House GOP leader Cantor says deficit deal likely

[Omaha Steve]

Source: AP-Excite

By DAVID ESPO

WASHINGTON (AP) - Sidestepping controversy, House Majority Leader Eric Cantor, R-Va., declined to take sides Monday on a proposal for higher tax revenues backed by fellow Republicans on Congress' supercommittee, yet expressed confidence the panel would agree on a deficit-reduction plan of at least $1.2 trillion by a Nov. 23 deadline.

A proposal for $300 billion in higher taxes has stirred grumbling within the ranks of congressional Republicans, for whom opposition to such measures has been political bedrock for more than two decades.

Two of the party's presidential hopefuls said during Monday they wouldn't support any committee deficit-reduction plan that includes higher taxes.

Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, campaigning in Iowa, said he would "do everything in my power to defeat" any such proposal.


Read more: http://apnews.excite.com/article/20111115/D9R0RGK82.html

[TheWraith]

1. Cantor is full of shit. nt

[Autumn]

2. Newt has powers? who the fuck knew

Not like that ass is speaker of the house.

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

7. He does if you put him in a boiling cauldron.

[DCBob]

3. Cantor is an idiot.

no one else has said anything of the sort... in fact just the opposite.

[PSPS]

4. I heard some details about this and it's yet another trap

It goes like this:

The "spending cuts" (gutting of social programs) get approved by the super duper committee. This way, the package isn't subject to filibuster as per the agreement that established the committee. Also, this allows avoiding any cuts to the war machine since those only happen if there's "no agreement."

The "tax increases" side is proclaimed fulfilled merely by having the super duper committee "agree" to have them "ironed out" by the next congress according to the "guidelines" of the super duper committee.

The trouble, of course, is that this will render any attempt to increase taxes doomed to failure because it <i>will</i> be subject to filibuster.

Who's running the betting pool for how quickly Obama will cave?

[Zorro]

5. Cantor lies out of both sides of his mouth

He's just setting the stage for the Republicans to claim they were ready to "compromise" and blame the Democrats when the committee fails to reach agreement.

[freshwest]

6. STFU Cantor!