What is your evaluation of the Democratic appointments to the Super-Committee?

[Faryn Balyncd]

[yarn_chick]

1. Two words: Max Baucus

I'm sure they'll cave in about an hour the Republicans only need one.

[bigwillq]

4. Hello.

Welcome to DU! :hi:

[RKP5637]

9. Yep, as soon as I heard "Max Baucus," I said to myself here we go again, like WTF. n/t

[Gidney N Cloyd]

2. symbolic defense

[CarmanK]

3. the repugs don't want compromise-not new revenue!

the dems will bargain and cave. The guys from the House are good choices by Pelosi. I think Baucus will sell us out.

[bigwillq]

5. I no longer trust Democrats to do the right thing.

Let's hope they do, but I am not holding my breath.

[RKP5637]

10. I used to, but I sure don't anymore. If holding my breath, I'd be long dead by now. n/t

[awoke_in_2003]

6. Pelosi's picks were fairly decent. nt

[European Socialist]

7. With Baucus, Blue dog Dems, and Obama.....

who needs Repukes.

[Lasher]

11. None of these 12 is a Blue Dog.

That's something I guess but I don't think it will save us.

[glowing]

13. R u kidding? What do u think Bauchus is?

[Lasher]

14. A Senator?

[glowing]

18. A Senator that aligns many times with Republicans... I believe it was his vote

that helped implement Bush's tax cuts. He was a reason the Public Option was off the table. Many would call him a DINO. He's not interested in progressive tax legislation. I'm not even sure he's pro-choice?

[Lasher]

20. You do know that Senators can't be members of the Blue Dog Coalition, right?

In order to be a Blue Dog you have to be a Democratic member of the House of Representatives.

[joshcryer]

8. Baucus pushed the Public Option hard but was made to drop it. Fortunately we have States Public...

...Option so it worked out OK, but Baucus wasn't the bad guy during the health care debate.

As far as I can tell on his voting history his worst move was voting against negotiated bulk purchases.

[Lasher]

12. Murray and Baucus both have 5 years before they'll face re-election.

Kerry doesn't have to run again for 3 more years. How handy, we'll have 5 years to forgive and forget what two of them shall have done.

Republican Senators Rob Portman and Pat Toomey both have 5 years left to serve in their current term.
Jon Kyl faces re-election next year.

[customerserviceguy]

15. Kyl's already announced his retirement

back in February of this year. Therefore, he is 'free' to do whatever he wishes on this committee.

Murray knows she's safe as long as she keeps WA state military bases open and funded. WA tends to keep Senators for a very long time.

Baucus is the one I'm really worried about.

[Lasher]

17. Aha! So only one of the six faces re-election as soon as three years from now.

Does this commission need only a simple majority to reach a consensus? The Catfood Commission needed more votes than that, which they did not get.

[customerserviceguy]

21. It's my understanding that a simple majority would suffice

If one of them comes to our side, the Repigs in the House will vote it down, if one of ours defects, then the Democratic majority in the Senate will do the same thing. The only way that what they come up with has a snowball's chance in hell of being approved by both House and Senate is if there is a clear majority on the final product, with only one or two vocal dissenters.

[Lasher]

24. Then Democratic Senators just gave away the filibuster we badly needed to protect social programs.

The Catfood Commission had to have a supermajority of 14 out of 18 votes to formally endorse a recommendation. They failed to reach such a consensus. Even if they would have passed a recommendation, it would not have been immune from a Senate filibuster.

The Supercommittee is is different in two important ways: Only a simple majority is required to pass a recommendation, and their proposal would be immune to Congressional gauntlets such as amendments or a filibuster.

This works against us because Republicans are united against revenue increases. Not a one of them on the committee will budge on that issue. And House Republicans will not pass any measure that includes tax increases, as you say.

But Democrats are not united against social program cuts. Quite the contrary, we have been infiltrated by neoliberal New Democrats who have the same basic economic ideologies as Republicans. All it takes is one Democrat on the Supercommittee to sell us out. At least one will. And with only a simple majority required in the Senate, it will take a minimum of four Democratic traitors - three with Biden's tie breaking vote - to sell us out there.

After all this, Obama could still veto the bill. But he won't.

This is how it will come to pass. The fix is in.

[customerserviceguy]

25. Ok, I'll admit

that I did not consider a filibuster in my response. If Democratic Senators choose that means of dealing with the work of a supercommittee that produced a report favored by ten or eleven of the members, then the responsibility of the prearranged cuts in domestic and defense spending would come down solely on them. I would expect the President to lobby Democratic Senators heavily, and if a filibuster was all he got for it, he'd probably slam them publically.

[Ruby the Liberal]

16. Kyl is retiring.

[blindpig]

19. It's a done deal.

With Baucus and Kerry in the mix a Republican majority is assured.

It's all kabuki theater.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

22. They'll offer elaborate rationales for their sell-outs then tell us that they're victories.

And, because they have a (D) after their names many will suck it up and call it "practical politics".

[LiberalEsto]

23. Van Hollen is Mr. Don't Make Waves

He has his eyes on Barbara Mikulski's U.S. Senate seat and patently desires not to rock any boats that might prove harmful to his chances. He will go along with whatever the other Democrats want.