Obama holds upper hand in budget confrontation
The reputations of pollsters Rasmussen and Gallup took a deserved beating in the 2012 election, but if nothing else they are still valuable when judged relative to themselves. Rasmussen, for example, now reports that President Obama’s job approval rating among likely voters is at 55 percent, his highest level in a Rasmussen poll since June 2009.
Gallup reports similar numbers:
That would seem to suggest that Republican denials notwithstanding, President Obama comes into negotiations on the so-called fiscal cliff with a considerable amount of leverage. Newly released numbers from a Washington Post/Pew Center poll confirm that assessment:
Given that reality, it’ll be interesting to see the outcome of today’s secret ballot among House Republicans, who will be asked to elect a new chairman of the House Republican Conference. As we reported Monday, House Speaker John Boehner has thrown his support behind Cathy McMorris Rodgers, who qualifies as a moderate, if only within the very narrowly conservative House GOP caucus. If elected, she would also become the only woman in the House GOP leadership, which currently has no women holding any of the 21 House committee chairmanships.
However, those on the more conservative end of the very conservative GOP caucus are rallying behind Georgia’s own Tom Price. That includes House Budget chair Paul Ryan, fresh off his experience on the losing end of the presidential race.
A Price victory would constitute a pretty serious setback for Boehner and would indicate that when the time comes, the speaker would not be able to deliver GOP votes for the budget compromise that will be needed. It would also suggest that House Republicans have not yet learned the necessary lessons of the 2012 election, including the dangers of extremism and the wisdom of outreach to female voters.
If so, they are courting yet another reminder.
– Jay Bookman
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642 comments Add your comment
Mr. Snarky
November 14th, 2012
10:09 am
Joe – I save my scorn for overt idiocy and campaign BS. The economy is real.
USinUK - not very ladylike (and former Girl Scout)
November 14th, 2012
10:09 am
“I never predicted Romney would win, or if I did, I said it would be very close ”
laugh effing RIOT …
you loved pointing out how Romney was at the top of every Google search
how well Romney was doing in the polls
how the economy was going to bury Obama
how unemployment was going to bury Obama
how Benghazi was going to bury obama
but noooooo … you never predicted Romney would win.
WHAT a load of bollocks.
Recon 0311 2533
November 14th, 2012
10:09 am
TBS,
Actually Rasmussen and Gallup (although Gallup some how got way off track about a week before the election) both had it close nationally which it turned out to be. They and many other polls blew it in the battleground states by not seeing the superiority of the Democrats ground game. I know you lefties want to believe Obama has a mandate but I think your wrong and you seem to be overlooking the serious condition of our economy, sooner or later it has to effect government social programs many are getting too dependent on.
Morality?
November 14th, 2012
10:10 am
Never called voters lazy – you said that. Stupid – a lot of that out there – on both sides. If you voted Obama you are gullible. Dems are in charge – no on to blame but the Dems if the Fed Debt is higher when Hussein leaves office than it is today. T
JKL2
November 14th, 2012
10:10 am
stands- obama strategy: do nothing then blame the Republicans for it. that’ll work. I am fine and dandy with that strategery.
Four more years of “It’s Bush’s fault”. The American people have spoken, and apparently they actually are that dumb.
How do you jump off the Fiscal Cliff?
Forward!
Oscar
November 14th, 2012
10:10 am
There will be a deal where cuts are made and some taxes are raised to some degree or another
________
What are the odds in Vegas on that happening.
Thomas Heyward Jr
November 14th, 2012
10:11 am
The absolute least that the no-loads in Washington could do would be to draft some sort of treaty where global EVERYBODY would agree to take at least 4 zeros off of everyone’s respective debt figure….and income figure.
.
Obama should go in demanding 8 zeros off.
.
It would make things simpler from here on out.
.
“If your society’s economic market EVER requires more than 7 exponential base-ten numbers,,,,,,then ye shall know that your economic market is surely dooooomed and that there are myriads of governmental scimmers about”.
Sir Issac Newton 1679
Joe Hussein Mama
November 14th, 2012
10:11 am
alex — “Joe, this multivariate equation is so difficult( stats-again) that it’s difficult to have a reasonable idea that “your” plan will work, then again it may,so give it a run.”
Kind of you to say.
“I am drawn to the health care issues as every year, congress has to revisit cuts or increase the money going to hospitals /providers(hate that term), etc. Every year congress goes ahead and spends more money, over-riding it’s previous rules…..”
FWIW, I wouldn’t be opposed to requiring a higher voting standard to increase spending levels over the previous year; say 3/4 agreement, or the spending ceiling stays at the previous year’s level?
Even if Congress refused, we would still benefit by having more surplus funds available to retire Federal debt.
Nero
November 14th, 2012
10:12 am
Go over the cliff. Call their bluff. change the dynamic. Sequestration now!! Spread the pain and be done with it.
stands for decibels
November 14th, 2012
10:13 am
the Fed Debt being ONE CENT (or more) lower at the end of Obama’s 2nd term than it is on November 14, 2012?
