You mean Obama Tax Cut Extensions

You are wrong in your implication...the Republicans in the Senate vowed not to allow anything to proceed in Congress until the tax issue was dealt with...and by dealt with they meant passed on their terms.

So I guess we are left with Obama failed to stand up for you all. His veto pen, his call.

Pat, does it pain you at all to see that Obama will bend to the will of those EVVILLL conservatives?

Ummm . . . yeah, he could've vetoed the bill, but that doesn't really say much for him asking for bipartisanship does it? You miss the point . . . . it was a COMPROMISE. So yes, the attention turns to the party of "No" yet again. Republicans are so busy pointing at what doesn't work and offer very little to what will work.

It pains us all because it is NOT the compromise that we need to make the country work. Read the article.

What I just read was we must work together yet the very first post I see is Obama did this.And you all wonder why they both play games with the American public,It's easy they have you divided and conquered.Sure glad I'm an independent and can actually read an article and see what it says not what my party thinks it means

Hey Obama could drop his party affiliation and instead of proposing legislation he could make the two parties in congress actually do something equal and productive. Kick their asses all over the place. A lot blame one party or the other but it just isn't the case they both have their hands in the cookie jar.

The pendulum goes left the pendulum goes right. When the centered pivot point actually supports the weight.

Not sure what world you are living in, but the recent Tax cut extension was put together by the rich republicans who held the unemployment bill hostage unless the extension was included. Typical Faux News parrot, keep lying until another moron believes you.

The headline should read:

"Presidential LEADERSHIP is required to BALANCE THE BUDGET"

Oh, that makes too much sense and completely not comprehended by the Progressive Left.

The lack of leadership from this White House is absolutely stunning.

BTW...Obama kept saying he used a scalpel. If only it were true. He didn't use a scalpel. 400 grit sandpaper maybe, but nothing that could make any kind of substantial dent.

Why do we need to get along to do the right thing. The fact is.. our country is in deep and we are seeing the president ask for compromise on a budget that is not getting us out of the hole we're in.

The time will come when the continuous printing of the dollar is going to mean zip and a new world currency will demand high inflation and a budget that will be FORCED to balance itself. I guess that's what we want..because there is time to change our direction however we are too busy compromising on acceptable levels of deficit. We are all fools for putting any of these people at the controls and not doing a thing about it.

Blame the President = 1?

House of Representatives = 435

Senators = 100

Parties = 2

How easy it is to blame one. Personally I blame the 2 Parties this happens to blame almost all of them. But the Reality is it is our fault for electing them more so for reelecting them.

The truth hurts, but the only way we are ever going to see daylight on this is to raise taxes, pure and simple. That means the rich will have to pay their share. I know it's not a popular thing to do, but you can only cut so much.

I would say yes to a temporary tax increase...AFTER the budget is 100% balanced. And the taxes increased need to be across the board..meaning the rich, middle, and poor. Sorry..this is all of our country and anyone who has the freedom to vote should address the consequences of those decisions regardless of your decision to vote or not.

Believe me.. we can cut a lot.

You do all realize that the President proposed a budget. It is at best a suggestion. He did not impose a budget. The responsibility of enacting a budget by way of appropriations is in the Congress. The Republican controlled Congress. Blame whoever you want but the people in control are the new majority Republican Congress.

Cue,

Ideologically, fairly it sounds good yet what would that do to the overall economy? If the consumer has less to consume with, than you have less demand leading to less need for supply therefore decreasing the need for employees.

We need a system that works not party ideology. Politicians are not Economists and neither am I. Just like ceo's don't create technology super techies do.

A day late.. I would say that trying to grow our economy while ignoring the budget deficit and our national debt I like robbing Peter to pay Paul. You have to balance each individual unit for the good of the whole. Maybe we do not wipe out debt next year.. but a few years down the line with modest tax increases that don't break the individual bank. Will the economy feel the pressure... but if its not addressed now by way of spending cuts and tax increases ( and believe me.. I am not a proponent of tax increases with the exception of ridding the huge debt and interest by which we have become slaves).

