You want cynical? I'll give you cynical: "The 'Big Deal' was a Head-Fake'"

[leveymg]

By way of Ezra Klein at The WaPo: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/ezra-klein/post/wonkbook-why-liberals-should-thank-eric-cantor/2011/07/12/gIQAiV4RAI_blog.html

The "big deal" was a head-fake, writes Economics of Contempt: "I think the White House is trying to scare Democrats into accepting a deficit reduction deal with little or no revenue increases. I think Boehner can’t get the votes in the House for a deal that includes any revenue increases, and I think the White House knows it. They know that the final deal will end up being 100% spending cuts.

The problem with this is that it might not get enough Dem votes to pass -- especially if Dems on the Hill are obsessing about the ratio of spending cuts to revenue increases throughout the negotiations. So in order to retain enough Dems, the White House needs to make sure that the $2 trillion, all-spending-cuts deal is the 'compromise' position...

By putting Social Security and Medicare on the table, you allow the Dems to make the protection of those programs their 'line in the sand,' rather than the inclusion of revenue increases."

[eilen]

1. At the rate he's going,

he's losing the democrats barring the most craven (at least those that wish to be reelected.)

[QC]

2. Relax. It's just intergalactic reverse jujitsu chess.

It'll all be fine!

[cry baby]

3. Ezra makes some sense. I guess we"ll find out pretty soon if he is right. nt

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

4. The people are the pawns in this political pissing contest and theyre tired of getting pissed on.

By both sides.

[tekisui]

5. More like a Raw Deal or the Bum Deal.

[me b zola]

7. I call it the gilded deal

It takes us back to the gilded age with lots of sparklies for our owners.

[KittyWampus]

6. The deal is not and never will be 100% spending cuts. Ezra Klein is an idiot.

[slipslidingaway]

8. Not written by Klein, OP said "By way of..."

follow the link to the original.

http://economicsofcontempt.blogspot.com/2011/07/obama-and-grand-bargain.html

[closeupready]

11. +1000 to your second sentence.

nt

[Major Hogwash]

9. I'm not as cynical as Ezra is, but by pushing it so far to the right, only to settle way back later

Is not negotiating honestly.
And we are the ones who are paying for it.

No new jobs and yet that is the issue that the Republicans were elected on last year.
So, we've got another 16 months of this shit to live through.

But, Obama is going to have to bring back Axlerod to use his chess playing strategy, or else we are going to wind up with a Republican House again next year.
AND a Republican controlled Senate.

And then we'll see if Obama wants to have any more "beer summits"!
It's a foregone conclusion that the GOP doesn't intend to make anything easy to get passed while Obama is the President.
I'm surprised that the GOP hasn't bitched about the clothes Obama wears.

If I were Obama, as soon as the dust settles from this latest bullshit, I would fly off to Hawaii for a short breather.
And hit the beach in a small swimsuit, just to piss off the Republicans.
Have Michelle show up on the beach in a string bikini, and watch all of their heads explode!

Seriously, they are the most attractive couple in the White House in decades, and I would take advantage of it now just to rub it in their noses.
The Obamas have "rock star" popularity around the world, so it would blow the minds of the US media if they enjoyed themselves a little bit.

[jberryhill]

13. "Negotiating Honestly" includes a lot of discussion of hypotheticals

I'm not sure what your definition of "negotiating honestly" but I dearly hope you don't walk into a used car lot and say, "I have $5000 in my pocket and I'm looking to buy a car."

[Major Hogwash]

16. If Obama walked onto that car lot he'd say "OMFG, I love it, I want it, I need it, how much, huh?"

I gotta to have it, gotta, gotta, gotta, gotta have it . . right now!!!!!!!!
Do you have one in blue?
Well, allrighty, red's okay then!!
Gimme, gimme, gimme.
How much, how much, whattya need, how much, how much do ya want today, how much?
CanItakeitrightnowplease?
CanI, canI, canI?

Jim Carrey could do a real number on the way Obama always "stakes out" his positions on these issues.

Obama would already have his checkbook out and have the date already written on the check, the way he negotiates.
Honestly, he should let some of the other Dems have a say about this and use some more surrogates to make it look better.
Let the press secretary make a few gaffes, make a whole mockery of the system in the process.
Ya know, the way it has been done in the past for the last 2 or 3 decades.

[jberryhill]

17. We'll see

Failure to raise the debt ceiling will result in immediate cuts to Social Security of 100% effective August 3.

I guess that's okay with you.

[tkmorris]

18. Really? That's your argument?

We have to capitulate to the Repubs because if we don't we'll lose. Umm, what?

Let me tell you something. It's the REPUBLICANS threatening to let the govt run out of money unless their absurd, unprecedented demands are met. THEY are the ones threatening to cut off SS checks, and God only knows what else. It's ridiculous. They are blackmailing America. It's political terrorism, plain and simple, and you want to GIVE IN TO THEM?

Sooner or later you have to stop cowering in the corner and stand up to these assholes. You give in to them now and they'll be back in a few months demanding even more, and more again after that.

[jberryhill]

19. No, that's not what I said

Actually, there is a contingent here at DU that wants to see it happen.

[closeupready]

10. Oh nonsense. Talk about overthinking.

Sometimes a cigar is ... just a cigar.

[Fumesucker]

I guess you haven't heard Larry O'Donnel's theory? n/t

[closeupready]

14. I disbelieve his, too.

nt

[Fumesucker]

12. Dupe, self delete..

[elocs]

15. I wonder if Obama has a line in the sand. If there are any cherished Democratic values & ideals

that he is not willing to some degree to bargain away.

I wonder, who has our backs?