Making the President’s Position on Entitlements Public, and McConnell’s Complaint: Today’s Qs for O’s WH – 7/13/2011
EmailTAPPER: Congressman Cantor, the majority leader, is suggesting that President Obama should make the changes he's willing to make to entitlement spending public; that the Republicans voted for the Paul Ryan plan, which is a very public way to get — to express what they think should be done for Medicare, and that the suggestions he made, Cantor made, were released earlier this week; and that it would help Republicans understand what a deal would look like if the president publicly came forward with an explanation of what he wanted to do — what he was willing to do.
CARNEY: Mm-hmm.
TAPPER: Do you –
CARNEY: Is there a question?
TAPPER: — disagree? (Laughter.) Well, do you disagree — do you disagree with that idea?
CARNEY: I think we have made clear in the negotiations and the conversations what we are willing to do and the significant compromises the president is willing to make, the cuts he's willing to accept in discretionary spending, for example, as well as the reforms he's willing to consider in entitlement programs as part of a balanced package.
If you're telling me that some people would want us to say, you know, we'll do all this; and they say, great, let's just do that, and by the way, we don't need a balanced package, you've already agreed to these cuts and compromises and reforms — that's not how negotiations should work. We believe that in order to achieve balance, you need to sit around a table and work out a balanced package.
And as — going back to Senator Dole, but as many have said, that the way to do this is everybody gets in the boat together at one time so it doesn't tip over. And the president's made clear that he's willing to accept measures that won't necessarily be popular with all Democrats; and certainly we believe that it is the responsibility of Republicans to be leaders and to be willing to accept measures and compromises that won't be necessarily popular with all Republicans.
But you know, there is a growing chorus out here of Republicans and conservatives who acknowledge that we need to do this in a balanced way. I think you interviewed Senator Simpson, who made that quite clear. I think Bill O'Reilly on Fox News expressed that sentiment last night. Numerous members of Congress — Senator Lindsey Graham yesterday has said this.
This is not — you know, it seems self-evident that the leaders in Washington should, in a situation like this, where the problems are recognized by everyone, the need for solutions — and the urgent need for solutions — are recognized by everyone, that then we should come together and compromise, not say: No way, no how on every absolutist position that you might hold.
TAPPER: OK. I'm trying to address this, the entitlement component of it, and what –
CARNEY: What I'm not going to do, Jake, is publicly say, you know, what all of our positions are on these issues, because that's stuff that's happening in a negotiating room.
TAPPER: Well, Republicans are saying that they can't get commitments. I'm not in the room; I don't know what the truth is, but Republicans are saying that they can't get commitments. And Mitch McConnell said that an administration official,* which I believe is budget Director Jack Lew — he asked him how much would there be in entitlement cuts next year, and Lew said — and Mitch McConnell did not identify him, but it was Lew — and Lew said — (laughter) — $2 billion. Lew said $2 billion, which is –
CARNEY: I don't — and I'm not going to — actually, that's not talking about entitlement cuts; that's — and that is just a false moving of the chains here when we — you know, we are — we — you got to compare apples to apples. The president has already committed to significant nondefense discretionary cuts that were embodied in the CR compromise, that fulfill the fiscal-year funding of 2011.
And what the president is seeking and the commitments he's made in terms of the spending he likes — he would accept and seeks, in terms of nondefense discretionary spending, to lock in the savings represented over — from last year, represented in the CR, and to take them even further and not just to have savings in one year.
But one of the reasons why he wants a big deal is because you can get a medium-sized deal or a smaller deal, but that doesn't deal with your long-term problem. Only a significantly sized deal, in the
trillions of dollars, you know, between three (trillion dollars) or four (trillion dollars) is what we've mostly talked about over 10 to 12 years — that's the only way to really get at the problem of debt-to-GDP ratio, to bring those costs in line so that we can get our fiscal house in order.
That's what the president wants. And he is willing to cut deeply in discretionary spending, carefully; he is willing to cut significantly in defense spending, if you do it carefully and maintain our national security interests. He's willing to reform entitlements and find savings there. And he's absolutely willing, of course, to make sure that it's balanced and that we find savings in our tax code. I think that –
TAPPER: Then what is McConnell referring to with $2 billion? Because he's –
CARNEY: He's — it's apples to oranges here. He's measuring — you know, he's taking one standard and applying another to get a figure for — to make a political point. And that's — look, the budgeteers understand how this works and what you measure against.
And the savings the president is willing to find and accept are significant. Everybody who has been a part of this process knows that. People who were in the budget negotiations with — I mean, in the negotiations led by the vice president, you know, and everybody knows for a fact, because we all lived through it, the negotiations that led to the compromise that forestall — you know, that prevented a government shutdown for fiscal-year 2011 spending represent the largest and most significant cuts in spending that we've seen. So this is real money and real reduction in spending the president has been committed to and he remains committed to.
*Note: McConnell today said: ““Earlier this week, I asked an administration official point blank what the cuts they were proposing as part of their so-called bipartisan deal would amount to next year. He said they amounted to about $2 billion, total. Washington will borrow $4 billion dollars today alone. Two billion dollars when Washington borrows more than that every day. This is what they were planning to spin as more than $1 trillion over 10 years. It was at that point that I realized the White House simply was not serious about cutting spending or debt. The only thing they were serious about was putting together a plan that appeared serious but wasn’t.”