So yes..we will feel the hurt now. We'll have to back off aquiring more 'stuff'...but we will only be exponentially stronger in the long run.

It's the GOPs sick little game they play.

I agree ! Congress writes the laws, yet they seem to all have abdicated this responsibiity.

When you force congress to write a bill ( Healthcare for example ) they stumble like kids in school - looking for guidance and examples to copy from.

And these people get re-elected over and over again

The details are in the Budget and he approved them... He knows damed well that entitlements were not addressed, and now he will take the opportunity to pour boiling oil on the GOP for criticizing his freakin' audacity at ignoring the will of the people. He is a president in name only! This isn't a leader! He is a gd sham, and let's hope this is his swan song in US government.

Our Representatives and Senators were sent to Washington to represent us. The President was sent to lead us. Where is your leadership Mr. President?

RN in Philly, you're absolutely right. I heard him speak today and his general attitude about entitlement reform was "Pshaw...we can talk about that some other time, a few years down the road maybe." The problem is that they've kicked that can down the road for the past 40+ years and this is just a continuation of the same. We've heard that same old talk over and over, "We'll deal with that later...we'll deal with that later...we'll deal with that later." Well guess what? It's later...now deal with it!

Mike, Obama will not make any cuts to Medicaid or Medicare because in order for ObamaCare to remain labeled as "reducing the deficit" he needs these funds to apply directly to his ponzi scheme (AHCA). Which, if you think about it is not a cut at all, it a reallocation of funds from one fund (Medicare) to another (Medicaid). You can not make cuts to Medicaid and then turn around and add millions of people to it when ObamaCare goes into full affect. He is going to let the Republicans take the blame for making cuts to these programs. Then he can say that the Republicans sabotaged his health care reform.. He thinks we are all stupid..

Newwave, Obama obviously believes he has a monarchy.

If we weren't stupid, we wouldn't have reelected Harry Reid and his cronies. Granted his opponent was something of a nut-ball but I'm sure she wouldn't have been actively bad for the country like old Harry is. It's the gullible public's fault. If the public wants to stop Obama and his parties spending all they had to do was elect Republicans. They didn't. We loose.

Tony D-373561 ,Mike in USA, Ellie Mae Clampett

You truly have no clue. You just do not get that this is a political game and neither party wanted to be the 1st to say they would cut entitlements. It was a game of chicken and Obama won. This was never a ratified budget but a starting point. To think otherwise is pure stupidity and typical of righties that will NEVER agree on anything that President Obama would say. The sky is Blue...no it's not it can't be if Obama stated it was blue. You guys are a total joke with no substance to your positions.

Ellie May interesting hypothesis. How do you explain the CBO verifying the reduced deficit from the Health Care REform. And...remember this is NOT Obama Care it is reform based on Mitt Romney's model Maybe it should be RomneyCare. But you can't say that because he is Republican..right?

Your posts just confirm our desperate need for better education for our society.

No, Trankonia, yours do! How's that reform working in Massachusetts? No one really knows yet. You are the clueless one.

"It was a game of chicken and Obama won." - Trankonia

You apparently weren't watching today. The national news channels showed Paul Ryan skewering White House budget director Jack Lew and to top it off, Obama's own lap-dog, Chuck Todd, was all over his case for completely ignoring his own deficit reduction commission. I've never seen Chuck Todd go after Obama like that. That press conference did NOT go well for him. Obama was the big loser today and will be in the future. Here's the thing, everybody knows entitlement spending needs to be addressed. By not addressing it, Obama looks like the same-old, same-old politicians that have been kicking the can down the road for the past 40 years. The American populace isn't accepting that any more. Whoever first addresses this will be viewed as the responsible stewards of our budget and economy, not to mention being the party which gets to frame the discussion. Obama blew it big-time.

