Bush Was Even Worse for the Debt than Obama

[Asher]

My dad was in a meeting with a Republican congressmen recently, and the congressman seemed to believe that the debt talks collapsed mainly because the White House forced them to. He claimed that Obama wanted to run on a do-nothing Congress platform, and that would have been impossible if the super committee had worked. This may or may not be true, but it does make sense.

I'm absolutely shocked a Republican congressman would have such an opinion. Shocked.

[Dinner]

BTW the blame Obama talking point has been repeated by Republicans on all the news channels since at least last Thursday. That's ironic because Democrats have been claiming Obama has been too hands off and John Kerry said on Friday's Hardball with Chris Mathews that Republicans on the committee said they didn't want Obama involved because they'd have to oppose anything Obama supported. Finally Republicans are refusing to kill any compromise unless it extends the Bush tax cuts (which is a complete nonstarter for Dems) which would just make the deficit worse not better. It's supposed to be a deficit reduction group not a tax cutting group.

[a.kitman]

]When Harry Truman and Lyndon Johnson accepted the reality that they could not effectively govern the nation if they sought re-election to the White House, both men took the moral high ground and decided against running for a new term as president. :

funny examples. both where democrats and both got replaced whit republican presidents.

i dont buy that article at all. obama bowing out would only make the democrats weaker. would be even less reason for republicans to cooperate cus they know they will get the white house later anyway. but sure if you want republican policys its great so i can see why you want it.

[Tupac Shakur]

That's a complete joke.

Yes, the assertion I provided evidence for is a complete joke. We should all listen to your unproven assertions instead, based on your illustrious track record.

[Dinner]

So the "Super Committee" was a failure with Republicans demanding massive tax cuts and Democrats saying they were willing to even cut SSI and Medicare but wanting some net tax increases in return. No, temperamentally closing a few loopholes in return for massive and much larger permanent cuts did not amount to a net tax increase offer by the Republicans.

On the upside this will result in immediate cuts in Jan 2012 of $100 billion per year for 10 years all of it hitting the bloated military budget, SSI, and Medicare which are three areas we do need to cut.

[Guynemer]

Wait wait wait.

You mean to tell me that the "Super Committee" tasked with reducing the deficit by over $1 trillion, formed because the hyperpartisan environment of Congress had made meaningful compromise impossible, formed of equal numbers of both parties without any independents or nonpoliticians, has completely and utterly failed? And that the one thing it appears Congress can potentially agree on is revoking the "automatic" cuts that would take effect if just such a situation transpired?

My goodness, such a massive surprise has given me the vapors.

[-Jrabbit]

There, there. Go visit Bernie Sanders' website and you'll feel better.

Or suicidal.

[Hauldren Collider]

Bernie Sanders is a loon.

[Guynemer]

God, this ****ing country, I swear to Christ.

Congress has like a 10% approval rating, but ask people what they think of their own Congressman, and "oh no, he's one of the good ones."

****ing morons, ****ing morons everyone, the government we ****ing deserve.

Never should've left Ann Arbor; I could at least escape to semi-competence via the Ambassador Bridge, or, in a pinch, the CBC.

[kentonio]

Bernie Sanders is a loon.

In what way is Bernie Sanders a loon?

[kentonio]

The Super Committee negotiations have shown this to be complete bull****. Toomey offered the Dems $400 billion in increased revenue and they didn't take it.

GOP - "Eat this huge sack of ****!"
Dems - "No!"
You - "Stupid Dems getting in the way off the countries recovery!"

Dems - "Ok we'll give you 99% of everything you want if you'll just pass this debt ceiling raise like we have dozens of times before"
GOP - "**** you, **** poor people and **** America"
You - "Good resolute politics"

[Hauldren Collider]

Kentonio, try reading Drake's posts. The GOP offered a fairly significant concession on taxes and the democrats didn't take it. The deal Pat Toomey offered actually looks to me to be not too far off of the stuff Obama has suggested in the past.

[Hauldren Collider]

My dad was in a meeting with a Republican congressmen recently, and the congressman seemed to believe that the debt talks collapsed mainly because the White House forced them to. He claimed that Obama wanted to run on a do-nothing Congress platform, and that would have been impossible if the super committee had worked. This may or may not be true, but it does make sense.

By the way, I am allowed to say who the congressman was. It was Paul Ryan. Ryan claimed in the meeting that there was a deal in sight about 11 days before the deadline, but it was scuttled by the Democrats.

[Aeson]

I for one am shocked that a R would blame the D's. It's like when listening to a D blame the R's... only with the letters switched around!

[Aeson]

God, this ****ing country, I swear to Christ.

Congress has like a 10% approval rating, but ask people what they think of their own Congressman, and "oh no, he's one of the good ones."

****ing morons, ****ing morons everyone, the government we ****ing deserve.

Never should've left Ann Arbor; I could at least escape to semi-competence via the Ambassador Bridge, or, in a pinch, the CBC.