-Jake Tapper
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Is Congress Sounding Dumber?
For the President, this all about raising taxes (“increasing revenue”) not about getting serious about spending and the debt. This is why the Administration has no problem telling us that they would like to raise taxes by $1T on the wealthy, but won’t answer the quesiton to specific cuts. Why? Because they simply don’t want them. The President is trying to change the channel to any subject BUT cuts. It’s a gimmick…raises taxes and sure, trust us, we’ll get around to cuts…some day…trust us.
Posted by: r | July 13, 2011, 3:14 pm 3:14 pm
Obama made it clear that Seniors do not matter. Last year he signed into law a 2%
payroll tax deduction that comes from funds headed to social security. He is demanding it for 2012 also. And then he is telling Seniors
that they might not get their checks. Know
who your dealing with.
Posted by: deadwrestler | July 13, 2011, 3:20 pm 3:20 pm
Jake Tapper, Is it true that the White House is limiting reporters’ access to some venues because of their habit of shouting questions at President Obama?
Are you one of the naughty ones who’s shouted out questions and are now being punished? Hasn’t President Obama told you yet that Malia and Sasha are old enough to know not to shout out questions to him at the dinner table?
Shame, shame on all of you misbehaving children. We’re fortunate to have ADULTS in the White House to point out this most recent immaturity to us.
Posted by: Oliver Shagnasty | July 13, 2011, 3:22 pm 3:22 pm
Why won’t the president (or republicans) tell the people who elected him (them) what spending cuts he’s willing to make in Medicare/SS/Defense/ etc…? He and Carney answer to the people and by proxy J.Tapper. its easy to be transparent when no one is looking. Its far more important to be transparent when EVERYONE is looking. Keep pushing them Jake.
Posted by: Jay | July 13, 2011, 3:33 pm 3:33 pm
Obama made it clear that Seniors do not matter.
Posted by: deadwrestler | Jul 13, 2011 3:20:23 PM
Excellent! More ‘kill granny’ propaganda from the unethical right. Cute!
Posted by: Sara | July 13, 2011, 3:35 pm 3:35 pm
“Excellent! More ‘kill granny’ propaganda from the unethical right. Cute!”
Hehh, I guess it’s to balance out the ‘kill granny’ propaganda from the unethical left. The political class is doubly cute!
Posted by: dave | July 13, 2011, 3:39 pm 3:39 pm
Cantor is an Idiot!
Posted by: JeffC | July 13, 2011, 3:43 pm 3:43 pm
Lower than at end of Bush term…
Obama popularity falls…
OBAMA_______VS_______AMERICA
Posted by: Yep I said that | July 13, 2011, 4:00 pm 4:00 pm
WH Cracks Down on Press: No Yelling at Obama Today…
Obama ‘chafes’ at unscripted questions…
OBAMA________VS_________AMERICA
Posted by: Yep I said that | July 13, 2011, 4:02 pm 4:02 pm
“Excellent! More ‘kill granny’ propaganda from the unethical right. Cute!”
Hehh, I guess it’s to balance out the ‘kill granny’ propaganda from the unethical left. The political class is doubly cute!
Posted by: dave | Jul 13, 2011 3:39:04 PM
Haven’t seen any ‘kill granny’ posts from the ‘left’ here. Please post any you’ve seen on this blog. So I don’t see any ‘balance’ being created. Far from it.
We all remember how the health care debate was saturated in ‘kill granny’ nonsense from the right.
Posted by: Sara | July 13, 2011, 4:04 pm 4:04 pm
POLL: Pessimism deepens, economic concerns rise…
‘Welcome to Jimmy Carter’s Second Term’…
OBAMA__________VS_________AMERICA
Posted by: Yep I said that | July 13, 2011, 4:04 pm 4:04 pm
Posted by: Yep I said that | Jul 13, 2011 4:04:01 PM
Fear mongering is still the primary campaigning technique of the Republican right. Oh yes, and smear . . .
Nothing postive to report on the great achievements of the Republicans so far?
Don’t care to dwell on Bush’s 7 straight deficit budgets after Clinton handed him a balanced federal budget?
Still trying to avoid how 7 years of Republicans ‘making the economy strong’ resulted in an economic meltdown near the scale of the Great Depression?
Posted by: Sara | July 13, 2011, 4:09 pm 4:09 pm
Sara – was Bush a congressman or am I mistaken? See, Congress passes budgets. The House is in charge of initiating the process and then the bill goes to the Senate. The Senate either produces their own bill and then they reconcile the two or they approve the House’s budget.
Now hit rewind and remember Nancy and her humongous gavel after the midterms. Remember the Democrats controlled the Congress since ’06.
If you have grasped the last two points, go look at any graph showing the year over year deficits and accumulative dept. Please come back and tell us in what year the graph starts rocketing up.
I’ll give you a guess, it wasn’t ’02 or ’03 or even ’04.
I hope this comment wasn’t too scaaaaarrrrryyyyy for you.
