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Better Believe It Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun Sep-11-11 11:27 AM
Original message
Democratic/Republican Senators hold "private" meeting to push for huge government spending cuts


Senators meet privately on urging broad debt-reduction plan from supercommittee
By Peter Wallsten
September 8, 2011

More than two dozen senators from both parties met privately this week to revive hopes of a grand debt-cutting bargain — exploring how to push the newly formed debt “supercommittee” to find far more than its assigned goal of $1.5 trillion in deficit reductions.

The senators want at least $3 trillion slashed from the deficit over the next decade. In addition, they plan to press the committee to pass a major tax overhaul to lower rates and close special-interest loopholes, as well as changes to entitlement programs such as Medicare, according to several participants.

Obama, too, is expected to press the committee to exceed its deficit-reduction goal. In his speech Thursday night, he called on Congress to increase the super­committee’s deficit-cutting goals to cover the costs of his jobs plan, and he said that a week from Monday he will announce a more detailed plan “that will not only cover the cost of this jobs bill, but stabilize our debt in the long run.”

Several people familiar with the discussions said the lawmakers felt that, after the pomp and ceremony of Obama’s joint-session speech fades, the center of political and policy gravity on Capitol Hill will be the work of the special committee, chaired by Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.) and Rep. Jeb Hensarling (R-Tex.).

Read the full article at:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/senators-meet-privately-on-debt-reduction-strategy/2011/09/08/gIQAzL00CK_story.html



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Autumn Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun Sep-11-11 11:31 AM
Response to Original message
1. I have no use for these disgusting politicians anymore
They are all tone deaf and I find them to be disgusting. These bastards have theirs and fuck the rest of us. K/R
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Warren Stupidity Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun Sep-11-11 11:32 AM
Response to Original message
2. Super Duper Secret MiniLegislature!
Oh we are so totally fucked.
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femrap Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun Sep-11-11 12:09 PM
Response to Reply #2
9. How is this
damn Super Committee even constitutional??? I can't believe there isn't some group out there questioning this?

Just wait until 2012 when The Audacity of Austerity hits the USA.

We're just a 3rd world fascist nation now....and you're right....WASF....totally.
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banned from Kos Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun Sep-11-11 12:19 PM
Response to Reply #9
11. Its Constitutional because they don't have formal power
Congress as a body must approve anything.

Like the Gang of Fourteen - same thing.
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femrap Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun Sep-11-11 01:09 PM
Response to Reply #11
15. The rules on this
Edited on Sun Sep-11-11 01:10 PM by femrap
Super Committee are different....if there is no agreement on cuts, the 'Automatic Across the Board' rule kicks in. So they won't have to be blamed for the cuts.

eta: How did you get banned from Kos?
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socialist_n_TN Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun Sep-11-11 11:35 AM
Response to Original message
3. Marxists have the answer........
Marxists have ALWAYS had the answer.
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Odin2005 Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun Sep-11-11 12:50 PM
Response to Reply #3
13. +1,000,000,000,000,000,000
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ProSense Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun Sep-11-11 11:36 AM
Response to Original message
4. The hearing
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Tierra_y_Libertad Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun Sep-11-11 11:40 AM
Response to Original message
5. "The private gathering.... included about 25 centrists from both parties", says it all.
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Better Believe It Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun Sep-11-11 11:42 AM
Response to Reply #5
6. I wonder which ones reported back directly to President Obama on how the meeting went.

It appears that President Obama has become the unacknowledged leader of these Republican/Democratic "centrist" Senators.
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shanti Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun Sep-11-11 12:11 PM
Response to Reply #5
10. so basically....
it's just one big party? meh, who needs two parties when one will do?? :sarcasm:
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QC Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Sep-12-11 02:05 PM
Response to Reply #5
17. What's the difference between a "centrist" "Democrat" and a Republican?
There's no punch line to this--I am seriously wondering about that.

