Hooray!

My lack of surprise face, let me show you it.

Is anyone surprised? I offer now as the time for you to be surprised.

Given it was designed to fail, this should shock no one.

Emperor_Tod: Given it was designed to fail, this should shock no one.

Not just "designed to fail", but also "designed to give everyone time to run for cover."

I'll pretend to be surprised for the sake of keeping the thread going.

Wha? How is this possible? I was assured this super committee would fix everything. Are you telling me that extreme partisans can't compromise? My world is shattered.

FTA:

"One positive development on taxes taking shape is a deal that could include limiting tax deductions, perhaps by capping write-offs on charities, state and local taxes, and mortgage interest payments as a percentage of each tax filer's gross income," he wrote. "In exchange, Democrats would agree to make the Bush income-tax cuts permanent. This would mean preventing top rates from going to 42% from 35% today, and keeping the capital gains and dividend tax rate at 15%, as opposed to plans to raise them to 23.8% or higher after 2013."

Jesus Christ, the Democrats are so willing to compromise they're offering to make the Bush tax cuts permanent (an insane concession for a committee whose purpose is to shrink the deficit), and the Republicans are STILL going to sink it?

I have no words. What the fark would you assholes think is a fair compromise? every Democrat in office commiting joint seppuku?

Gunther: FTA:

Seriously? Well, that's a big "Go Fark Yourself" to the middle class.

Well, what's left of it anyway.

I had full faith that Lindsay Lohan would serve her 30 days, and now THIS?

\shattered
\\shadobee

Plitburos are for Stalinists. Fark that shiat.

Gunther: FTA

But, note that this was floated to the WSJ as a trial balloon by the GOP, not presented formally... and it was dismissed by the Democrats as being "teh dumb".

So, the Congressional Democrats seem to still have a vestigial spine.

Occam's Chainsaw: Emperor_Tod: Given it was designed to fail, this should shock no one.

I never understood why a small gang of Republicans with a lot of stupid ideology and the power to block everything is any better than a big gang of Republicans with a lot of stupid ideology and the power to block everything.

The reason why the committee won't and can't agree is because the automatic cuts don't start until January 2013, after the presidential and congressional elections. December 2012 with a lameduck Congress and (perhaps) an outgoing president is when you'll get the legislation avoiding the deadline.

I say we dissolve the U.S. and break into regional governments based on the prevailing political beliefs of the area. The south east would be Jesus land, and would be governed as a theocracy. The north east would be the United Socialist States of New England, the south west would be either be Laraza Nation, or RONPAUL land depending on how the bitter and bloody war turns out between the Hispanics and crazy white guys with guns. The west coast would ironically also be a theocracy, but with Gaia as their god. The north central states would be the Forge, and would attempt to be an industrial workers paradise. And finally the plains states would be simply known as fly over country, and would be ignored like we currently ignore Canada.

TheShavingofOccam123: Just how the Republicans intended it.

Raise taxes to balance the budget? Never!!1!

Clinton did it. And it worked.

A) It wasn't Clinton that did it* and B) that had a lot more to do with controlling spending and bookkeeping that would have seen any business fined out of existence.

*18 months after the tax increases the OMB was forecasting increasing deficits.

That's driven a wedge between the faction of the GOP that cares most about maintaining high levels of defense spending, and the larger faction that has committed to never, ever vote for a net tax increase.

Your party dies when it takes too many extreme positions. That's just the invisible hand of the free government at work.

Sock Ruh Tease: That's driven a wedge between the faction of the GOP that cares most about maintaining high levels of defense spending, and the larger faction that has committed to never, ever vote for a net tax increase.

Your party dies when it takes too many extreme positions. That's just the invisible hand of the free government at work.

What's even sadder is this is who forced the GOP to commit to no tax increase never ever ever in a million billion years:



Screw all that sharing and respect crap - Sesame Street wants what's THEIRS!

BigBooper: I say we dissolve the U.S. and break into regional governments based on the prevailing political beliefs of the area. The south east would be Jesus land, and would be governed as a theocracy. The north east would be the United Socialist States of New England, the south west would be either be Laraza Nation, or RONPAUL land depending on how the bitter and bloody war turns out between the Hispanics and crazy white guys with guns. The west coast would ironically also be a theocracy, but with Gaia as their god. The north central states would be the Forge, and would attempt to be an industrial workers paradise. And finally the plains states would be simply known as fly over country, and would be ignored like we currently ignore Canada.

I see your proposal, and would like to suggest that Canada would be quite happy to invite the north east to join us, as well as possibly the north central and plains states, depending. We're much saner than what you are used to, so you'd have to promise to give up that nasty derp habit, but otherwise it could work out!

I proposed yesterday to take a page from the aztecs and at the end of every term have politicians work product quality put up for review and if found lacking we eat their hearts. I still view that as the most logical solution.

I hope it fails because then we can actually get the mandatory cuts to the military and medicare. It will be terrific.

macil22: I hope it fails because then we can actually get the mandatory cuts to the military and medicare. It will be terrific.

No, they're already working up ways to avoid the cuts to defense and shiat them onto cuts for everybody else. If we cut defense, there could be defense contractors out there whose profits actually didn't increase for a quarter. Can you even imagine!? Thankfully that is not the kind of world we live in. The profits will be safe, and if grandma has to suffer for it, so be it.

And now you know the real reason we're going to be out of Iraq by December.

Dems: How about we raise some taxes and cut some spending?

GOP: DIE YOU COMMUNIST HEATHENS! THAT'S CLASS WARFARE! THE U.S. WILL NEVER, EVER RAISE TAXES ON ANYONE!

Dems: OK, how about we don't raise any taxes and cut some spending?

