FOLKS: There will be No. Grand. Bargain. Period, end of file. [View all]

[WilliamPitt]

Paul Ryan Waits Five Whole Minutes Before Killing Grand Bargain
By Sahil Kaptur
TPM

10/30/13

Paul Ryan killed any lingering hopes of a grand bargain within moments of the budget conference kickoff on Wednesday. In his opening remarks, the Wisconsin congressman and chairman of the House budget committee laid down a firm marker against new taxes, which are essential to any major deficit reduction proposal that can pass Congress and be signed into law.

"Taking more from hardworking families just isn't the answer. I know my Republican colleagues feel the same way," Ryan said. "So I want to say this from the get-go: If this conference becomes an argument about taxes, we're not going to get anywhere. The way to raise revenue is to grow the economy."

In the same opening remarks, Ryan urged action on scaling back Social Security and Medicare -- which progressives want to avoid at all costs, and which President Barack Obama and Democratic leaders have promised not to touch without new federal revenues.

The rest: http://talkingpointsmemo.com/dc/paul-ryan-immediately-kills-grand-bargain-at-budget-conference-kickoff

Maybe the President and a bunch of Democrats really want to cut Social Security and Medicare. Maybe they want it so bad it keeps them up nights, sweating into their pillows as they chew their fingernails to the quick.

But it is not going to happen, because these people cannot agree on the wetness of water, much less come to a massive taxes-for-entitlements deal.

Someday, perhaps, The Great Screwing will be upon us. But not this time. Not because they don't want it, but because they simply can't get it done.

Cold comfort, to be sure.

But comfort nonetheless.