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Subscribe to RSSEarlier today, GOP Sens. Tom Coburn and Mike Crapo -- members of President Obama's deficit commission -- said they would vote in favor of commission's final proposal.
Well, another commission member -- Dem Sen. Max Baucus -- is a no.
"I have studied the Deficit Commission recommendations at length -- and I can tell you they are wrong for Montana and wrong for rural communities across the country. Reducing our federal deficit is imperative, but we cannot cut the deficit at the expense of veterans, seniors, ranchers, farmers and hard-working families. Instead, we need to look for common-sense ways to help businesses create jobs and grow our economy. These recommendations are wrong for our state, they are wrong for our country, and I simply can't support them."
According to whip counts, that puts the yeas at nine, and the nays at three -- with six undeclared.
To move to Congress, 14 of the 18 members will need to vote yes tomorrow.
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Baucus is a chicken @!$%#, this should be hard for everyone even MT. we need leaders in there.
Just like Coburn is a Chicken @#$% & Crapo is a Chicken @#$% & anyone else who even suggest to America that Republicans have Middle Class Americans back.
It aint happnin!
The Democrats are running away from a real chance to fix the economy and the government for all time
Maybe they've finally decided they have NO HELP, unless you consider NO to helping the Middle Class as the Republicans have done as a way of helping!
Remember Baucus presiding over Health Reform? He certainly did not want the public option. That's why it's odd, and interesting, he isn't supporting the deficit proposals. He is definitely a moderate Democrat and still he thinks the proposals go too far.
I believe the committee's work, regardless of tomorrow's vote, will be the basis of Congress acting on this matter.
Those who have been suckling on the government's teats for so long and with such intensity find it impossible not only to cease suckling, but to even consider the prospect of ceasing."Not on my watch, gimmee,gimmee, gimmee,gimmee MORE"
Dick- you make 'em sound like 'ME FIRSTers'. Are you talking about the left, or the right here?
If Max Baucus is voting "no", there must not be any money from the med/pharma industry in it for him.
Bacus can kiss my grits!
Shared Sacrifice ??
1. The flagship proposal of the commission's chairmen is to Stomp On Social Security, or Middle Class.
2. Diagnosis of Cancer, Prescription for Cold ??
The deficits have mushroomed not because of Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid but because of "two unpaid wars, tax breaks for the wealthy, a Medicare prescription drug bill written by the pharmaceutical industry, and the Wall Street bailout."
a. The total cost to the United States of the Iraq war at $3 trillion.
But it appears that the $3 trillion estimate (which accounted for both government expenses and the war's broader impact on the U.S. economy) was, if anything, too low. For example, the cost of diagnosing, treating and compensating disabled veterans has proved higher than expected.
b. The country got here because of the bursting of an $8 trillion housing bubble. This bubble was fueled by the reckless and possibly unlawful practices of the Wall Street banks, like Morgan Stanley, the bank on whose board Bowles sits.
Mr. Bowles is a director of Morgan Stanley, one of the bailed out Wall Street banks. He gets $335,000 a year for his work with Morgan Stanley. This may be one of the reasons that the co-chairs report did not mention a financial speculation tax as a possible source of revenue, even though financial sector taxes have been widely advocated by policy analysts around the world, including even the I.M.F.
3. It is clear that there are a number of fair, progressive ways to reduce deficits without harming the middle class and those who have already lost their jobs, homes, life savings and ability to send their kids to college.
A reeling housing market probably would slide further if, as recommended, Congress were to repeal the tax deduction for mortgage interest
Calls for upping the age of retirement to 68 and later 69, charging more for Medicare, limiting the mortgage deduction and reducing increases in Social Security related to inflation, all measures guaranteed to drive Middle Class into poverty and to further jeopardize the economic recovery.
The government can overcome its trillion-dollar-plus deficit by merely cutting "waste, fraud and abuse", say, can balance the budget by simply undoing the disastrous policies of the Bush administration. the job-cutting proposals
a. Why not stop the Afghanistan war at a price tag of 140 billion a year...why not reduce what U.S. spends for military 800billion a year…U.S. military budget is as big as the next 27 countries COMBINED ! Even overall US intelligence budget tops $80 billion annually.
Weapon Sell = Mexican Drug Trafficking = Destroy all, driving global economy in a destructive direction
And Weapon inventory is more likely to provoke constant wars.
Overall, the federal budget is expected to run a $1 trillion deficit this year. In effect, U.S. is borrowing money from China and using some of it to keep a measure of order in Afghanistan. This is allowing the Chinese to sign contracts and build infrastructure that will let them exploit Afghanistan’s vast mineral wealth—while U.S. pay the borrowed money back with interest.
b. End Bush-era tax breaks for the greedy.
c. Eliminate tax credits for big oil companies that have posted the highest profits in history, and the likes.
Good post!!!!