08-10-2011, 07:16 PM
Boehner and McConnell have named the Republicans for the committee. They've all taken Norquist's pledge and this is what Norquist himself tweeted about it, ""Boehner and McConnell appoint friends of taxpayers to the 'Debt Super Committee' your wallet is safe," he wrote." These Republicans should be asked repeatedly until they answer whether or not they they are willing to accept more revenues as part of the final agreement. If they all say "No" then the Democrats should just refuse to even start the process until those Republicans agree to put revenues on the table. Let the automatic triggers go into effect - they won't be much worse for entitlements than coming up with $4 trillion in cuts without more revenues, so let the Republicans sweat out letting the Defense Dept. take big automatic cuts built into the agreement until they finally agree to make more revenues part of the package. They shouldn't even start talking to Republicans until they get those Republicans named to the committee to agree that revenues are going to be part of the deal - at an absolute minimum, at least three or four of the Republicans on the committee, anyway.