GOP Lawmakers Appeal To Obama To Negotiate With Congress To Avert Defense Cuts

[Purveyor]

Source: ASSOCIATED PRESS

By Associated Press, Updated: Thursday, March 29, 1:16 PM

WASHINGTON — Republican lawmakers are pleading with President Barack Obama to negotiate with Congress to avert automatic, across-the-board military cuts that Defense Secretary Leon Panetta has said would be devastating.

Seven senators warn that the $50 billion reductions that would kick in next January would mean thousands of jobs lost and hardship for the Pentagon. They told reporters Thursday that the issue can’t wait until a lame-duck congressional session in December.


Read more: http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/congress/gop-lawmakers-appeal-to-obama-to-negotiate-with-congress-to-avert-defense-cuts/2012/03/29/gIQAs0JBjS_story.html

[villager]

1. Can Obama shock us by not buckling?

n/t

[lark]

2. Can we be so lucky?

Not if the past is any indicator.

[zipplewrath]

3. Define buckling

Even around here you probably won't get a universal definition.

When he made this deal, he was trying to trade revenue increases for spending cuts. I suspect if they come a calling again he may be willing to discuss it again. Although the summer before an election is a lousy time to ask for tax increases.

[villager]

4. His first term in office?

n/t

[zipplewrath]

5. Be nice

made me laugh but.....

[Enrique]

14. signing a bill reversing the defense cuts

that's my definition

[Lasher]

23. It's not buckling if it's what Obama wanted all along.

More like cover for Obama to do what his base doesn't want him to do.

Do you think it's been by accident that Gates and Panetta have both been on lengthy Keep the MIC bucks flowing tours? Do you think they have acted on their own in this respect without Obama's encouragement? I don't.

[aquart]

8. It's not the buckling, it's getting so pathetically little for it, every time.

[JBoy]

6. Funny, this thread is on the front page right now, just above

"Senate defeats Dem measure to nix ‘Big Oil’ tax breaks, 51-47"

Congress isn't even trying to live up to the deal they made.

[anti-alec]

13. Also, end all Republican filibusters until further notices.

Majority rules.

That's the Republican way.

51-47 to end tax breaks - and it's effective immediately.

[longship]

7. Sounds like a teachable moment for the GOP

Obama ought to educate them about the definition of the word, compromise.

R&K

[calimary]

9. They're "pleading"? My ass.

[OnyxCollie]

10. Time to give the GOP

more than they asked for.

It's the Obama way!

[Renew Deal]

11. Then the republicans can begin to negotiate on tax changes

The system is working as Obama intended

[anti-alec]

12. Negotiation:

Give up all the Bush era (both of them) and Reagan era tax cuts, All of them.

And cancel all subsidies given away to those who do not need them - That includes the Oil Companies.

Remove the cap from the Medicare.

Raise the SS COLA to 45% to catch up on real costs of living.

Medicare for All.

That's just for starters.

They are all non-negotiable but if you want to avert the cuts in the Defense side, then you must agree to these above directives.

[bluestateguy]

15. He should counteroffer them something they will never take

Offer to spare the Pentagon in exchange for letting the Bush tax cuts for the $250,000 earners expire.

[juajen]

21. I thought all of those tax cuts automatically expired, or is this a different tax cut?

[awoke_in_2003]

25. "I thought all of those tax cuts automatically expired"...

and every time they are set to expire, we renew them. They are here to stay, unfortunately.

[JoePhilly]

29. They were extended one time. Not repeatedly.

[awoke_in_2003]

31. they will be again....

because, of course, we will have an election coming up or some other lame excuse to be generated later. Our politicians fold faster than cheap suits.

[bluestateguy]

27. That they do on December 31

And if Obama can make it past the election, he won't have to worry about the electoral repercussions of just letting them all expire--for everybody--if the Congress refuses to at least let the wealthy's tax rates go back up. Then Obama can say fine, then everybody's taxes will go back up. And he won't have to worry about electoral consequences.

But first he must make it past this election, otherwise the tax cuts will only expire for three weeks.

[awoke_in_2003]

32. but the people in Congress...

will worry. They will be extended, either because of re-election fears or the republicans will tie it to something we want passed.

[denverbill]

16. Sure, go for it. Just replace any defense cuts with tax increases on the rich. Have at it GOP!

[Jester Messiah]

17. What his response should be:

"Gee, sorry guys, but I'm all out of fucks to give."

[freshwest]

18. Where were these beggars when Obama bent over backwards to protect workers, the poor, etc.?

They made this bed of nails for everyone.

[Owlet]

19. Negotiating

[Iliyah]

20. Yea right

the same gop lawmakers who would use his bipartisan attempt to work with them into a weapon against him. Yea right.

[jwirr]

22. What really hurt is the betrayal of the Dems who voted to defeat the bill. I can see the Alaska and

Louisianna representative doing it but why did the rest? At least those two are from oil states.

[mistertrickster]

24. Cut the budget! Cut the budget! But don't cut defense!

Hypocrisy, thy name is Republican.

[Liberalynn]

26. No deal

unless they want to give us Medicare for all in return.

[bemildred]

28. "You can start any time. What's on the table?" nt

[nanabugg]

30. This is a gun happy, kill happy nation.

Give war a chance. That's all we seem to know. We are growing a nation of crazed military who come home and become crazed police supported by a crazed community. There will soon be no peace for anyone...and gated communities will not keep this shit away from your door. The over reaction to 9/11 put us on this war-footing and we on the edge of the cliff of perpetual panic. We have folks in FL who would still like to invade Cuba, folks in AL, MS who would still like to lynch blacks, folks in Congress who want to starve poor people and bomb Iran, folks on Wall Street who to steal from retirement funds and pay no taxes, and people all over who want to listen to and believe Rush Limbaugh. The picture is pretty bleak.

[woo me with science]

33. Ooh, they are going to put on a new play for us!

It will be full of drama and faux negotiations!

But I hear on good authority that the MIC gets the money at the end...