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Galraedia

(5,015 posts)
Wed Sep 5, 2012, 09:08 PM Sep 2012

Guess Who Stuck a Knife in the Budget Deal?

When I wrote my Paul Ryan profile last spring, I argued that nobody, with the possible exception of Grover Norquist, had done more to destroy bipartisan deficit reduction agreements than Paul Ryan. Ryan was a member of the Bowles-Simpson commission and voted against it. The following summer, a large bipartisan coalition of Senators was prepared to unveil a deficit plan when Ryan, as Republican blogger Jennifer Rubin reported at the time, "dropped what one Republican Senate adviser called a 'bomb' on the Gang of Six."

There was a third moment when Democrats and Republicans might have joined together to agree on a long-term fiscal readjustment. President Obama and John Boehner had struck a deal, one that was far more favorable to Republicans than either Bowles-Simpson or the Senate plan — a horrible deal, I would say. Guess who stuck in the knife?

The New York Times reports today:

Mr. Ryan’s enormous influence was apparent last summer when Representative Eric Cantor, the second most powerful House Republican, told Mr. Obama during negotiations over an attempted bipartisan “grand bargain” that Mr. Ryan disliked its policy and was concerned that a deal would pave the way for Mr. Obama’s easy re-election, according to a Democrat and a Republican who were briefed on the conversation.


Read more: http://nymag.com/daily/intel/2012/08/guess-who-stuck-a-knife-in-the-budget-deal.html
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Canuckistanian

(42,290 posts)
2. Ryan hated the report because it recommended tax increases
Wed Sep 5, 2012, 10:21 PM
Sep 2012

And that ran against his ideological biases, not to mention his teabagger credentials.

That's the problem with these "true believers". They'll NEVER compromise, even if their own credibility is on the line.

 

99th_Monkey

(19,326 posts)
4. Thank you
Thu Sep 6, 2012, 03:58 AM
Sep 2012

I was going to have to post that, but you beat me to it.

As I recall, weren't there some rather dire SS & Medicare cuts
that were part of this "deal" (with the Devil)?

 

magical thyme

(14,881 posts)
6. agreed. it's just extra special though that in killing it off he also
Thu Sep 6, 2012, 12:51 PM
Sep 2012

managed to stab himself to death, so to speak.

tokenlib

(4,186 posts)
7. If the deal had been struck..I highly doubt it would have prompted an "easy re-election."
Sat Sep 8, 2012, 03:09 AM
Sep 2012

Not that the end result could even be imagined... The "catfood commission" on STEROIDS would have threatened democratic party unity--caused the progressive wing to revolt or stay home in despair and disillusioned.. Obama could have politically speaking destroyed his future.. Mr. Ryan may have done us all a favor...

Bill USA

(6,436 posts)
9. Great Post. recommended. They are trying to create another alternate reality story that
Tue Sep 11, 2012, 07:00 PM
Sep 2012

Obama scuttled the deal. Obama has been leaning over backwards so far to get GOP participation in Government and the GOP just keep knifing him (typical punk response to conciliatory behavior and efforts to reach a compromise).


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