[...]
Dems are in charge – no on to blame but the Dems if the Fed Debt is higher when Hussein leaves office than it is today.
ok, I’m going to call this “Morality?” guy out.
Please explain how you and your mighty Republicans would EVER, EVER, EVERRRRRRR!!! manage to pay down even a single (1) cent of the OVERALL DEBT between now and January 2017.
Explain how President Mitt, Speaker-for-life Boehner, and Senate Majority Leader Mitch, in this parallel universe of yours, are going to not only bring the budget deficit down to *zero* but run at a *surplus* and then, poof, magically, choose to use that extra moolah you’re collecting to pay down a debt, borrowed at basically zero percent interest.
I am all ears.
Go for it, man. This should be good.
They BOTH suck
November 14th, 2012
10:14 am
Recon
When I say that Obama has a mandate? Please post it.
I have laughed at the fact that Charles Krauthammer said Obama didn’t have a mandate, yet claimed Bush had one in 04 with less EV votes than Obama won last week.
Mandate issue on both sides is overblown. Obama still has a Republican House to deal with.
I already stated that cuts would be included in the deal and I believe that is the right thing to do. Not the same percentage across the board, however I do think cuts should be across the board.
USinUK - not very ladylike (and former Girl Scout)
November 14th, 2012
10:14 am
” I know you lefties want to believe Obama has a mandate but I think your wrong and you seem to be overlooking the serious condition of our economy, sooner or later it has to effect government social programs many are getting too dependent on.”
so, 300+ electoral votes is a landslide if Romney wins, but NOT if Obama wins.
got it.
thanks for clearing that up.
http://thepoliticalcarnival.net/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/2012-election-landslide.jpg
Joe Hussein Mama
November 14th, 2012
10:15 am
T. Heyward — “The absolute least that the no-loads in Washington could do would be to draft some sort of treaty where global EVERYBODY would agree to take at least 4 zeros off of everyone’s respective debt figure….and income figure.”
Actually, that’s been proposed by some econ bloggers. There’s a very involved chart floating around the intertubes with colored arrows pointing back and forth at the various G-8 nations, demonstrating who owes whom money and how much. Remarkably, most of the nations seem to be owed *roughly* about the same amount as they owe others in the G-8.
That said, I don’t believe China was included in that graphic.
They BOTH suck
November 14th, 2012
10:15 am
EC votes. not EV
excuse me
Ronald Reagan
November 14th, 2012
10:15 am
Only a Liberal writer would produce a supportive article during an administration unraveling. A real Journalist would be digging for the truth & reporting it!
USinUK - not very ladylike (and former Girl Scout)
November 14th, 2012
10:16 am
““If your society’s economic market EVER requires more than 7 exponential base-ten numbers,,,,,,then ye shall know that your economic market is surely dooooomed and that there are myriads of governmental scimmers about”.
Sir Issac Newton 1679″
yes. 350 years ago – when indoor plumbing was a bucket – they can TOTALLY speak with accuracy about today’s economy.
Nero
November 14th, 2012
10:16 am
This country has a mandate with a cliff. Push it over.
ByteMe - Got ilk?
November 14th, 2012
10:16 am
Actually Rasmussen and Gallup (although Gallup some how got way off track about a week before the election) both had it close nationally which it turned out to be.
Rewrite!!
Both of their tracking polls had Romney winning the national popular vote. Until Sandy caused Gallup to go dark for a week, they had Romney up by 3-5% points. Not even “close”.
BTW, Gallup’s tracking poll has gone into the weeds like that in the past 3 elections, usually starting about 3 weeks from election day. It’s likely because their “likely” turnout model is based on faulty assumptions, but Gallup’s tracking poll is not the “gold standard” that some conservatives made it out to be.
USinUK - not very ladylike (and former Girl Scout)
November 14th, 2012
10:17 am
“Only a Liberal writer would produce a supportive article during an administration unraveling”
unraveling??? pray-tell …
Oscar
November 14th, 2012
10:17 am
Go over the cliff. Call their bluff. change the dynamic. Sequestration now!! Spread the pain and be done with it.
______________
That would work. But it would cause a lot of pain for a lot of people. Unnecessary pain.
Grasshopper
November 14th, 2012
10:17 am
Why would “Democrats in Senate” not be an option on that second poll?
They have a place in this financial fiasco as well as Obama and the House Republicans.
atler8
November 14th, 2012
10:17 am
US in UK
As a follow-up to your comment @ 9:29, Ryan not only failed to deliver his home state of Wisconsin, he was trounced emphatically in his home town. Janesville, Wi. went resoundingly for Obama/Biden by a 62% to 37% margin!
