The Debt Committee Turned out as I Expected

[MineralMan]

When this compromise was announced, I had an immediate sense that it was set up with the expectation of failure, and that the automatic cuts were the actual agreement. And so it seems it will turn out. It allowed congress critters to avoid cutting the military in person, which is an absolute necessity. Now, they can go home to their districts and states and say, "I can't do anything about those defense cuts. They're automatic."

It won't do them any good, given the execrable ratings of Congress right now, but they think it will. I don't believe anyone really expected any workable agreement to come out of the Supercommittee. And so, it didn't. And there it is.

[Avalux]

1. I never expected it either. No reason to think Pukes would compromise on anything,

given that their only goal is to defeat Obama.

[Myrina]

2. Oh but just think about how much MONEY the Supers got from the interested parties ...

...Failure for US, yes ... for the Supers, no.

[Inuca]

12. And how exactly do you know that?

You may be right, you may be wrong, I odn't know. But I cannot support unsubstantiated accusations.

[Name removed]

13. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[vi5]

3. The defense cuts aren't going to happen...

Mark my word. There are enough cowardly Democrats who will fear the attack ads. They'll find a way to overturn the automatic cuts to defense and leave the social program cuts to Dem favored areas in tact.

And yes, I've read the editorials pointing out how this won't be easy, but they were far from convincing, and one thing is for sure in this country, always and forever we will find a way to always pay for and never cut a penny from defense.

[Fumesucker]

4. +1

[spanone]

5. i fully expect congress to exempt the military from any and all cuts

[lonestarnot]

14. "NO."

:evilgrin:

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

6. Why anybody thought it could succeed was beyond me from the beginning.

There were only two possible outcomes: Deadlock (which is what actually happened), or a complete butt-reaming of the Dems by the GOPers. I'll give the Dems on the committee a little credit for not immediately rolling over and displaying their soft, furry underbellies to the GOP jackals, but beyond that it was an epic fail waiting to happen.

So now what?

[MineralMan]

7. So, now the argument about dismantling the fallback option

begins. It already has, with Boehner demanding that the defense cuts be killed. That may be just posturing. I don't know. We shall see...perhaps...

[Bluenorthwest]

8. The number of people who still buy the ideology of bipartisanism

easily fit into the Oval Office with room to spare for the tea cart and a prayer circle.

[MineralMan]

10. OK. Whatever you say, but that's not what this thread was about.

[unblock]

9. agreed, it reaked of "face-saving way out" of the debt-ceiling debacle.

[MineralMan]

11. Yup. That was my impression of the original agreement.

Now, we'll see what happens next. The real concern is for the next Congress. Its makeup is going to be a critical thing. If the Republicans get control of both houses, things are going to go to Hell very quickly. The 2012 elections are going to be hugely important.