Obama's Deficit Commission:

Guest poster at Yglesias, puts it well: (orig emp)

I agree with Matt that the deficit commission’s recommendations are unlikely to be actually implemented. But I just don’t understand the politics at all. This is the Democratic White House’s Deficit Commission which will be making these recommendations, which are shaping up to be highly unpopular. Republican leadership in Congress will simply wash their hands of it all, as they did when the idea of creating the commission came up for a vote. On top of that, since the recommendations are likely to be voted down, the country doesn’t even get the benefit of a reduced deficit. If the headline over the holidays in December is “Republicans Successfully Block Obama Plan to Cut Military Pay,” the White House will have no one to blame but themselves.

The Deficit Commission is a mess which, whatever it comes up with, will be used as a cudgel by Republicans to cut entitlement programs - even Social Security, which is mostly paid for - and reject any tax increases. You can argue about those issues, but the commission isn't going to do that. Its priorities are already set.


posted by Quiddity at 8/05/2010 02:19:00 PM