I wonder if that margin was inflated by resentment there over the lies Ryan spread, particularly in Ohio, that tried to blame Obama for the closing of the huge Janesville GM plant. The trouble with Ryan’s claims was that the closing was announced around mid-2008 & only a token work force of a few dozen remained there working on a small contract after the general plant closing took effect at Christmas of 2008.
As we know, President Obama was inaugurated in mid January of 2009, obviously well after the closing took place! It would seem that the home town folks know Ryan very well in Janesville!
JamVet
November 14th, 2012
10:18 am
If you voted Obama you are gullible.
I didn’t.
But what if YOU voted Romney.
You are even more gullible, yes?
The American people have spoken, and apparently they actually are that dumb.
I will never get tired of reprising this one for our VERY slow learners:
JKL2, your ongoing strategery of calling American voters stupid, lazy, etc is really working out great for you!
Keep up the good work!
Oscar
November 14th, 2012
10:19 am
Only a Liberal writer would produce a supportive article during an administration unraveling. A real Journalist would be digging for the truth & reporting it!
_____________
Nothing is unraveling. Except the CIA director’s career, and that’s already come apart.
Administration will be here – Four more years. And the economy will be much better four years from now.
Recon 0311 2533
November 14th, 2012
10:19 am
TBS,
It looks then that there’s hope for you.
They BOTH suck
November 14th, 2012
10:19 am
Recon
For the record, I have stated numerous times that I think we need a phased in approach to get back to the Clinton era rates as well as a revamping of the EITC.
At best someone should break even, I do not think they should be getting money back that they haven’t paid in. Presidents in both parties as well as Congress have continued to changed the EITC and I am not a fan of its current form.
Doing both of these things would include many of the 47% ers that some on the right like the demonize for not paying federal income taxes.
Logical Dude
November 14th, 2012
10:20 am
SFD: The line in the sand should be that we are flat out not going to reduce Medicare or Social Security benefits, period, end of frickin’ story.
I disagree. Common sense changes need to be made, the most striking is raising the retirement age to go along with life expectancy.
Otherwise, cut defense wayyyy down as well, since Medicare, Social Security and Defense are the major huge items in the budget.
Sure, freeze spending/reduce spending in all areas, along with raising taxes/revenue.
All options are needed to bring the country to paying the debt. We can’t just balance the budget and call it a day, there is still the huge amounts of debt that will likely take 30 years to pay off (since it took us this long to get this deep).
MANGLER
November 14th, 2012
10:20 am
Congress seems to forget that Obama can use executive mandate to override almost anything that they do to block him. All Presidents can, and most have on single issues here and there. It’s not the most popular route available, but it’s there. Unless the goal of the mandate is to harm the Nation or place the goals of the Party over those of the Nation, the Supreme Court will pretty much go along with the mandates. Leaders are supposed to work as a team, but when the team refuses to compromise on anything, then the highest Leader steps in and flat out makes the decisions. Is Congress really going to let it get to that point? Because if Jan 1st passes and they haven’t reached some sort of deal, guess what … you are going to see Obama wield that little blue pen on his desk in ways that you can’t imagine. Not a threat, a reality.
kayaker 71
November 14th, 2012
10:21 am
Nothing has essentially changed in Bozo’s plan. And there are a whole lot of unhappy campers out there who think that the Marxist in charge is taking this country down the wrong path, despite what Bookman says. Keep in mind that Bozo won by 51/49, hardly a mandate by anyone’s standards. So how do you lead all of the people? Certainly not by bullying tactics and subterfuge. Do you think for half a second that this arrogant narcissist is going to share the stage with any Republican and promote bipartisan legislation to solve our financial debacle? Nope. He never has…… what makes you think that he will now? Nothing has changed. Same old rhetoric….. “take a backseat, Republicans….. you lost”. This clown has an agenda. He doesn’t have time to lead. He has a “mandate”. What a crock.
Oscar
November 14th, 2012
10:21 am
If your society’s economic market EVER requires more than 7 exponential base-ten numbers,,,,,,then ye shall know that your economic market is surely dooooomed and that there are myriads of governmental scimmers about”.
Sir Issac Newton 1679″
___________
Those numbers must be adjusted for inflation.
Welcome to the Occupation
November 14th, 2012
10:22 am
I’m sorry I just don’t have much use for this Obama.
But we’re stuck with him, so we’re going to have to find a way to push him.
USinUK - not very ladylike (and former Girl Scout)
November 14th, 2012
10:22 am
Atler8 – 10:17 – and again, when will the GOP banish him to the rubbish heap??
he’s stinkin’ up the joint.
Oscar
November 14th, 2012
10:22 am
We balanced the budget the old fashioned way, we raised taxes and cut spending.
William Jefferson Clinton
Nero
November 14th, 2012
10:22 am
Pain now or more pain later. I choose pain now. The country will adapt. We’re standing at the precipice peering into the void. One quick shove and the dynamic changes. Do it! Make all the leeches own it.
