.

  • AdLib : Sleep well Bito and once again, thanks for everything you do! You are indeed a wizard! Have a great weekend!

  • AdLib : …all of that madness, that is.

  • AdLib : Yes, that was amazing and did soften the hard edge of all of that.

  • bito : G’night!

  • bito : “a Coalition of the Unwilling!” was close on the debt ceiling vote-until Gabby walked in the room and voted yes. She had an amazing affect on that vote, I watched it turn on C-Span

  • AdLib : Ok, looks like it’s time to pack up the Vox Populi cooler and umbrella until next Friday night. Thanks to all for making this another remarkable and fun discussion, hope to see ya next week!

  • AdLib : Exactly, this is both a key point for his presidency and re-election. He can put real policies on the table while ROmney, Bachmann and Perry just sneer. The only adult at the table, indeed!

  • bito : Yes AdLib I think both his proposals will be strong and serving his his reelection. both will be “put up or show me” what you have. I hope!?!

  • AdLib : Bito – It is funny but that could happen, a Coalition of the Unwilling!

  • bito : night,invient

  • AdLib : Night invient, so glad you joined us! Have a great weekend!

  • AdLib : He knows that he has an opportunity now to push hard for jobs. No one gives a shit about deficits now and the economic numbers have all made clear, revenues and jobs are all that’s needed right now. He needs to run with this and hard.

  • bito : Funny that the baggers plus Dems in the house can stop any bill. Is that beg compromise?

  • invient : Ok guys, its been fun… I am going to bed! Good Night!

  • AdLib : Bito – Obama is going to be rolling out his proposals for jobs and the debt committee in the next weeks and I think Dems and Progressives who have been upset at him will begin feeling a little better about him.

  • AdLib : Invient, I am sure hoping that Obama recognizes now that any deal is not a good thing and that he needs to protect entitlements no matter what. Also, knowing that the Baggers will never agree to any compromise, Dem votes will be needed in the House and if Pelosi and the Dems in the House think the bill cuts where it shoudln’t, they can stop it too.

  • bito : I await both the jobs bill and what he proposes to the joint committee, something he has mentioned he will do soon.

  • AdLib : Bito – That’s true, my sentence wasn’t well constructed. What I meant to say that if Obama is re-elected, he will have a mandate behind him at the end of 2012, just as the Repubs did in 2010 when he extended the tax cuts, and will be in an even stronger position to negotiate a good deal if one can be made.

  • invient : I agree, but will the democrats use this situation in their favor? History says probably not… but the entitlement programs are funadmental values, so they have to end up with no plan at the end

  • AdLib : And, the cuts don’t begin until 2013 under the automatic cuts provision so I say, let it go to that if the Repubs want too much slashing of entitlements and fix it with a new Dem COngress in 2013.

  • bito : Correction AL, the Bush tax cuts will expire even if Obama is not elected. He will still be in office.

  • AdLib : No, the funding for the wars is exempted.

  • AdLib : Bito – I think there are some defense cuts that have to do with the Pentagon and organization that would have to be cut, I don’t know if cuts would affect any substantive programs. I can tell you the military on defense industry sure will be lobbying hard for those cuts not to happen…and for a deal including revenues?

  • invient : true, it may be best that there is no deal… Would the wars get dropped because of this?

  • AdLib : Invient – I think that for long term strategy, it’s going to be better not to agree to any serious cuts in entitlements and if that’s all that Repubs will agree to, let there be no deal. There can always be a new negotiation at any time, and Obama would have all the leverage at the end of 2012, if he wins re-election, because the Bush Tax Cuts would expire.

  • bito : Both Dems and R’s do not want to see a defense cut, it’s a jobs program in almost every district. Tucson depends on some major money from defense/contract s and it’s very purple.

  • invient : the only congressman I know in that list is Kyl (because of his falsehood)… Baucus because of his original healthcare plan (from a nother gang I belive) and Toomey.

  • invient : if so, it just is not going to happen… they had a longer amount of time to debate this before the first debt debate, and they barely squeezed that plan out and it just offset the real choices anyway… so my vote is still no plan and catastrophic cutting.

  • AdLib : I would add though that the price of doing so will be cuts in Medicare and likely SS. Is that a good deal for the Dems, possibly losing the “GOP wants to kill Medicare” issue and having their fingerprints on cuts? But otherwise, all other social programs will be slashed.

  • AdLib : Yes, if they don’t pass a bill before the deadline, the automatic cuts are triggered to go into law.

  • bito : Maybe,lol, it depends if Portman will vote for the country or the party. He is not adverse to closing loopholes.

  • invient : before the deadline?

  • AdLib : And keep in mind that whatever they come out with, Dems and Repubs will have to vote for in both houses and Obama will have to agree to sign.

  • invient : IDK, I really think that they just setup a trip wire for the committee to fall into.