"This was never a ratified budget but a starting point. To think otherwise is pure stupidity..."- Trankonia

Yes, and Obama's (our "leader's") starting point somehow, inexplicably, didn't address the 800-pound gorilla in the room. The gorilla that Obama's own commission stated was the most important issue to address. The budget supplied by the White House is documentation of the President's priorities and apparently addressing entitlement reform, which again his own commission stated was the most important issue to address, is not a priority of his. He stated as much today when he said he didn't think it was important to to address entitlement reform for a few more years down the road. Got to say, the press corps seemed kind of stunned.

I'm still trying understand where all this debt rage was during Bush's term. You know, 2 wars off the books and all. You must have agreed with Cheney that deficits don't matter. His words, not mine. Then, after 8 years of crap, you want this guy to fix it in his first 2 years. Pretty cheeky.

I'm on Social Security and had to take it early after being unemployed for two years, yet, I'm not unique. Plenty of people are hurting yet the stock market is back, so is my 401k and things are looking better.

No one said this would be a quick turnaround and yet there's still all this whining. Go back to Clinton tax rates, things were pretty good then and the sky didn't fall.

Domenico: Thanks for the reply. In light of all you and Mark write, you guys do an excellent job.

NBC is now controlled by Comcast. I think this makes a difference with the way Chuck works if he wants to keep his job.

Better and much less dangerous than being a lapdog like Mad Cow, etc.

Everyone wants SOMEONE to go first on Social Security and Medicare cuts - by the way the Healthcare bill cuts Medicare ( just FYI ). Decides to reduce benefits in these two areas is polically dead and everyone knows it. Its now just a matter of yelling at the opposition.

What Americans have never done a good job of doing is telling government that they are ALL RESPONSIBLE to solve these issues. We have all gotten caught up in the "us vs. them" hatfield and McCoys ( Dems vs Republicans ) crap that in the end does nothing.

Its this county's longest runnning reality show.

I know as a person who is putting money into Social Security - I want my benefits when I reach 65, otherwise I want my money so I can invest the money going into Social Security into my 401K. If too many people feel like I do and bail out - well, Grandma's money is gone and she dies cold and hungry.

I also know if you were to privatize Social securtity most of us would have lost it all in 2008/2009 and we would all die cold and hungry in our retirement years.

We need some smart thinkers to solve these issues - not politicians

Why do people believe the rhetoric about social security? Medicare needs fixing, definitely, but there is no immediate social security crisis. We need to fix it for the next generation but there is time to solve it reasonably. Guess the GOPTP has repeated the lie often enough that it has become truth.

Yes, Social Security needs fixing but it's not an immediate need.

The most immediate goal is getting the economy going and getting people employed. That helps everything else. Cutting spending needs to happen, but it doesn't have to happen this year.

But if it does, there need to be no sacred cows. Both sides need to be willing to discuss everything, including military cuts and tax increases.

What makes any of you think that the results of the Bush era war and the banking fiasco, (take a look at their salaries now) can be fixed in one swell foop? We make millionnaires out of retiring Congressmen, look it up and they want to take it out of our hides? I've been around since Reagans trickle down economy tanked and we had double digit inflation and interest rates. The vast majority of us are going to be hurt by these draconian cuts but certainly not Boehner et al. Remember this is the same guy who wanted to keep the engine not even the Pentagon wanted. Another bridge to nowhere. And I have a questions for you tax and entitlement cutting experts. If we raise the age for SS to 70, where are the jobs going to come from to support the elderly. Ever try to get a job over 55. I have and am and even with an MBA and a Ph.D can't find one except as a greeter at Walmart. (part time)

So when you come up with these gems of wisdom, you have to follow it out to see what the results are. I know that is a drastic policy but other than "So be it" we have to have solutions and it is going to take time and compromise. I say lets let the Congress lead, cut their benefits and retirment. Lead by example, and make sure the rich get to tighten their belts too. I won't vote for a single person who balances the budget on the backs of the poor and the working class. Forget the middle class, it is time to get honest, that idea went away in 1972 when Reagan came in.

