Late flurry, new ire on a debt deal

[Forkboy]

WASHINGTON - President Obama and House Speaker John Boehner raced to nail down a last-minute deal yesterday that would deeply cut government programs and possibly restructure the nation’s tax code, but anxious Senate Democrats insisted any plan must contain some immediate revenue increases.

Details of a plan to cut roughly $3 trillion from the deficit’s growth over the next decade were still being negotiated. Such a deal would be tied to a vote to raise the nation’s debt limit before the government defaults on some of its obligations in 11 days.

Initial responses to some elements of the plan, however, were worrisome for negotiators. Senate Democrats emerged from a combative hourlong meeting with Jacob Lew, the White House budget director, angry over the possibility that a final plan would be tilted too far toward budget cuts and not include enough new revenues.

“The president always talked about balance; there had to be some fairness in this, this can’t be all cuts,’’ Senate majority leader Harry Reid told reporters as he emerged from the meeting. “The caucus agrees with that. I hope the president agrees with that, and I’m confident he will.’’

http://www.boston.com/news/politics/articles/2011/07/22/debt_talks_raise_angst_with_democrats/

[xchrom]

1. recommend

[iwishiwas]

2. In Obama's Opinion in USA today he talks of balance.....

http://www.usatoday.com/news/opinion/forum/2011-07-21-obama-debt-ceiling-debate_n.htm





Lets hope he sticks to his words.

[digitaln3rd]

4. Yeah, balance.

He's balancing plans between the Republicans and the Tea Party pretty nicely.

:eyes:

[iwishiwas]

6. I fear you are spot on.

[mmonk]

9. What is balance when we start from an unbalanced position?

Bottom line is we have already cut too much choking off economic recovery.

[Hell Hath No Fury]

10. At this point -

I don't believe a word that man says. :( I have come to learn that what I hear hm say may turn out to be vastly differant than the eventual outcome.

[FBaggins]

3. I sure hope they're playing the expectations game

What's left to run on if you let them run the country anyway?

[dgibby]

5. Boehner and the President have the Dems just where they want them.

It doesn't matter what's in the deal. Time is short and the Dems will have to go along with it in order to avoid defaulting on the debt. I've come to the sad conclusion that this was planned from the start.

[mazzarro]

7. I think you may be right -- n/t

[Hell Hath No Fury]

11. Yes, it was O -

who has been insisting the debt ceiling be chained with debt reduction/"entitlement" cuts. :( That has been his grand plan all along. :(

[Bandit]

8. One thing I have learned over the last two years is Obama can not be trusted.

He seems to have much more in common with Republicans than he does with Democrats, and when he says he will veto a bill Republicans just laugh at him because they know he isn't telling the truth.