JamVet
November 14th, 2012
10:23 am
…during an administration unraveling.
Oy, the stupid.
You neocons just got electorally crushed, steamrolled, spanked, smacked down and drubbed.
AGAIN.
And for those of you with short memories, that is three times out of the last four.
Evolve or die.
Oscar
November 14th, 2012
10:23 am
I choose pain now.
____________
Are you choosing pain now for yourself or for other people. My guess is that it’s for other people.
josef
November 14th, 2012
10:24 am
I know the budget is a big issue and should be a topic of discussion, but it quite frankly bores the hell out of me. It bores me when I have to do my own and have my own partisan fracas here at home. However, there are some pretty colored graphs which we haven’t seen in a while. A new day, but the SOS…
On the other hand, I did enjoy, for lack of a better term, the discussion last p.m.
OTHERWISE…how the hell is the day crew?
Toxic
November 14th, 2012
10:24 am
Considering the test scores and educational attainment of the average US citizen, it is kind of reassuring not to be agreeing with the majority of people in this country.
southpaw
November 14th, 2012
10:25 am
JHM
First of all, a salute from me (is it OK for a civilian to salute?) for thinking solutions instead of snark. Here’s an idea for tweaking your plan just a little. Since 2012 will have an extremely high deficit, another year might be a better baseline. Budgets passed when Bill Clinton was President are touted for having surpluses, so let’s use 1999 as a baseline instead. Since prices have risen in the past 13 years, allow increases to the 1999 budget to match the consumer price index. Congressional approval for going over the budget is a good idea, although a 3/5 or 2/3 supermajority requirement might be an improvement. We may also want to return to the tax rates/deductions/credits from that time, as well.
Let me know what you think of these ideas.
Oscar
November 14th, 2012
10:25 am
Nothing has essentially changed in Bozo’s plan.
______
Obama’s plan has been working. And there is no reason to change it. His plan has been and still is to deal with the deficit by raising taxes and cutting spending.
JamVet
November 14th, 2012
10:25 am
…the Marxist in charge…
Speaking of slow learners, howz it going, Mr. Romney landslide?
And Mr. West says hi from the private sector!
USinUK - not very ladylike (and former Girl Scout)
November 14th, 2012
10:25 am
“Are you choosing pain now for yourself or for other people. My guess is that it’s for other people.”
dammit, Oscar – you beat me to it.
alex
November 14th, 2012
10:25 am
hey joe ( good song)Will the money generated be enough?. Both sides have to compromise, I think they will, I do NOT see the increase of the taxes for the upper 2% as unreasonable, unless you live in san fran NY or DC where 250,000 isn’t what it used to be, should be some regional variation there….
Recon 0311 2533
November 14th, 2012
10:26 am
“Both of their tracking polls had Romney winning the national popular vote.”
Byte, as I recall just a few days before the election they both only had Romney up one point in the national. Rasmussen had Romney up only one point in the national several days before the election. Rasmussen along with many other polls had it close in the battleground states, which it proved not to be.
Thomas Heyward Jr
November 14th, 2012
10:27 am
Joe Hussein Mama
November 14th, 2012
10:15 am
T. Heyward — “The absolute least that the no-loads in Washington could do would be to draft some sort of treaty where global EVERYBODY would agree to take at least 4 zeros off of everyone’s respective debt figure….and income figure.”
Actually, that’s been proposed by some econ bloggers. There’s a very involved chart floating around the intertubes with colored arrows pointing back and forth at the various G-8 nations, demonstrating who owes whom money and how much. Remarkably, most of the nations seem to be owed *roughly* about the same amount as they owe others in the G-8.
That said, I don’t believe China was included in that graphic.
————————————————————————————————————————-
.
Excactly.
.
Instantly ..tomorrow……TPTB “could” swatt three zeros off of all global debt……AND……only swap 2 off of “global” currency.
.
Problem solved with a ten percent haircut.
And it REALLY is that simple but………………
TPTB need debt slaves and the slaves go there willingly.
Why would they change?
Finn McCool (The System isn't Broken; It's Fixed)
November 14th, 2012
10:27 am
there are a whole lot of unhappy campers out there who think that the Marxist in charge is taking this country down the wrong path
But there are MORE on the other side of the fence, Kayaker.
mwuahahahahahahahahaa
Oscar
November 14th, 2012
10:27 am
OTHERWISE…how the hell is the day crew?
———–
Doing fine here. Going to visit my seven month old grand daughter this weekend. Can’t wait to be there.
How about youself, Joself.
Thomas Heyward Jr
November 14th, 2012
10:28 am
Oscar
November 14th, 2012
10:21 am
If your society’s economic market EVER requires more than 7 exponential base-ten numbers,,,,,,then ye shall know that your economic market is surely dooooomed and that there are myriads of governmental scimmers about”.
Sir Issac Newton 1679″
___________
Those numbers must be adjusted for inflation.
