Republicans wanted a 22% across the board cut. The deal keeps spending flat for the next two years.

[Beautiful Disaster]

Biden dog walked Kevin.

[RockRaven]

1. Not across the board. They did NOT want the military cut by 22%.

That I would have been happy for Dems to agree to.

[Beautiful Disaster]

2. True!

[GoodRaisin]

17. 22% on discretionary spending

was their “going in” negotiating position.

[GoodRaisin]

18. Sorry that was meant for the OP.

[gratuitous]

3. So let's get a budget bill, House Republicans

You're going to need actual numbers this time around, boys. Let's see it.

[democratsruletheday]

4. Repukes don't know whether to shit....

or wind their wrist watch. In other words: same old same old

[Turbineguy]

5. 22%

That would cause one hell of a recession. So it fits with the GOP's mandate to mis-govern.

[moniss]

6. Flat spending with

the population and needs of the country increasing is not a recipe for anything other than falling further behind. I fully understand the need for the deal but I do not celebrate a country that for almost 50 years has knowingly failed to raise the revenue they know is needed to address our needs. Running in place on things is not even where we are since the needs and population are growing. Failing to decrease the tax breaks for the rich may eventually be written on our tombstones. Climate change needs will not decrease or stay flat. Even if we take back the House we are nowhere near being able to get 60 seats in the Senate to overcome GQP obstruction there.

The short version is we are f*cked even though we may have kicked a ludicrous self-imposed can down the road for a short time. The country and the world has needed a massive effort for the last decades to give ourselves a chance to mitigate the worst effects of man-made climate change. We have failed but not because it couldn't be done but because we have decided to stay in the burning house rather than save ourselves because we have a crazy relative who refuses to believe or care about the fire and won't leave with us. So here we are thinking we have survived something when in fact we fall further behind. The physics and science don't give a crap about the lofty proclamations of good intentions and goals by politicians. What those proclamations etc. are worth and full price will get you a cup of burned coffee at Starbucks.

We will never know if the GQP would take us into default because we will always give in to at least some of their demands. They are very aware that we will always concede on things. This country is truly mad.

So I wish I had more enthusiasm but after nearly 8 decades on this planet and watching this "economy as hostage" routine for over 40 years I do not. An economy that can't meet the basic needs of citizens and meet larger commitments needed in order to have a future is not a success just because it can pay the interest on its' bonds and avoid default for a short time.

[Beautiful Disaster]

7. Maybe your 80 years on this planet allow for you to be so flippant about the future.

I am glad Biden doesn't think like you. It's easy, when you're on your way out, to not care about what a catastrophic default could do. Frankly, this country hasn't even recovered from the great recession. A default would prove too devastating to risk. Why risk seeing if the Republicans blink because if you do, and they don't blink, you just ran the economy into the ground. No one wins under those terms. NO ONE.

Well except the crazies. The crazies win there because they're guaranteed Biden gets beat in 2024. Trump would be a lock if our country plunged into a massive recession because the president ALWAYS gets the blame economically.

Just look at Obama in 2012. We all can agree that the Great Recession happened before he was president. Yet by 2012, HE was being blamed for the slow recovery and the high unemployment that was a byproduct of the global great recession. It nearly cost him his reelection bid.

But sending this country over the cliff just to see if the Republicans will blink is just bad policy. It's policy like that that wrecks everything. In fact, the first group to get hit the hardest if we defaulted would be seniors on Social Security and vets.

The risk doesn't outweigh the progress made with a deal like this.

And it's a deal he would have likely had to make a few months anyway when we faced a budget showdown.

But this deal keeps a continuing resolution in place so in October, we don't have to worry about a government shut down.

[moniss]

9. Not a matter of being flippant

and as far as being on my way out I've been fighting this fight obviously longer than you have so I don't need a lecture on whether I care. I have pointed out in other posts tonight on this topic that I understand the need for the deal. But that doesn't mean we aren't doing the same thing over and over and over again and digging ourselves into deeper future inability to address our needs. It's how we got to this point in the first place. As an example one of the main reasons our infrastructure bill had to be so massive is that we have grossly underfunded infrastructure planning/building/repair for decades. We have continually allowed policies to restrict current/future tax revenue growth all while knowing our needs were increasing and while largely knowing what needed to be done in the future. But we are doing nothing to break the cycle that has put us here. So congratulations to our federal government who once again plan to fail by failing to plan.

