Super committee Senate Dems: Murray, Baucus, Kerry

[Gutenberg]

Kerry's a good infighter. Baucus is there to make the Democrats look more reasonable than the GOPs, Murray's there to defend social programs and Kerry is there to squeeze.

[Mac1337]

Nobody is asking why a committee in the first place? Why doesn't the Congress do it? What else do they have to do? This committee will end up in the dust bin like all others.

[Grace62]

So if all of the Republican picks are no tax increase die-hards (in defiance of what a majority of Americans say they want) , and these Dems want to hold the fort on entitlement cuts, this committee could go down in flames like Congress did - which triggers that "automatic gutting of social programs" thing in this hideous bill that Congress just passed.

So yes this could end up being as dysfunctional as the last go 'round.
We'll hope for better though. They all should realize how much they need to improve the public's perception of our political process.

[mattkime]

I think Kerry is there because he's unlikely to run for higher office again. You want to stay far away from real issues if you want to run for president.

[Grace62]

mattkime wrote:
I think Kerry is there because he's unlikely to run for higher office again. You want to stay far away from real issues if you want to run for president.

That's so true. Witness Mitt Romney. It's hard to see anyone in this Congress ever getting electing President.

“I’m embarrassed by all of us,’’ Sen. Snowe said, according to the Associated Press. “I’ve never seen a worse Congress in my whole political life.’’

[rankandfile]

Grace62 wrote:
So if all of the Republican picks are no tax increase die-hards (in defiance of what a majority of Americans say they want) , and these Dems want to hold the fort on entitlement cuts, this committee could go down in flames like Congress did - which triggers that "automatic gutting of social programs" thing in this hideous bill that Congress just passed.

If the committee stalemates, then the automatic triggers require that 50% of the cuts come from defense. Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid are all exempt from the "automatic cuts". Medicare would be subject to a 2% cut limit per year.

Cuts would be effective starting in Jan,, 2013, immediately after the Bush tax cuts expire.

[$tevie]

This is such nonsense if you think about it. So much effort to try to avoid acting like adults. This Congress really IS the worst.

[Surfrider]

"Dishrag" is an apt description of what the Democratic "leaders" have become.

They are hardly a force at all anymore, and the Republicants (get it, "cants") know it.

Ted, you're correct, the Rebubs start out wayyy over on the right, the Dems, slightly just left of center. Then as the Rebub spin machine starts to gain velocity, what little hold on their position the ems had, they lose and shift over to center right, maybe a little more right than center.

[Grace62]

rankandfile wrote:
[quote=Grace62]
So if all of the Republican picks are no tax increase die-hards (in defiance of what a majority of Americans say they want) , and these Dems want to hold the fort on entitlement cuts, this committee could go down in flames like Congress did - which triggers that "automatic gutting of social programs" thing in this hideous bill that Congress just passed.

If the committee stalemates, then the automatic triggers require that 50% of the cuts come from defense. Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid are all exempt from the "automatic cuts". Medicare would be subject to a 2% cut limit per year.

Cuts would be effective starting in Jan,, 2013, immediately after the Bush tax cuts expire.
That's good. Thanks for clarifying that R&F. But the cuts will go to state-level social programs not exempted in the trigger, mostly anti-poverty programs that support the poorest states and which receive about a third of their funds from the federal gov't.

[Grace62]

I'm not quite in agreement with the Dem bashing.
Has everyone forgotten the Ryan plan? That's what the House wanted, remember?
That tanked, thanks to Democrats. Major social programs are safe, thanks to Democrats.