———————————————————————————————————————————–
.
You still do not understand.
Please keep trying.
Joe Hussein Mama
November 14th, 2012
10:28 am
K71 — “Keep in mind that Bozo won by 51/49, hardly a mandate by anyone’s standards.”
It is by Dick Cheney’s standards. He called Bush’s 2004 re-election a mandate, but consider this:
Obama won more popular votes than Bush did in 2004.
Obama earned a greater *margin* in the popular vote than Bush did in 2004.
Obama won a greater percentage of the popular vote than Bush did in 2004.
Also,
Obama won nearly 50 more Electoral Votes in his re-election than Bush did in his.
In short, Obama’s got a stronger claim to a mandate in 2012 than Bush had in 2004.
http://mediamatters.org/research/2008/11/04/in-2008-will-media-recall-2004-declarations-of/146033
He has a “mandate”. What a crock.
Damned *numbers.* How come they’re always so librul, just like science?
flagboy?
November 14th, 2012
10:28 am
Oscar
November 14th, 2012
10:23 am
Are you choosing pain now for yourself or for other people. My guess is that it’s for other people.
_______________________________
Kind of like 16 trillion in debt.
stands for decibels
November 14th, 2012
10:31 am
Common sense changes need to be made, the most striking is raising the retirement age to go along with life expectancy.
The retirement age IS raising to go along with life expectancy. Already. You don’t need to raise it more in order to give Warren Buffet a slightly bigger tax break.
Oscar
November 14th, 2012
10:32 am
You still do not understand.
Please keep trying.
_______
Splain it to me, Lucy.
josef
November 14th, 2012
10:32 am
OSCAR
Enjoy that time with the New One. Nothing quite like that to put things in perspective.
Me? Fine and dandy and full of piss and vinagre. Got the annual round of poke, prod and rest results back and a good report. Now I have the rest of the day to play with the day crew and catch up on some stuff hanging from the other screen.
Oscar
November 14th, 2012
10:33 am
Kind of like 16 trillion in debt.
__________
We will grow out of it. But it has to be done right. No jumping off cliffs.
USinUK - not very ladylike (and former Girl Scout)
November 14th, 2012
10:34 am
“Keep in mind that Bozo won by 51/49, hardly a mandate by anyone’s standards. ”
bollocks
he won a majority of the vote – and from more than the “white male” population … in other words, he won in both quantity AND representative quality of the vote.
http://edition.cnn.com/2012/11/07/politics/exit-polls-analysis/index.html
deegee
November 14th, 2012
10:35 am
Oh, please God deliver us from Tom Price!!! He is the ditziest of the bobble-headed mouthpieces of the republican party. I have never heard him say anything of substance. He gets in front of the camera and spouts republican talking points without even taking a breath. He is one of the most contemptuous empty suits in Washington. Lord, please don’t let him have his way!!!
Joe Hussein Mama
November 14th, 2012
10:36 am
Southpaw — “Here’s an idea for tweaking your plan just a little. Since 2012 will have an extremely high deficit, another year might be a better baseline. Budgets passed when Bill Clinton was President are touted for having surpluses, so let’s use 1999 as a baseline instead. Since prices have risen in the past 13 years, allow increases to the 1999 budget to match the consumer price index.”
I have absolutely no problem with using a different year as the baseline. However, depending on how jarring the changes are between the current fiscal year and the baseline year, we might want to squeeze in an interstitial year to smooth out the bumps. For example, if some Federal agency had experienced a 30% increase in its budget since 1999, we should probably phase that change in over two years, rather than go right to it and throw the agency into disarray.
“Congressional approval for going over the budget is a good idea, although a 3/5 or 2/3 supermajority requirement might be an improvement.”
If there’s some kind of national emergency, like a major national disaster or a war, surely Congress will pull together. But purely regional interests (or the interests of a narrow slice of the business community) would certainly find a harder time attracting the support of a supermajority of Congress.
“We may also want to return to the tax rates/deductions/credits from that time, as well.”
I’ve got no problem at all returning to Clinton-era tax rates. Heck, I wouldn’t mind Kennedy-era tax rates, but indexed to inflation rather than adopted as-is. I think that 91% tax rate would need to kick in at a far higher income level than it did back then.
Let me know what you think of these ideas.
Oscar
November 14th, 2012
10:36 am
Time to go to my real life now. Everyone have a good day.
Nero
November 14th, 2012
10:36 am
No, I choose pain for myself as well. The only way it will work is if we all burn together. Sequestration is the logical way to go. Raise everybody’s taxes. Gut most if not all deductions. Cut defense. Cut entitlements. Pay down the debt. Drag the leeches over the cliff screaming. We’ll be better off for it.
David Shivers
November 14th, 2012
10:36 am
If Boehner’s candidate doesn’t win today, we may all pay a high (and mighty) Price.
