GOP Will Go After Entitlements in Debt Ceiling Talks

[UCmeNdc]

Notice what Cole is saying: Now that Obama has given away his leverage, Republicans can go after “entitlements” — meaning Medicare and Social Security benefits — during the debt ceiling and sequester negotiations. So it's very important for us to keep up the pressure on Democrats and make sure they don't take the bait:


http://crooksandliars.com/susie-madrak/cole-gop-will-go-after-entitlements-d

[rocktivity]

1. They can start with the entitlements that the richest are getting

through the remaining tax cuts.


rocktivity

[geek tragedy]

2. So, we should have done a grand bargain now?

Or is the theory that if we had gone fully over the cliff, we would have been able to get a deal that involved in taxing the rich more but zero spending cuts, period, for the next two years?

[Proud Liberal Dem]

3. What kind of "leverage" do they think they have?

Nobody seriously wants to have entitlements cut. It will be interesting to see the Republicans out there every day as the default date looms furiously demanding cuts to Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid as the price for raising the debt ceiling, particularly if the Dems refuse to negotiate with them as they have claimed that they will do.

[Cosmocat]

7. Make THEM say what they want to cut ...

Flat out ...

They are the ones screaming for cuts, demanding cuts.

Make them sell the cuts they want.

Make them go on the record and own it.

[UCmeNdc]

14. Agree

[Myrina]

20. "nobody wants to have entitlements cut" ?

Is that why "entitlement reform" is the first thing out of the mouths of all the talking heads (Dem and GOP) regardless of which channel one watches?

[Chan790]

4. Wonder how fast they'll back off...

when the Democrats come back with demands for substantial new revenues like carbon tax, Wall St. transaction tax and some sort of war tax to fund the DoD. There's still sole in the ass-kicking boots the Democrats have found...if they have the courage to use them.

(Other than the carbon tax, those are bad ideas...but the spectre of them should be sufficient for to horse-trade entitlements right off the table for the rest of the 113th.)

[alcibiades_mystery]

9. I'd also come back with a demand that we raise the rate to 37.5% for the $250,00-$450,000 range

Why not. We need revenue.

They want to play games? There's plenty of more revenue for us to find.

[Myrina]

21. I wondered why ...

... the rates couldn't be steppe-d for the top brackets?
i.e. - $250,00 - 399,999 = x% increase: $400,000 - 599,999 = X+3% increase, etc etc ... ?

Surely that had to occur to POTUS, he's alot smarter than I am.

[high density]

5. Obama said yesterday no negotiation on debt ceiling

He said congress has already voted for this spending in the past; they must now pay for it by raising the debt ceiling.

[Proud Liberal Dem]

6. Right

the appropriate time to talk about spending is during the normal appropriations process. Once that's decided on and passed by Congress and signed into law by the President, the debate should be over in terms of what we're spending or what we're not. Then we need to make sure to pay the bills. The less we spend, the less (presumably) we'll have to raise the debt ceiling, right???? If the Republicans want to have a fight over entitlements during the appropriations process, well..........please proceed!

[Cosmocat]

8. Let's hope he sticks with it ...

nm

[leftynyc]

17. Most people don't realize what the

debt ceiling is. They're under the impression (with the help of fox and right wingers) that this is new spending.

[octoberlib]

10. When haven't the GOP gone after entitlements?

I get so tired of their crap. They're like a broken record.

[Jeff In Milwaukee]

12. My thoughts exactly....

We're naming a new Post Office in Indiana AND we're going to eliminate Social Security. Who's With Me?!

[Arneoker]

16. Don't say entitlements, it's a euphemism!

Say Social Security and Medicare, Social Security and Medicare...

[RomneyLies]

11. There will be NO negotiations over the debt ceiling

The Republicans will treat raising the debt ceiling exactly like the SEVENTY-FIVE TIMES it was raised prior to the election of Barack Obama as president in 2008, or they will take responsibility for the economic debacle that follows.

[thatsrightimirish]

13. He says he won't negotiate

But we all know how good he is at negotiating with himself. Taking the debt ceiling off the table should have been part of the deal.

[Cosmocat]

15. it won't be at the debt ceiling, it will be at sequestration

Cole's 5 minutes of fame came when he broke ranks in November of the debt ceiling.

Past that, he is the typical simple minded, talking points spewing republican twit.

I share most folks lack of comfort with the President's tendency to give too much to Rs in negotiations, but his mannerisms and tone with the debt ceiling APPEAR to be a bit different. I think he is going to dig his heals in and not allow them to use it like they did the last time. He is not as "weak" as people want to make him out to be, and frankly, given that debt ceilings were passed 75 times in our history without this bullshit, he knows he is being treated as a, sorry for the use of the word, but is the most accurate way of saying it, a bitch over it, and I think he has had his fill of that.

NOW, sequestration is where he will offer up SS and Medicade.

Republican's don't want the defense cuts, and he will use that as a means to engage in his kind of negotiation with them, and I see no way that he does not put SS up for a third time. NOW, can they get the jackasses in the House to go along with it OR will the senate democrats allow for it are the question.

[jmowreader]

18. The GOP is the side that gave away its leverage

One of the little-discussed facts of the Reagan era is it had more spies than any before or since. When they get caught, they all tell a similar story: once you pass information, you're screwed - you have to keep on doing it.

The GOP is in a similar situation. They've already proven they will vote aye on a tax increase without a significant spending cut in it. They've also proven they won't name specific spending cuts - they want us to do it so they have a campaign issue. And now they're screwed.

My best guess is when they come to the table next time, Obama gets his $250,000 threshold, a debt limit increase and something else he wants. And the GOP gets to listen to Grover whine.

[JoePhilly]

19. Those programs exist, the GOP hates them, therefore, they are going to attack them.

Its what they've been doing for decades.

No one should be surprised when they try it again.

The GOP ran up the debt in an effort to get the American people to be willing to give up those programs to prevent a total collapse.

But what's happened is that the American people are starting to see just how crazy the GOP is, and they won't accept cuts to those programs, and the GOP's efforts to convince the American people to accept such cuts will not be popular.

If things work out as they should ... the GOP which is already in the process of destroying themselves, will accelerate the process by attacking these programs yet again.