The details of Obama's $4 trillion dollar deficit reduction package don't actually matter. Never did

[TheWraith]

The Republicans were going to reject it anyway. What matters is that he made the offer, and made it very publicly. And the Republicans refused to play, just as publicly. So the Republicans are now on record, as far as the average voter is concerned, as:

1. Opposing $4 trillion LESS debt because they don't want to tax millionaires.
2. Endangering people's Social Security, not just at some vague point in the future, but three weeks from now.
3. Being so unreasonable and stiff that the guy who was willing to cut a FOUR TRILLION DOLLAR deal couldn't make headroom with them.

Now, I don't give Boner and McTurtle credit for a lot of intelligence, but even they're coming to realize that if the GOP is seen as sending the federal government into default because they couldn't make a deal, those three things are going to hang around the Republicans' necks like millstones for a generation.

[dennis4868]

1. right....

it was never a plan to begin with....it was done to show the world that repubs are not serious about governing!

[TheKentuckian]

8. No fucking shit they say so. You can't govern if you ideologically oppose government.

And you have still framed the debate on their end, which is a failure. They were never going to be allowed to create a default. If they do then their masters will destroy them. Won't help us much but it won't be well tolerated.

[KittyWampus]

2. Some Republican leader needs to step up to a microphone and say "we're doing the patriotic thing"

and just DO IT TOMORROW. ASAP. Like ripping a band aid off.

[Poll_Blind]

3. Look how awesome your rearview mirror is! So tell us what will happen next!

I really only care about the cuts to Social Security and other social services. Tell me about how that will never come to pass and how it's all a cleverly-devised trap for the Republicans with no real weight.

PB

[eleny]

4. I imagine there's not much towel snapping going on in GOPville

[DearAbby]

5. Ding ding ding

Nothing is agree too, until it is agreed too...But damn what a hammer for the upcoming elections.

[BlueCheese]

6. Sure it matters.

People heard the President of the United States, a Democrat, say that the deficit is too large and must be cut. They read that some possible ways of doing so are cutting (or "strengthening") Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security. They'll think to themselves, quite reasonably, that these must be mainstream ideas.

So now when Republicans say that we can't afford stimulus, and that we have to do something about entitlements, people will think, "That makes sense. After all, the president said the same thing."

[Karmadillo]

7. And he set up the Republicans for this coup de grâce by gratuitously appointing the Catfood

Commission to suggest similar attacks on Social Security & Medicare. While the uninitiated might draw the conclusion he actually wants to go after Social Security & Medicare, given the developing pattern, the chessminded knows better. Let's just hope Republican intransigence keeps him from getting what he keeps saying he wants.

[rucky]

9. Does that really matter?

The GOP can say & do anything they want, then spin it any way they want - enough for just enough people to actually believe it.

This has to end with some sort of resolution. It has to - and what we end up with will be what matters. Not any of this public perception, which will be rewritten & mostly forgotten in a few months.