Joe Hussein Mama
November 14th, 2012
10:38 am
Alex — “hey joe ( good song)Will the money generated be enough?.”
Don’t know. We would probably have to make adjustments as we went along, but at least my plan would have us *aiming* for surpluses every year.
“Both sides have to compromise, I think they will, I do NOT see the increase of the taxes for the upper 2% as unreasonable, unless you live in san fran NY or DC where 250,000 isn’t what it used to be, should be some regional variation there….”
Do you have an idea for how that could be done in a fair manner? Warren Buffett might be a little peeved if he’s being taxed differently in Omaha than Tom Cruise is in LA.
John Konop
November 14th, 2012
10:38 am
Joe H M
………First, we set spending level *ceilings* on all Federal line items. Just for the sake of argument, I’m going to propose FY 2012 as the baseline. Spending is locked in at or below this level, and *cannot* by law exceed that level without Congressional approval……….
The biggest problem we face on spending is healthcare cost are growing way faster than GDP. Unless we fix this nothing will stop the explosion of the budget. The first agenda item should be allowing seniors and government workers to be able to buy drugs from the VA. That would alone save about 60% of the cost of drugs. Also we must set up easier systems for access to healthcare like dial a doc for non emergency uninsured as well as federal employees and Medicare/Medicaid recipients. We also must raise co-pays and lower coverage on elective care for government workers and Medicare/Medicaid recipients. And we must deregulate healthcare to allow nurses to perform more primary care.
Second factor is military, that can only get fixed if we stop the policy of being the policemen for the world.
Third SS can be fixed with some minor tweaks and we should put in an option that allows younger workers to gradually use an annuity type product they own.
Finally combine this with consolidation of redundant agencies we would have enough money to reinvest into needed infrastructure which would create jobs ie more tax revenue.
As far as taxes you have heard my point before about lowering rates and eliminating all special interest write-offs, which would create more revenue and jobs. And eliminating payroll taxes and replace it with a national sales tax or VAT, which would also create jobs ie more tax revenue.
Logical Dude
November 14th, 2012
10:39 am
SFD: You don’t need to raise it more in order to give Warren Buffet a slightly bigger tax break.
No, it’s to pay down the debt, Mr Buffet’s tax rate should be in line with revenue enhancements. (meaning, he would be paying more).
See how that works? *every* *body* is affected. Benefits will be reduced, and taxes will go up. Loopholes will be closed. etc etc etc.
Joe Hussein Mama
November 14th, 2012
10:39 am
T. Heyward — “Problem solved with a ten percent haircut.
And it REALLY is that simple but………………”
To be fair, that doesn’t take China into account. I think that problem’s going to be a *lot* more difficult to solve.
Recon 0311 2533
November 14th, 2012
10:39 am
“But there are MORE on the other side of the fence, Kayaker.”
There’s a lot more on the other side who have no clue one way or the other. They just want to keep taking what the government gives them and the Democrats did a great job of getting most of them to the polls.
josef
November 14th, 2012
10:39 am
“Keep in mind that Bozo won by 51/49, hardly a mandate by anyone’s standards. ”
Parse it anyway you want and any way it makes you feel better, but that’s a fact. And the mandate? That nearly half the eligible voters who basically said, “who gives a sh*t. A pox on both their houses. I’ll stay home.” That’s the cold-blooded reality that nobody seems willing or able to confront.
mm
November 14th, 2012
10:40 am
Remove the income cap on SS tax. Apply the SS tax to capital gains, not just payroll income.
SS problem solved.
Corbin Sharpe. I think, therefore I am...I think.
November 14th, 2012
10:41 am
USinUK,
“assumes facts not in evidence.”
Is that a name like “Dances With Wolves”?
JamVet
November 14th, 2012
10:41 am
Keep in mind that Bozo won by 51/49, hardly a mandate by anyone’s standards.
Apparently someone does not yet understand how presidential elections work in this county.
You ultra-bozos just got routed
Again.
Keep up the excellent work.
At least until you can perfect your time machine and go back to the 1950s where you belong…
Dunwoody Granny
November 14th, 2012
10:42 am
Is anyone in the Democratic party giving thought to how we can win back the white male voter?
Maybe if we just did a better job of making our case…
0311/8541/5811/1811/1801
November 14th, 2012
10:42 am
“White House ‘Held Affair Over Petraeus’s Head’ For Favorable Testimony On Benghazi”
CHARLES KRAUTHAMMER: “I think the really shocking news today was that General Petraeus thought and hoped he could keep his job. He thought that it might and it would be kept secret, and that he could stay in his position. I think what that tells us is really important. It meant that he understood that the FBI obviously knew what was going on. He was hoping that those administration officials would not disclose what had happened, and therefore hoping that he would keep his job. And that meant that he understood that his job, his reputation, his legacy, his whole celebrated life was in the hands of the administration, and he expected they would protect him by keeping it quiet.
