It doesn't matter a fig what's in the President's reduction plan

[cali]

On first glance it doesn't look bad, but bad or good, it doesn't matter. All the repubs (and some dems for sure) have to do is wait until December 23 when across the board cuts take place automatically.

The repubs, (and some dems) will NEVER EVER allow tax increases on their beloved corporate owners.

for more details:

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/19/us/politics/obama-plan-to-cut-deficit-will-trim-spending.html

[Fumesucker]

1. Won't that be a basket of Christmas cheer?

Wake up and smell the mistletoe suckers..

[cali]

2. no kidding.

twas the night before Christmas and all through the house
the congress cats were toying with every little mouse

[BzaDem]

3. But the across the board cuts disproportionally hit defense in a big way.

The deal automatically cut defense by 350 billion over the next decade, over the objections of many Republicans in Congress. But if the across the board cuts take effect, defense gets absolutely gutted by an additional 600 billion on top of the 350 billion. It was set up that way, so that the defense cuts are actually MORE than the domestic cuts (at a time where most Republicans want NO defense cuts beyond the 350 billion or none at all).

So there will be an incentive for the Republicans to deal. I agree that they probably won't agree to tax increases. But they might agree to scrap the trigger altogether, or to pass phony savings to meet the target and avoid the trigger.

[cali]

4. really? you actually think 350 billion over TEN years is a big cut?

It's not

[BzaDem]

6. 350 alone isn't. 350 + 600 would be a relatively big cut (but I would be fine with it).

But it has nothing to do with me. I'm only talking about what gives Republicans an incentive to deal. So it is their opinion that matters (for purposes of analyzing their incentive to deal). And they want defense spending increased relative to the baseline -- not cut by close to a trillion. My only point is that they have an incentive to avoid the trillion, since they think it would be a horrifyingly large cut.

[cali]

7. there is virtually no incentive for repubs to deal and they aren't even close

to all in agreement about defense cuts.

[liberal N proud]

5. And that is exactly what their plan is.