"Obama weighs ordering new debt commission"

[Clio the Leo]

Obama weighs ordering new debt commission

Posted: December 15th, 2009 06:39 PM ET

From CNN Senior White House Correspondent Ed Henry

Washington (CNN) - CNN has learned President Obama is seriously considering an executive order to create a bipartisan commission that could weigh sweeping tax increases and spending cuts to popular programs like Social Security and Medicare in order to try slash the soaring federal deficit.

Documents obtained by CNN show that top advisers to the President have been privately weighing various versions of a commission and there are differing opinions about how to structure it. Officials say that some inside the administration are pushing for a narrow mandate because it's too complicated to tackle reform of the tax system and various popular federal spending programs all at once.

"Each major category of fiscal policy - Social Security, Medicare, discretionary spending, revenues - raises a complex and idiosyncratic array of policy problems and prescriptions," according to the documents detailing some of the administration's deliberations. "Achieving consensus on any one of these issues - much less all of them simultaneously - may be more than the political system can reasonably accommodate."

But officials told CNN that other advisers to the president are pushing for the commission to have a broad mandate to put all of these big issues "on the table" at the same time.

"The nation's unsustainable fiscal course is the result of imbalance across the budget as a whole, not any component in isolation," according to the documents, which are marked "Preliminary and Pre-Decisional - Not For Distribution".

"And, in both the 1990 and 1993 budget deals, the final compromises encompassed both revenue enhancements and spending reductions," add the documents. "Such deals, touching on both sides of the budget ledger, perhaps offer the best way of achieving a bipartisan deficit reduction package."

http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2009/12/15/cnn-exclusive-obama-weighs-ordering-new-debt-commission/

[dysfunctional press]

1. the news just keeps getting BETTER and BETTER, doesn't it...?

come on obamamaniacs, let's hear it for our president!

:woohoo: :patriot: :woohoo: :patriot: :woohoo: :patriot: :woohoo:

[ananda]

2. Mission Accomplished!

God this is sad, a truly deep hurt.

[Phoebe Loosinhouse]

3. How about spending cuts for the military/industrial/war entitlements

they appear to be entitlements. We just pay them forever without question.

How about saving a few fast quick billions by negotiating drug prices for Medicare?

[treestar]

11. There is nothing to say this commission would not consider that

Slanted reporting from Conservative News Network

[msongs]

4. lookin for ward to the slash in military welfare spend, President McChrystal? nt

[valerief]

5. I'm SO glad McCain was elected!

:sarcasm:

[freddie mertz]

6. Meet the new boss.

Defund the war.

[Kdillard]

7. Well we do need to deal with the budget we'll see what comes out of this.

I do love the people shitting on it already when it is just preliminary and nothing has been solidified yet. The federal deficit is a problem and whatever action is taken will cause everyone pain.

[Zodiak]

8. Jesus!

A bipartisan commission (translation: 5 Republicans, 3 conservative Democrats, and two spineless Democrats) set up to cut all programs meant to help the American people, and not ONE mention of our bloated military budget?

I cannot wait for Obama to sign the Health Care legislation without a public option because then I am finally done with this shit (I said I would not pull support of Obama until that moment).

ON EDIT: oh look! It's Ken Conrad (DLC asshole) working with a Republican on this. What a fucking surprise! Woohoo "bipartisanship"!

[napi21]

9. You're panicing too soon. Slow down and think what this is.

It was a "commission" like this that made the changes to SS years ago when they increased the retirement age to 67. There's no reason a similar one couldn't agree that the best solution to SS would be either raising the cap or eliminating the cap on wages that contribute to SS.

Please don't make snap judgements before you even hear a proposa!

[Zodiak]

10. I just read the article

You trust Gregg (R) and Conrad (DLC)?

Both of these assholes cannot stand what Democrats stand for. They are ideological conservatives, and they will most likely be HEADING this bullshit commission.

Nope....sorry, but the progressives have had enough of this pussy-footing around with Republicans and DLC jerks. Run that up someone else's flagpole.

[treestar]

13. It's only a commission

You'd think a final bill was being signed to read these posts.

More hysteria. Is anything taken without it?

[Zodiak]

14. More wrong direction

If you wait until the final bill, it is too late.

Of course you know that......this "wait and see" bullshit is a talking point to stall the inevitable anger that people will feel because of the WRONG DIRECTION.

All this article mentions is entitlement programs...THAT is what they are targeting.

Why don't you tell me how this is going to end up with cotton candy and rainbows with the direction it is headed? C'mon optimist....dispense some of your wisdom.

[MNDemNY]

12. Of course, and you better get on board with it,