David Gregory: Bowles And Simpson Say Romney’s Tax Math ‘Simply Doesn’t Work’

[DonViejo]

Source: TPM

NBC "Meet The Press" host David Gregory, interviewing Sen. Rob Portman (R-OH) on Sunday, said the two co-chairmen of the Simpson-Bowles fiscal commission have told him that Mitt Romney's tax reform proposal doesn't add up.

"Now here's the thing, I know the Romney campaign has six studies that say it does add up but we don't know exactly how. I've talked to Erskine Bowles and Senator [Alan] Simpson of the Simpson-Bowles commission and they say it simply doesn't work -- that either the middle class will have to pay more in taxes or you have to blow up the deficit."

Portman, a top Romney surrogate, insisted the math "does work" but did not specify which tax deductions or credits Romney would target.

Read more: http://livewire.talkingpointsmemo.com/entry/david-gregory-bowles-simpson-say-romneys-tax-math

[leftyohiolib]

1. he says the improvement in the economy that will happen with him as potus will bring the money

neccessary to cover it. probably has a deal with big business 1st tank the econ freeze hiring promise it will alll get better if romney is elected then once elected unleash the cash they're hording begin to hire then tell everyone "see this is what the republican party has brought you."

[ThomThom]

24. If people don't have any money to spend the economy goes no where.

If the 99% stop spending the economy tanks. Two can play at this game.

[toby jo]

2. these guys were rich this morning

Gregory asks Portman about it - 'they said it doesn't add up, so how do you square it?' (my words)

Portman says, 'it does add up' .

This is the guy Mitty is sparring with for debates - looks like he's rubbing off on people.

[Bigredhunk]

3. Lie Lie Lie Lie Lie - Blame The Media - Lie Lie Lie Lie Lie

Reporter - The sky is blue today.

RW'er - I'm sorry sir, the sky isn't blue today.

Reporter - Dude, I'm looking at a blue sky right now.

RW'er - An independent commission by redstate and others confirmed that the sky is indeed not blue today.

Reporter - WTF??

[liberal N proud]

4. Gregory asked him to explain how it worked and all Portman did was repeat it works

They are lying their way through this campaign and getting away with it.

[DallasNE]

6. Why Did Gregory Have Him On The Show?

Seriously. Gregory should have had it as a condition for being on MTP that Portman would spell out details. No details, no face time.

[JDPriestly]

15. It isn't exactly lying. At least not to them. That's because they believe in magic.

They believe in magic religion.

Now, not all religion is magic. Most religions are about duty and responsibility and fairness and compassion and love. But certain religions and certain people's religious beliefs are actually about magic. They believe that if they worship xyz, then the world will be magically transformed.

That's why they can't even understand that they are lying.

If I pray such and such, everything will magically turn out OK because my magic religion has its own arithmetic.

That may be what Portman is thinking. There is an extremely good chance that it is.

Remember Ensign. Remember how he was having an affair that was absolutely against his religion but still seemed to believe that he was religious and in good standing in his religion?

Well, that's magic religion at work on a very personal level.

Reality seems irrelevant when you firmly believe that your magic religion will rescue you from whatever predicament you place yourself in.

It's very different from normal faith. Very different.

[Julien Sorel]

19. The dumb ones believe in magical thinking and the like.

The smart ones believe in power, and manipulating the dumb ones, and everyone else, to help them get it. If you start thinking they're all dumb, it makes you easy to manipulate. Romney himself is pretty smart; I'll bet you $10,000 he knows, to within a few thousand bucks, how much money his tax proposals will save himself and his family in the average year.

[Rozlee]

22. Even the best of religious teachings

foster an "us" vs "them" mentality. When "we" do it, it's OK. When "they" do it, it's an abomination. That's how the religious right can trash gays by three or four mentions of homosexual references in the bible and deny them the right to get married. But, the bible condemns adultery, divorce, and pre-marital sex countless more times. Yet, conservative religious people, especially those in the Bible Belt, commit these offenses more than anyone else in the country. Yet, they're allowed to marry with no restrictions. Suicide bombers rile people up against Islam. But, when we drop bombs on Arab countries and kill innocents or when our drones do, we're not guilty of any transgressions. "We" are good; "they" are bad. Sorry to offend the religious on DU, but that's how I've observed most religions to operate. Kind of off-topic on this thread, but just sayin'.

[bucolic_frolic]

5. Romney's plan .....

I doubt he'll raise taxes on anyone.

I think he plans to balance the budget by selling
off the national parks, federal buildings, and everything
else that taxpayers have paid for, to private venture
capitalists.

What else would you expect a Private Equity specialist to do?

And, no, he won't admit it, it's PRIVATE. Get it?

[Joe Bacon]

7. Romney will raise taxes...

His plan has made it clear that taxes will be raised on the middle class and poor.