GOP: BURN IN HELL! WHY DO YOU HATE AMERICA? WE WILL NOT REST UNTIL GOVERNMENT NO LONGER EXISTS!

Dems: Uh...How about we keep all the Bush tax cuts, put all the homeless people in prison, and tax only those who earn less than $20,000 a year?

GOP: JESUS PERSONALLY CREATED THE U.S. AND WROTE THE CONSTITUTION TO PROTECT RICH PEOPLE! NO ONE EARNING LESS THAN $10 MILLION A YEAR SHOULD EVEN BE ALLOWED TO VOTE!

/OK, I'm exaggerating a bit. The GOP actually wants the income cutoff for voting rights to be $15 million.

KiltedBastich: I see your proposal, and would like to suggest that Canada would be quite happy to invite the north east to join us, as well as possibly the north central and plains states, depending. We're much saner than what you are used to, so you'd have to promise to give up that nasty derp habit, but otherwise it could work out!

Yes, but would you really want the Free Republic of Derpistan on the southern border of your new Canada+Blue States?

Emperor_Tod: Given it was designed to fail, this should shock no one.

exactly. the Dems once again pretend to fall into the GOP's trap. it's all part of the puppet show.

Truly. I am.

The whole concept of a "Super Committee" stunk of anti-Democracy. It was packed with goons on both sides of the aisle who wanted to find excuses to slash/abolish Social Security and Medicare (just so they won't have to pay back all the trillions that have been stolen from those funds for several decades), and the only people allowed to come and speak were the goons of notorious Social Security-hater, billionaire hedge-fund tycoon Pete Petersen (who is like both Koch Brothers fused into one single hideous carcass of nasty).

I forget who it was, I saw an interview of some from that like gang of 100 (60 dems, 40 repubs). The Republicans had caved - they agreed to increased revenues. The Democrats had caved - they agreed to significant reductions in spending.

Then the follow-up questions came. Republicans agreeing to higher taxes? No way? Yeah, their answer was "we want increased revenue, not higher taxes." They went on to explain that lowering taxes would stimulate the economy, bringing in more revenue and that's what they are for.

Yep, no chance for any agreement.

LouDobbsAwaaaay: ∞) Nothing changes

I thought for sure hardened political hacks would be able to get together and abandon their election talking points long enough to do their job.

Democrats. Republicans. You get what you pay for.

gilgigamesh: Gunther: FTA:

"One positive development on taxes taking shape is a deal that could include limiting tax deductions, perhaps by capping write-offs on charities, state and local taxes, and mortgage interest payments as a percentage of each tax filer's gross income," he wrote. "In exchange, Democrats would agree to make the Bush income-tax cuts permanent. This would mean preventing top rates from going to 42% from 35% today, and keeping the capital gains and dividend tax rate at 15%, as opposed to plans to raise them to 23.8% or higher after 2013."

Jesus Christ, the Democrats are so willing to compromise they're offering to make the Bush tax cuts permanent (an insane concession for a committee whose purpose is to shrink the deficit), and the Republicans are STILL going to sink it?

I have no words. What the fark would you assholes think is a fair compromise? every Democrat in office commiting joint seppuku?

A fair compromise would be for the democrats to agree to making the Bush tax cuts permanent, with nothing in return. That's their idea of compromise: "give me everything I want and in return fark you".

Have any of you been asked yet "What do you think that Occupy stuff is all about? I mean, what do those people want? And why don't they get jobs or something?"

In person, I have not been asked the last of the three questions, yet. The first two questions, I've been asked enough times that I am wondering why are people asking me?

Angry Drunk Bureaucrat: Emperor_Tod: Given it was designed to fail, this should shock no one.

Not just "designed to fail", but also "designed to give everyone time to run for cover."

I actually like the designed to fail parts though. The modest changes to medicare and SS were thing Dems would have caved on at some time in the future anyways, and really don't hurt the programs that much. People are going to get less benefits and have to pay more out of pocket, but it's their own damn fault (look at turnout in 2010).

The large cuts to defense and letting the Bush tax cuts be repealed are HUGE. Thats a lot in austerity where it matters, plus huge new revenues.

Really never understood all the liberal self-defeatist belly aching when this deal went through. It's an awesome deal, and one the economy is going to like.

Obama and the Senate Dems pulled a fast one. They need to make sure the fail safe isn't altered by groveling Blue dogs and the scared shiatless GOP who put defense cuts on the table.

RosettaStone: Yes, but would you really want the Free Republic of Derpistan on the southern border of your new Canada+Blue States?

Hey, we could build a wall to keep them out, right? Maybe we could get them to put up the wall to keep us out, that would be perfect, problem resolved with no effort or expenditure on our part.

I expected it to fail, and I hope anyone with half a brain did, too. Now the real question is if they'll allow the mandatory cuts to take effect. Republicans are already trying to block the impending military cuts.

BigBooper: I say we dissolve the U.S. and break into regional governments based on the prevailing political beliefs of the area. The south east would be Jesus land, and would be governed as a theocracy. The north east would be the United Socialist States of New England, the south west would be either be Laraza Nation, or RONPAUL land depending on how the bitter and bloody war turns out between the Hispanics and crazy white guys with guns. The west coast would ironically also be a theocracy, but with Gaia as their god. The north central states would be the Forge, and would attempt to be an industrial workers paradise. And finally the plains states would be simply known as fly over country, and would be ignored like we currently ignore Canada.

I would like to subscribe to your newsletter

/cereasslee

LouDobbsAwaaaay: Cletus C.: I thought for sure hardened political hacks would be able to get together and abandon their election talking points long enough to do their job.

Democrats. Republicans. You get what you pay for.

Yeah, damn those democrats for signing a loyalty pledge, making compromise impossible!

If you plant yourself on one side your canoe is likely to tip over.