But — at the same time — why are the Republicans not counter-proposing? Afraid? Obama put his ridiculous first draft on the table, including items he through in there with full expectation that those items would fall. So — isn’t the process now supposed to be the House modifying that with its own proposal? Etc., etc.? But all they can do is “laugh” at the first draft. All of those people disgust me.
Don’t let yourself get too cynical. Politics is a messy business. Go and see the movie, “Lincoln.” Honest Abe (I say with sincere admiration) resorted to vote buying to get the 13th Amendment passed. One way for Republicans to seize the upperhand from a PR standpoint would be to embrace the Simpson / Bowles Plan. That would put the Prez and the Dems in the hot seat since it was the president’s commission and a majority of Dems on the commission voted for it. It would require $3 in spending cuts for each $1 in new revenue.
I, too, think it would be great if the Republicans embraced Simpson-Bowles as a counter. But – I am not aware that they have done that. To me, they appear frozen, while the Dems claim they are obstructionists. Without an aggressive counter to the Obama proposal, that is exactly what they appear to be — whining obstructionists. We cannot just be angry that Democrats are not negotiating, when neither are we.
But — at the same time — why are the Republicans not counter-proposing? Afraid? Obama put his ridiculous first draft on the table, including items he through in there with full expectation that those items would fall. So — isn’t the process now supposed to be the House modifying that with its own proposal? Etc., etc.? But all they can do is “laugh” at the first draft. All of those people disgust me.
Don’t let yourself get too cynical. Politics is a messy business. Go and see the movie, “Lincoln.” Honest Abe (I say with sincere admiration) resorted to vote buying to get the 13th Amendment passed. One way for Republicans to seize the upperhand from a PR standpoint would be to embrace the Simpson / Bowles Plan. That would put the Prez and the Dems in the hot seat since it was the president’s commission and a majority of Dems on the commission voted for it. It would require $3 in spending cuts for each $1 in new revenue.
I, too, think it would be great if the Republicans embraced Simpson-Bowles as a counter. But – I am not aware that they have done that. To me, they appear frozen, while the Dems claim they are obstructionists. Without an aggressive counter to the Obama proposal, that is exactly what they appear to be — whining obstructionists. We cannot just be angry that Democrats are not negotiating, when neither are we.