They seem to be the same damn thing to me.
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sam11111 Donating Member (638 posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun Sep-11-11 12:03 PM
Response to Original message
7. misery at the bottom scares the middle out of striking for good wages
Edited on Sun Sep-11-11 12:30 PM by sam11111
So... cut spending on the unemployed (at the bottom)

and wages fall.


"Spending cuts = wage cuts"

-------------------------
------ ------------------
Now back up before spending cuts.....

Cut taxes, and then one must cut spending

So, putting it all together:

"Tax cuts = wage cuts"

Cut one dollar of tax
And wages fall MANY dollars.

This is the second most important pillar of corporate societies. Memorize it, please.



N
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Safetykitten Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun Sep-11-11 12:06 PM
Response to Original message
8. FALL SLAM! Cut Commish against Obama Job Train! Pay-per-view...oh secret...forgot.
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OHdem10 Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun Sep-11-11 12:41 PM
Response to Original message
12. If you have been checking out different Programs on Television
Edited on Sun Sep-11-11 12:44 PM by OHdem10
especially those considered Business Programs you
would not be at all surprised by the Centrist(Pro-Business)Democrats
and Republicans getting together to do Wall St and Big Business
bidding.

Over the last week, there have been--yes Economist from Moodys
showing up all over Business Shows from Lou Dobbs to whatever.
Note: Moody's is a ratings agency. The cry is "something must
be done about those entitlement programs. Heck, Grasso, was
brought back supposedly to celebrate his handling Wall Street
when the plane crashed into the building on 9/ll. Lordy Me,
he was not there 3 seconds and he was on a tear saying
the two parties must get together and solve this entitlement
program problem. Today we have Ackerson, GEN. Motors almost
belligerantly exhorting us to get the entitlements fixed.

I think we forget that Business was put in charge in this country
and both parties on the Hill supported it. At least enough
Democrats supported it to make it the law of the land.

Never forget, when Reagan started his administration he began
with the belief that Government is the problem and so he
set in motion principles laws, rules which in effect give
Business the power in this country. For the past 30 years
the Republicans have doubled down on these. Make no mistake
Business rules. Why do you think Obama was willing to put
Medicare, SS and Medicaid on the table--even in recent
great jobs speech.

You are in peril if you believe "FREE MARKET PRINCIPLES"
is just some catchy phrase. No, this rules. Just to show
how effective they are.--one principle established very early.
Corporations have only a responsibility to their shareholders
and to earn profits. This is the sum duties of a Corporation.
They have no allegiance to this country and can therefore go
prowling the earth seeking the cheapest labor in order to
make higher profits for their shareholders.

We can yip and yell, but they are protected by Law. As they
have gotten richer and richer their power is multiplied. Now
they are telling us to solve our own Entitlement Programs and
expect not one darn bit of cooperation from them.

Anything we do will be nibbling at the edges and no real change.
Change can only occur if and when there is a movement opposed
to the perversion of Capitalism by these "Free Market Principles."
As long as we permit to stand--The Invisible hand of the Market
will right all wrongs", we will continue to whistle past the graveyard.

It is unfair to expect Obama to make real change. This situation
is much bigger than one President. Never forget our Conservadems
are in more agreement with the Republicans than our party, very often.

Yep, every corner of Wall St and Business is putting on the pressure
to fix entitlements. Their idea of "fix" is a far cry from what
I believe as Liberal Democrat.
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Name removed Donating Member (0 posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun Sep-11-11 12:50 PM
Response to Original message
14. Deleted message
Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.
 
bvar22 Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Sep-12-11 11:03 AM
Response to Original message
16. This puts the "CON" in Super CONgress.
If they aren't willing to talk about it in public,
then they shouldn't be talking about it at all.
People doing SHAMEFUL things always try to hide in the dark.

Transparency
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o5t8GdxFYBU
"No more secrecy when I'm President!"



You will know them by their WORKS,
not by their excuses.

Solidarity!
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


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