And that brings us to the ultimate issue, and that is his testimony on September 13. That’s the thing that connects the two scandals, and that’s the only thing that makes the sex scandal relevant. Otherwise it would be an exercise in sensationalism and voyeurism and nothing else. The reason it’s important is here’s a man who knows the administration holds his fate in its hands, and he gives testimony completely at variance with what the Secretary of Defense had said the day before, at variance with what he’d heard from his station chief in Tripoli, and with everything that we had heard. Was he influenced by the fact that he knew his fate was held by people within the administration at that time?”
Read more: http://newsbusters.org/blogs/noel-sheppard/2012/11/13/krauthammer-white-house-held-affair-over-petraeuss-head-favorable-tes#ixzz2CDClNKWY
St Simons
November 14th, 2012
10:43 am
It physically hurts me to keep saying this to my fellow liberals,
but its in our nature, I guess. We (you) continue to place human,
conscience-based characteristics on sociopaths.
These people will not conform to the paradigm of what they SHOULD do,
You continue to assume they will do what we as liberals
THINK they should do. They won’t, because they’re missing that ‘chip’.
Its the same area of the brain that senses Irony & hypocrisy.
I’m tellin you, these cats will not change, don’t intend to change,
and they’re goin out with a bang, not a handshake.
stands for decibels
November 14th, 2012
10:44 am
Obama should go in demanding 8 zeros off.
.
It would make things simpler from here on out.
I think I’ve figured out your problem (and a problem of many, many others, including most anyone who seems terrified of the word “Trillion).
Really, just trying to help, here.
http://www.fearofstuff.com/numbers/fear-of-numbers/
What Causes Numerophobia?
Fears develop in peculiar ways. For instance one scenario that may cause numerophobia could be that as a child you, for no particular reason began counting how many sections of sidewalk it took in order to get from your home to school. It got to the point where you could predict within ten paces how many steps it would take every day. It was fun until you couldn’t stop counting. It might even be that you were stopped from counting by a traumatic incident (accident, bully or upset parent). From that moment you may have moved from enjoying the counting to fearing the numbers that resulted in trouble. From that point on numbers may have been equated in your mind as something that caused problems.
Joe Hussein Mama
November 14th, 2012
10:44 am
J. Konop — “The biggest problem we face on spending is healthcare cost are growing way faster than GDP. Unless we fix this nothing will stop the explosion of the budget.”
FWIW, I have an idea about that, too, but it would send the cons into fits.
My sense is that the healthcare cost issue will never be solved unless and until we run and manage healthcare like a public utility in this country. I know that will cause the Usual Suspects to foam at the mouth and go ZOMG SOSHULIZUM, but market-based solutions have had generations to work and they simply aren’t.
IMO, some economic problems don’t *have* market-based solutions, And IMO, health insurance is one of them.
josef
November 14th, 2012
10:44 am
DUNWOODY G
“Maybe if we just did a better job of making our case…”
Yep. And drive-by demonizing ain’t the way to do it…
USinUK - not very ladylike (and former Girl Scout)
November 14th, 2012
10:44 am
“They just want to keep taking what the government gives them and the Democrats did a great job of getting most of them to the polls.”
yep … you keep playing the 47% / taker card … we’ll keep on winning elections …
Jefferson
November 14th, 2012
10:45 am
Reasonable people can come to reasonable conclusions under reasonable conditions unless you are a republican.
Corbin Sharpe. I think, therefore I am...I think.
November 14th, 2012
10:45 am
Josef,
Congrats on the clean bill of health!
Joe Hussein Mama
November 14th, 2012
10:45 am
C. Sharpe — “Is that a name like “Dances With Wolves”?
I tell my wife that her Native American name would be “Parks All Wrong.”
Joe Hussein Mama
November 14th, 2012
10:46 am
mm — “Remove the income cap on SS tax. Apply the SS tax to capital gains, not just payroll income. SS problem solved.”
Are you down with means-testing for benefits, too?
Recon 0311 2533
November 14th, 2012
10:46 am
” we’ll keep on winning elections …”
At least until the money runs out.
Nero
November 14th, 2012
10:46 am
Don’t just stare at it!! JUMP!!!
JamVet
November 14th, 2012
10:47 am
…and the Democrats did a great job of getting most of them to the polls.
Republispeak for our product sucks much of the time, is getting worse and more outdated and WAY too many Americans won’t buy it. (But we ain’t ever gonna own up to that basic fact. Because we are the smart ones!)
The future does not look kind for the Party of No…
Corbin Sharpe. I think, therefore I am...I think.