Meanwhile he'll continue with Socialism for the Rich by giving his millionaire pals even more tax breaks while Romney kills Social Security, SSI, Medicare and Medicaid.

And don't forget the war with Iran he will trigger, along with 2 trillion dollars in increased Pentagon spending.

And the red ink from all this? Hell, since WHEN has a BORROW AND SPEND Republican given a rat's ass about the debt????

[bucolic_frolic]

8. You know ...

you're right.

I sure hope you're 270 electoral votes right.

[jmowreader]

21. That doesn't work either

The budget deficit is $1.1 trillion. That's a hard number.

Assume Romney gets approval (he can't do it alone) to sell $1.1 trillion in federal buildings to VC types. The courts and FBI and Military Entrance and Processing Stations still need somewhere to operate, so they have to lease the buildings back from the people who bought them. This increases the deficit because now they have rent they didn't have to pay before. Figure that these buildings will be leased "triple net" (property tax, building insurance and maintenance is the responsibility of the renter), so now they also have property tax and insurance payments they didn't have before.

Romney plans to blow a hole in the deficit and fill it by eliminating entire agencies. This is what Norquist wants, and by damn he's going to get it.

[valerief]

9. Gregory adds, "But I'll still blow the governor whenever he likes." nt

[TomCADem]

10. Even Bowles-Simpson Raises Taxes!

This is why it is amazing that the media does not pounce on Romney/Ryan when they cite Bowles And Simpson, because the plan actually destroys their own insistence on $6 trillion in tax cuts. Ryan voted against even allowing Bowles-Simpson to be voted on.

[gmpierce]

11. lets not hear it for Bowles-Simpson

Is there some chance we could see some commentary by someone who knows something about economics?

Bowles and Simpson, the fathers of the Cat-food Commission are a couple of the last people who should pretend to know what they are talking about. The fact that Obama appointed them simply proves that Obama is easily fooled by neoliberals.

Their presence on Meet the Press is a farce. The fact that they are against Romney is beside the point. Homer Simpson could be against Romney, but that doesn't make Homer an expert on anything beyond donuts.

[LauraIrene]

12. How Gregory failed

First, in his question to Portman this morning, Gregory referred to the six "studies" that supposedly support Romney's tax plan--though three of those "studies" are actually blog posts and another is a position paper by Romney's advisers: http://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2012/10/the-6-studies-paul-ryan-cited-prove-mitt-romneys-tax-plan-is-impossible/263541/

Second, Gregory let Portman get by with citing those same studies as evidence that the Romney tax plan works.

Those two details should be regarded as alarming oversights by David Gregory.

[OldHippieChick]

14. Totally agree

I was glad at least he tried to press him on the details w/ a second question, but for Gregory to incorrectly refer to these "studies" pissed me off.

[Supersedeas]

25. Gregory merely serves as a conduit to circulate and disperse the Right Wing message

Fact checking, beyond the rudimentary question without follow-up, is not his thing.

Let the Right Wingers say their piece, hit them with the standard/obvious superficial questions that they have already prepared for, then allow the Right Winger to give their prepared response to the obvious question and move on without any follow-up.

When he is not doing his back-up dance routine for Karl Rove, the above remains Gregory's chief job title--diseminator of right wing talking points.

[bloomington-lib]

13. Doesnt everyone know there were no six studies? Why do they keep saying it? They were, at least

partly, blogs. Doesn't make any sense.

[pitchforx]

16. "pick a number"?????? r u kidding me???

Romney has actually said, when pressed for details on deductions..."pick a number'. and "you'll have a bucket" why hasn't anybody called him out on that... you can't reform the tax code with "pick a number' and a "bucket"

[Justice]

17. Response: Portman changed the subject!

I love that Gregory said to him: don't just tell me the math works, give me examples, explain.

Portman launched into the same talking points. Didn't answer.

[Skittles]

18. it works like this

[Bigredhunk]

20. These Ads They're Running Against The President Here In IA Are The Same Thing

One of the things they level at The President is some bullshit statistic. Underneath the claim is the study to which it's attributed. Surprise, surprise...it's the american enterprise institute. This is just like jerome corsi's books. He has footnotes and citations within the text. When you look at them in the back of the book, they're studies that he himself wrote for wnd and the like.

[lark]

23. Duh, he won't say, but we already know the truth

He will cut all deductions for the middle class and none of those for the ultra rich, like himself. Mortgage exemptions, child care credits, health care credits to companies, health care exemptions for everyone, charitable contributions, etc. What won't be touched are things that help the ultra rich, like captial gains, estate taxes, taxing of investments at 1/2 regular wages - that won't be touched at all.

Mittwitt cares only for himself, not this country, not the people in this country, not the ecconomy of the country - not one little bit.

[MatthewStLouis]

26. K&R! n/t