What the new Obama Deficit Commission would ACTUALLY do.

[johnaries]

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/20/us/politics/20commission.html

But according to people familiar with the deal, in principle it commits Democrats to work with Republicans to do what they have not been able to do for a decade through the regular process: compromise on spending cuts and tax increases to produce reductions in annual deficits that, under George W. Bush and now Mr. Obama, have reached the highest levels since World War II.

So everybody calm down. It's not going to make Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, or any other program "extinct".

[TwixVoy]

1. Ummm

OK so the democrats are going to "compromise" (aka cave in) with the republicans. The republicans want to reduce deficits by cutting social security, medicare, and medicaid.

So why again is this not cause for concern?

[Political Heretic]

2. Exactly. AND the commission is specifically looking at entitlements for cuts.

with binding recommendations (and the commission can only make recommendations if HALF its republican members agree, meaning the only recommendations that will be made are program CUTS and never revenue generation increases.

Binding recommendations means Congress has to have up or down votes on any recommendations it makes.

It's a play to cut entitlements. Pretty simple.

[DrDan]

3. how well did the bipartisan strategy work with HCR"

now we are to have a bipartisan commission to look at deficit reductions . . . and we know how the GOP feels about MEDICARE . . .

but I am sure obama has learned his lesson and will only put one of the 3 entitlements package initially on the line in our compromise position . . . .

[Tippy]

4. What makes you think Democrats and Republicans can work together?

Bipartinship is thing of the past for the Party of "NO" There has to be give and take in equasion and that is not going to happen. You see they have God on their side (not really) but they think they do. I really didn't think I would live long enough to see it, but after the SCOTUS decision today I see it as happening sooner rather than later. This has been in the works for many years. It boils down to the rich and the poor.

[TheKentuckian]

5. There is no compromise only surrender with these cretin stooges

and the sooner everyone comes to terms with that the sooner we can actually do what needs to be done.

Its like people (including Obama) have been sleep in a cave for the pat generation. The corporations, the banks, nor the Confederates can be bargained with, they don't do compromise. The currency must flow.

Keep dreaming, they're coming for ever dime they can shake loose and won't stop until they get it or they are sent home busted up.

[daa]

6. The only purpose is to cut Medicare, Social Security

and Medicaid. Its just like with the pay raises. They can't keep their promises so they hide behind a commission. What you are saying is the the base closing commission was not going to close bases.

[Joe Fields]

7. Riiiiiiight....

:eyes:

[Javaman]

8. Collect paychecks, issue a report that will come as no surprise to anyone

then there will be some perfunctory hearing by which there will be much finger wagging and feigned indignation. All of which will result in nothing. Expect for us taxpayers footing the bill.

[laughingliberal]

9. And where will those spending cuts come from?

No, I don't think Medicare, SS, Medicaid will be extinct per se. Just handed over to private, for-profit companies to 'administer.' If President Obama wants to show some commitment to keeping our programs, paid for with our money all these years in place, I think a good first step would be to withdraw the nomination of Bernanke and nominate a nice, progressive Democrat to the position. As long as he supports a nominee whose sole suggestion for reducing the deficit in front of Congress was 'entitlement reform,' I don't trust this deal at all.

[Junkdrawer]

10. I think DUer Marr summed it up perfectly yesterday:

C'mon. How stupid do you think people are?

This commission is guaranteed an up or down vote on it's recommendations... which won't be revealed until AFTER the elections. No ammendments allowed.

Anyone with two brain cells to rub together ought to know what that means. Even if Obama hadn't just spent a year constructing an insurance handout bill and trying not to get his fingerprints on it, like a man building a ship in a bottle... it'd still be obvious. With his recent record, it's a blinking fucking neon sign.


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