I agree, Chuck is GREAT. Now, of course, we know that the bozo's at FOX Noise are a different story.

Don't blow your cool Chuck. You looked very unprofessional. Leave temper tantrums to the FOX types.

Jeez...Am I a FOX type because of my advanced degrees, high salary, incredible financial responsibilities (such as putting food on other familly's tables), voting Republican, and not agreeing with many of your political philosophies? Huh?

Just greedy and simple minded.

Agreed !

Great post, June FL. The problem is the media has bought into the GOP rhetoric about social security and medicare and repeats it. Every senior has a monthly deduction from their benefits for medicare, we pay into it while employed yet the GOP behaves as if it is their personal tax money being diverted to cover pensions and health care expenses. Entitlement means we are invested in it and are "entitled" to the benefits of both social security and medicare.

Hold on June - your money is gone, and you allowed it. Both democrats and republicans spent it, but it is too late to assign blame. We just have to deal with the problem.

There is NO money in the trust fund-only IOU's.

Reagan knew how to tax the wealthy. Bush knew how to sucker the American people into believing that more money for the wealthy was a good thing. Trickle down doesn't work! Reduce the deficit! Tax a billionaire!

cyberike: Money, a fiat currency, is based on debt. It is nothing different from an IOU. If we can't borrow it, the Fed will have to "print" it.

You are 100% correct both sides of the aisle have robbed it blind and we already paid for it so it should not cost us again and should be very solvent.Instead of paying us back they want to flat out steal it from us and there are so many on the right that have bought into this nonsense that it is costing us a fortune when in actuallity if the senate and congress would just take it back from the pentagon where the majority of it was spent we'd be just fine

Jody,

Since when does the media buy into anything the GOP is trying to do? Please, get a clue!

You must get spending under control before any taxes. The problem here is Obama promises to cut some spending to the tune of $1.1 trillion over the next ten years. But entitlements stand to rise in the area of $13 trillion over the same period. This is like the fat guy celebrating the lose of 3 pounds with a bucket of KFC chicken. The majority of these savings come from large tax increases and a projected economic growth of 5% per year. Gee, isn't that what we were promised during the stimulus. If they are serious, let's balance the budget by 2015 then address the deficit. If we stay on Obama's path, we will be paying over 50% of the budget in interest by 2020 especially if interest rates increase. He wants $50 billion for new high speed trains. Can you say "thank you" GE. Just who is crying for high speed electric trains? Outside of the Northeast, these trains are a loser!! This budget is dead on arrival in the House.

As it should be!

How many republicans signed onto Coburn's plan to increase tax revenues? And whose taxes is Coburn talking about? Why do we need to raise the retirement age for social security when it is solvent and can pay 100% benefits until 2037? We only need to increase revenues paid into it to fix it for the next generation.

There is a simple answer to the Social security issue. Raise the wage cap, so the lower wage workers aren't funding the whole thing. It is clearly the most painless solution.

I've worked and paid into this system for 40 years now I will retire at 64 having paid in for 49 years.you can kiss my arse if you think raising the age will solve anything.I have no intention of working until I fall over dead because the idiots we elected can't manage money any better than a college kid in a whore house

I am right there with you, cooch!

Great post Jannabelle! Let's remember where "tax cuts for the wealthy" originated! Let's remember that Al Gore warned us of exactly what has come to pass! I am so sorry that the stacked Republican Supreme Court swept shrub into office despite the fact that he did not get the popular vote. We have suffered ever since. Someone will tell me to get over it. This country will get over the damage Bush caused in perhaps two or three generations with any luck!

@Jannabelle

Do you really think the Dem's care about you? They do if you meet 2 qualifications; 1. you are a member of a union. Or 2. You are of the 47% who don't pay and Federal Income tax at all.

Just what exactly has Obama come up with that we can agree on? This joke of a budget he has proposed has no cuts in it.

