Simpson/Bowles a Strike!

Hearing both sides bellow and crow about the Fiscal Responsibility Commission recommendations has me laughing so hard my sides almost split. Hey folks, this commission's report is basic, "just the facts, ma'am" math. Like the recommendations or not, that thar is a path to a balanced budget.

So now we can begin to have intelligent conversations about where to cut and how much. And where to raise taxes and by how much. If one thing can be gleaned from the report, it is that we will need a combination of spending cuts and tax increases to reach a balanced budget. "Simply" growing the economy won't be enough this time.

I would think that Tea Baggers would be lovin' all over this thang. (I picture a Tea Poodle humping Erskine's leg, but that's just me). Major cuts across the board of all government agencies, it's like, just the thing they were asking for! But I'm not hearing a lot of support. Change can be difficult.

I like a lot of what John A. Farrell says about the recommendations:

"Ronald Reagan and Jack Kemp are shouting down from heaven, “Take the deal! Take the deal!”...

Take it from me, Republicans. You won’t win this one by listening to my old pal Grover. We are in too deep not to do this without raising taxes.

Take the deal. Or, if you like, move to Singapore. And Australia, I hear, has great beer and fine-looking gals and lads and lots of empty real estate."

Update: He thinks Democrats should get on board, too.

I say, hey, at least now we have a "base line". Now it's time make some compromises. Let's get to work!

Hard to believe that Tea Baggers are fighting the debt reduction right now, by refusing to tax the Top 2% at Clintonian rates. That's $700 Billion over 10 years right there. About the same dollar amount as one of the wars we're fighting (so far). Why do the Tea Baggers love the very rich so much that they want to give them each like $100,000, instead of balancing the budget? Where are their priorities?