't even a report issued

But that will only be noticed by people who are Not Serious about Reducing the Deficit, and they can then be safely ignored. What will happen is the conventional wisdom will rush ahead to cherry pick certain ideas the Catfood Commission was considering, and pretend that those were the "bipartisan" "findings" and "recommendations" of the "full commission." Among those ideas will be cutting benefits for future beneficiaries, raising the retirement age, and means testing so that social security and medicare can become "entitlements" for the poor who were too selfish or stupid to choose not to have a career in investment banking so that they wouldn't become a burden on society.

I've been saying this since late November, when the commission was about to blow its deadline.

[spanone]

11. when did they hear the speech, he's not giving it till tomorrow?

[Better Believe It]

13. After Obama's speech tell everyone on DU how off base that article was ....

and how President Obama clearly indicated that he is opposed to any cuts in "entitlement" programs such as Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security.

OK?

I'll be watching for your post!

So get back to us!

[blindpig]

12. more kabuki theater

So the Cat Food Commission really really sucks, the repub plan really really really sucks, guess what we get? A 'compromise' between the two.

It will be hailed as 'milestone legislation', whereas it actually is a well placed kick to the privates of the working class.

The fix is in, all that's left is for the vultures to argue over the choice parts.

There's really no point in agonizing over this, for all the good it will do. Don't agonize, organize, and don't let the political class get near your organization or it's a waste of time.

[leftstreet]

14. The Democrats will DEMAND removal of "eat their young" provisions!

No worries

:scared:

[readmoreoften]

17. Why take an extreme left position like that? Why not kill your young humanely before eating them?

Eat your young, for sure. But don't draw it out. And if you do draw it out, apologize. And if you don't apologize, pat them on the head. By god, give them some sort of concession! How bout this: the concession is now that we've considered concessions before dismissing them.

[WillyT]

16. K & R !!!

:kick:

[Safetykitten]

18. It's Catfud Commission approved with vitamins and a surprise in every box!

[Better Believe It]

19. So a compromise would be something between Ryan's proposal and the Deficit Commissions proposal.

Wonderful.