If he really wants to show any leadership at all then present cuts to the House and then let's negotiate. Don't throw out a budget with a 1.5 trillion deficit and say compromise.

@Wayne

That's right quote Gore- the master mind of Global warming.

Thanks, BuckWheat. I couldn't decide what to say to either, but felt they needed addressed.

BuckWheat, Oh, now unions are the problem? And 47% (thats your number, not mine) probably don't pay income tax because they don't make ENOUGH MONEY. Lets be realistic about where the wealth has gone in the last 20 years and it wasn't in my pocket. My wages stayed stagnant for almost 18 years while the rich saw theirs go up almost 400%. But no, you want to continue to beat up the small guy, who's barely getting by.

I say the tax extensions for the upper 2% shouldn't have happened but I understand why he did it, to help guys like me who'v been unemployed for two years. Not complaining, just saying.

June,

You keep saying, "entitlements aren't handouts", then why are so many who NEVER paid into these programs drawing from them?

Paul, How many people who never paid into SS getting benefits? There are some dependents of deceased folks who get benefits, but that is the way it should be. SS was to protect a family, not only an individual. Get your facts right and quit exagerating.

What Bush budgeted and what his deficits were are based on the same partial figures. Bush had hundreds of billion$ of dollars spent OFF BUDGET. He ran up the national DEBT in numbers that exceed the combined totals of his "deficits" because he operated "off book". Look up the increase in the NATIONAL DEBT during Bush; it is a larger number than his combined deficits.

He also got hundreds of billions paid back which Obama used above what he shows in the budget. The figure is $600,000.000.000.00. That's one of the biggest reasons for it being bigger than combined deficits. Next time when you research, go all the way and don't be a liberal.

That's because the recommendations of the committee were so bad they couldn't even get the full committee's approval. Some of their better recommendations are being included, just not the more partisan ones.

Why do we have a defict reduction commisssion? Isn't that what we elect our Congressman to do? Talk about waste, the presidency has more commissions on the payroll then all of history. Let's get rid of all of these commissions, that will save a trillion (sarcasm). But seriously, people talk about Bush, but d=fail to look at what this President has done.

I don't want to see a balanced budget 10 years down the road, I want to see one in two years!!!!!.

June, very good post, I'd like to go one further: I'd like to see the pay raise of Congress on the ballot, every November. Then maybe, they will get the idea, that they are not doing their job, when they dont get a pay increase.

For those of you who say tax the rich, If I was in their tax bracket, I would be saying F*** Y. If you are not smart enough to get into my tax bracket then thats your fault.

Right on.

Emma,

For once I agree with you. There's tons of things he doesn't get. "It's above his pay grade."

No Bernie, it's above his IQ!

Vote for Donald Trump; Here's something for all of you to chew on...or just get sick and PUKE!!!. Did you know that the NYSE will be bought by Germany?. Yeah, an American institution to a foreign country. I am totally disgusted with our leaders, they have an agenda and it does nothing to benefit us at all. I listen to all the news and try my best to find honest information (hard to do now a days) but I take everything and match it up with what goes on and I am truly upset with what is coming to this country of ours. There are people out there that bend the truth, think it's cool to confuse people and flat lie...but as in all things, there is truth in the rantings of certain people. But what upsets me the most is idiots that say; Oh your all full of it, nothing bad is happening, your all delusional, people that say, the sky ISN'T FALLING and your just stupid to think that. Well, I have one thing to say to you...pull your head out of your a$$ and look around you, if you want to live in denial...go ahead, your choice, but don't tell people they are wrong when the truth is slapping you in the face. Now, you want the truth?. Well, this is going to be controversial but I'm going to say it.....Glen Beck and Fox news may have a slant on the truth as some of you think, but as in anything that people feel strongly about, the truth is there, just take out the rantings and the anger Beck feels because he was right about alot of things, things that are happening now. I listen to all the oppinions and ideas and try to find the answers...but there are no answers, what is going to happen will happen and when it does...God help us.

Agree 100%.