November 14th, 2012
10:47 am
Joe Hussein Mama
November 14th, 2012
10:45 am
alex
November 14th, 2012
10:48 am
@John Konop, I see a lot of medicare and medicaid waste in the system..As for the primary care issue, do YOU want to see a M.D. or an PA/NP, easy to say IF a simple problem, but that 1-5% of time (estimate) when the problem is difficult will the FAR less trained recognize what they do NOT know…. as for dial a doc: could be part of the answer, From my perspective, a lot of people would be willing to accept a algorythm based care, realizing that there is potentially cheaper product and less capable ( hey, go to Walmart and buy the Walmart tent, see how long it lasts, go to REI…)
You will see a lot of interists go to concirage which will drop even more people into the system looking for healthcareb
mm
November 14th, 2012
10:48 am
“They just want to keep taking what the government gives them and the Democrats did a great job of getting most of them to the polls.”
Please keep saying this for 2 more years. The only reason the cons kept the House is because of 2010 gerrymandering.
Jefferson
November 14th, 2012
10:49 am
Those who speak of scandals should cut womens hair and gossip with them… gotcha moments are childlike petty.
USinUK - not very ladylike (and former Girl Scout)
November 14th, 2012
10:49 am
“I tell my wife that her Native American name would be “Parks All Wrong.”
”
hahahahahaha
Joe Hussein Mama
November 14th, 2012
10:49 am
Recon — “At least until the money runs out.”
Come now. Sheldon Adelson’s worth at least another six or seven Democratic election blowouts.
Thulsa Doom
November 14th, 2012
10:50 am
As much hell as I give Joe mama and vice versa his ideas the previous page are good and would work provided the 2 parties could come to terms on cuts. R s are going to have to give in on defense spending, D s on govt programs that are duplicative or that do not work, and we’re going to have to have means testing on ss for the very wealthy.
My concern on spending cuts and tax raises would be the same thing Reagan went through. Twice he agreed to tax increases in exchange for spending cuts. He got duped. The tax increases took place. The spending reductions never did.
Recon 0311 2533
November 14th, 2012
10:50 am
“The future does not look kind for the Party of No…”
The future does not look good for the country and guess what happens as that inconvenient truth continues to unfold.
JamVet
November 14th, 2012
10:50 am
On the other side, there is the Wall Street way of life and politics. Trust the leader! Let big business take care of prices and profits! Measure all things by money! That is the philosophy of the masters of the Republican Party.
Well, I have been studying the Republican Party for over 12 years at close hand in the Capital of the United States. And by this time, I have discovered where the Republicans stand on most of the major issues.
Since they won’t tell you themselves, I am going to tell you.
Republicans approve of the American farmer, but they are willing to help him go broke.
They stand four-square for the American home–but not for housing.
They are strong for labor–but they are stronger for restricting labor’s rights.
They favor minimum wage–the smaller the minimum wage the better.
They endorse educational opportunity for all–but they won’t spend money for teachers or for schools.
They think modern medical care and hospitals are fine–for people who can afford them.
They consider electrical power a great blessing–but only when the private power companies get their rake-off.
They think American standard of living is a fine thing–so long as it doesn’t spread to all the people.
And they admire of Government of the United States so much that they would like to buy it. ~Harry S. Truman, October 1948
USinUK - not very ladylike (and former Girl Scout)
November 14th, 2012
10:50 am
“At least until the money runs out.”
hahahaha … I think you guys are at a FAR greater risk of the money running out than the Dems … ask the Koch brothers and all the other super-pac funders if they’re down with spending another $3B on a losing election …
stands for decibels
November 14th, 2012
10:51 am
At least until the money runs out.
oh, do tell, Del. Tell me about how we’ll ALL BE SORRY when we’ve forced you “producers” to run off to Galt Gulch.
Nero
November 14th, 2012
10:51 am
Sequestration now!!!
josef
November 14th, 2012
10:51 am
CORBIN
Thanks. To celebrate I went by the cafeteria and had breakfast: cheesy eggs, greasy pattie pork sausage, biscuits and a large coffee…
And I got y’all’s Indian names…
killerj
November 14th, 2012
10:53 am
Same old crap Jay,nice to know we the people have a prez that the majority did not want,the next four years will be pathetic.
Mateo
November 14th, 2012
10:54 am
I say let Boehner and the House Reps drive us over the cliff. Cut defense and let the tax cuts expire for everyone, get the budget back on track with SHARED SACRIFICE. Throw the Reps under the bus and say “see what their gridlock gets, tax increases for all!” Dems will clean up at the midterm.
St Simons
November 14th, 2012
10:55 am
josef is the ‘keeper of the stories (language)’ – a high place in the tribe
JamVet
November 14th, 2012
10:55 am
The future does not look good for the country…
Of course, it does.
There is more opportunity today than there was yesterday. And there will be more tomorrow.
The Republicans may have quit on this republic, but their is still a ton of fight left in us liberals, independents, moderates and greens.
We are in this thing for the long haul and we are going to continue to make this “a more perfect union”!
The liberals were liberators – they fought slavery, fought for women to have the right to vote, fought against Hitler, fought to end segregation, fought to end apartheid. Liberals put an end to child labor and they gave us the five day work week. ~Barbara Streisand