Distrust among members of Congress complicates "cliff" talks

[No Elephants]

Analysis: Distrust among members of Congress complicates "cliff" talks



President Barack Obama and his Republican opponents in Congress enter a crucial week in the "fiscal cliff" impasse with more than just differences over taxes to bridge: Also in the way is pervasive mistrust among members of Congress that discourages big concessions for fear the other side won't reciprocate.

That distrust is fueling doubts among Republicans and Democrats about relying on the other side to live up to any bargains struck now on deficit reduction in the future, Capitol Hill aides say.

Because resolution of the immediate cliff issues depends in part on commitments by both sides to a framework for overhauling the tax code and entitlement programs over the next year, an atmosphere of disbelief could impede any agreement on the cliff.

Nearly everyone - from Obama to most of the 535 members of the House of Representatives and Senate - say they want to avoid the cliff's $600 billion in harmful tax hikes and spending cuts set to kick in automatically in the new year, and replace them with more reasoned savings.

It seems to me that Republicans have never been more like Democrats and vice versa. Yet, government has ground almost to a halt.


About the only thing both parties agree on is the one thing no one should feel comfortable with, namely that the needy, the elderly and the disabled should be the ones to sacrifice.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/12/10/us-usa-fiscal-trust-idUSBRE8B904Y20121210

[Enthusiast]

1. I have distrust! Why aren't we speaking of the people's distrust?

Congress is nowhere close to the position of the American people. The media continues to tell us that medicare and social security are the drivers of the deficit. Just yesterday there was someone on DU3 arguing in favor of the Republican position on "entitlements", specifically social security. This individual insisted that there is no social security "surplus", that once the money was spent it is gone forever, too bad for us. But that same individual also took a decidedly anti-union stance in another discussion--an obvious stealth Republican. There are few voices out there on our behalf.

If legislators could take any message from the past election it is that the American people want to raise taxes on the wealthy to cover any entitlement shortfall.

[No Elephants]

2. Coincidentally, I posted an article about the people's distrust a few minutes before I read this.