It's known by several names but "benign neglect" is perhaps the most kind. Another example of a phrase for it is "deferred maintenance costs" that have school buildings going without repairs to the point that they are torn down because it is not feasible to fix them and now the new one costs a huge amount. Brilliant governance. Another phrase for it is "managing health outcomes" wherein we do the minimum knowing that the patient will eventually die. Poor people don't die younger because they got excellent health care.

But that's OK everybody just keep doing this dance every time this comes up because I'm sure we can find people who will claim things are getting better every time we do. Problem is the facts say otherwise.

[Demsrule86]

11. We have to win more elections. That is the answer.

[Beautiful Disaster]

19. You sure sound flippant.

It is a matter of being flippant if you're willing to wreck the economy to stick it to the Republicans.

But I think what you're missing, or just don't care to understand, is that if Democrats don't do this dance when they have a split government, they won't have power ever again. Republicans hope Democrats think like you because they know if the economy crashes, it will wipe the party out entirely. Again, maybe you're okay with that because you're on your way out. But I'd much rather accept these compromises over watching a recession that is globally as devastating as the Great Depression. That is the only alternative. So, you either side with protecting the economy or side with crashing it.

[moniss]

20. What you state is the obvious

line of the GQP. Only two alternatives cuts or a dead economy. So those are the only choices for those who can't get creative about this and plan ahead for how to defeat that dead end strategy. Some choose to keep reliving it endlessly. Simply pointing blame at the other party and hoping everybody turns against them is a strategy of last resort at the last minute. We could plan ahead with strategies for many things like voting rights, abortion rights etc. rather than waiting until the last minute and then trying to overcome somebody like Manchin when we have no leverage in place against him. The reason we have no leverage against him is we didn't plan for it and put it in place. That's just an example. But that requires a depth past which you don't seem to want to go.
So let's just do it all on the fly, everything at the last minute, wait until things are ready to fly apart etc. I don't accept that way of thinking as the way it has to be.

Limited thinking leads people to conclude as you do that we have to go through this over and over and have no alternatives but the ones you see. I also would note that the "compromises" you say you accept are likely very easy for you since I doubt they will affect you. Furthermore you are failing to protect the economy by going through this dance over and over rather than planning for leverage to end it. Two years from now you will be celebrating surrendering benefits to help people less fortunate than you and making their lives harder. Then you can mount your white horse as being a good soldier in the salvation of the economy and throw yourselves a parade every time around. My what a glorious spectacle.

[Beautiful Disaster]

21. It is the reality. Even Biden accepts it. Or are you saying Biden is a Q-cutlist?

Bottom line: you took the Matt Gaetz approach: don't blink and if the US defaults, oh well.

It's dangerous. It's selfish. It's irresponsible.

[moniss]

22. Bottom line

is I'm about strategy to avoid these problems. Others like to keep surrendering over and over.

[DemocraticPatriot]

8. We have spent a lot of money in the past year or two...

As such, I could live with a "spending freeze" for a year or two---

if that is what we have to do....

but my preference was that we would not negotiate with terrorists on anything,
as President Joe Biden first indicated...


I don't think we should give ANYTHING to the motherfuckers.
If they want to wreck the economy, let them try---

we still have the 14th amendment,
and the Nixon-era law that says we will pay our debts...


As always, the Democrats are "more reasonable"...

[Demsrule86]

10. One, yearThere is an increase in 25.

[FBaggins]

12. You've read that wrong

They never proposed a 22% cut.

They proposed a freeze at 2022 levels and others said that the result would necessarily mean a 22% cut in non-defense discretionary spending.

IOW - it appears that the “dog walk” in this regard was to only agree to two years instead of several.

[MichMan]

13. Congress hasn't approved any "deal" yet......

[Hotler]

14. I hope they spared the rich from any discomfort. nt

[Demsrule86]

16. No it doesn't and where is the link? It is a good deal and saves our economy.