Posted by: Aaron | July 13, 2011, 4:18 pm 4:18 pm
OBAMA THREATENS TO HOLD UP SOCIAL SECURITY CHECKS
‘Threatening to starve Grandma’…
Gallup POLL: Only 22% Support Raising Debt Ceiling…
Terrorism in the White House??
OBAMA_______VS_______AMERICA
Posted by: Yep I said that | July 13, 2011, 4:21 pm 4:21 pm
Sara – was Bush a congressman or am I mistaken? See, Congress passes budgets. The House is in charge of initiating the process and then the bill goes to the Senate.
_____________________________
Bush had a majority Repulican congress all the way through the 2007 budget.
Clinton left Bush a balanced federal budget. Bush and his Republican majority Congress ran up deficit after massive deficit.
Look it up. It’s history.
By the way, the 2007 fiscal budget was a Republican budget in the works before the Dems even walked through the doors of Congres with a majority. *The federal government fiscal year runs October to October. 2007 was a Republican majority budget.
Posted by: Sara | July 13, 2011, 4:23 pm 4:23 pm
DNC Chair Debbie Wasserman::::::
“WE OWN THE ECONOMY”
Yep you do Debbie
OBAMA________VS_______AMERICA
Posted by: Yep I said that | July 13, 2011, 4:25 pm 4:25 pm
“After watching the President for the past 26 months I have determined he has two negotiating positions: Arrogant and petulant.” – r galen
Posted by: Foghorn Leghorn | July 13, 2011, 4:33 pm 4:33 pm
Posted by: dave | Jul 13, 2011 4:27:27 PM
I googled it dave. I didn’t find any posts like that at all in Political Punch. And I only find two posts of that nature – in amongst the thousands from the Republican right aimed at Obama and the Democrats.
You might want to reassess your concept of ‘balance’? Sounds like you’ve been reading the Republican right definition of ‘balance’.
Posted by: Sara | July 13, 2011, 4:39 pm 4:39 pm
TAPPER: OK. I’m trying to address this, the entitlement component of it, and what –
CARNEY: What I’m not going to do, Jake, is publicly say, you know, what all of our positions are on these issues, because that’s stuff that’s happening in a negotiating room.
Really?? Does this little frat boy just like to hear himself talk? Jake Tapper asked him about this the first time, and we end up reading a 5 paragraph “answer” that is nothing but crap. Mr. Tapper tries again and Carney spews out what he SHOULD have said to begin with. If you aren’t going to answer the question, just say so the first time. What a jerk. And I thought Gibbs was bad.
Posted by: Shoe | July 13, 2011, 4:41 pm 4:41 pm
Sara, be honest, “I didn’t find any posts like that at all in Political Punch” is only half the truth. Be better than the Republicans, tell the whole truth. Where were those quotes from?
Posted by: dave | July 13, 2011, 4:44 pm 4:44 pm
Posted by: Shoe | Jul 13, 2011 4:41:36 PM
Tapper knows these are not public negotiations.
Cantor was whining the other day when something he presented snuck into the media. So the Republicans demand secrecy around the meetings – or they’re two faced.
Carney wipes the floor with Tapper.
Posted by: Jana | July 13, 2011, 4:47 pm 4:47 pm
Sara, be honest, “I didn’t find any posts like that at all in Political Punch” is only half the truth. Be better than the Republicans, tell the whole truth. Where were those quotes from?
Posted by: dave | Jul 13, 2011 4:44:13 PM
I found only two posts like you were describing dave – and they were not from this blog.
In the same search, thousands of quotes using ‘kill granny’ against Obama and the Democrats came up.
Be honest dave, the ‘balance’ you talk about is – how shall I put this – complete crap.
Posted by: Sara | July 13, 2011, 4:51 pm 4:51 pm
“Carney wipes the floor with Tapper.”
Fast and furiously!
Posted by: Bawlistik | July 13, 2011, 4:59 pm 4:59 pm
There are plenty of other “Republicans want to kill grandma comments” put forth by the left on ABC News’ “the Note” blog, although Sara may not admit it. She, the left, and the right of the political class are, in her words, cute:
“Wrong, Wrong and Wrong. Throwing old people and the physical and mental challenged under the bus. Now this is Death Panels. Most of the elderly receives 12OO per month from their PAID INTO for MANY YEARS SOCIAL SECURITY, where would they get 6,000 per year to pay to a privated, lobbyist connected insurance company. Ryan is so far off!”
“So, we will have to cut some things in Medicare, but you will see the Republican version of death panels if Ryans plan goes through. Has anyone ever read the reasons behind his plan besides economic?”
Posted by: dave | July 13, 2011, 5:04 pm 5:04 pm
Ok Sarah, list 8 “Democrats want to kill grandma” quotes from ABC blogs, and I’ll say you’re completely right.
(I actually don’t deny the Republicans say that. I deny that the Democrats say it much less than the Republicans. Even elected Dems like DWS and Pelosi have said it.)
Posted by: dave | July 13, 2011, 5:09 pm 5:09 pm
Posted by: dave | Jul 13, 2011 5:04:05 PM
You found no examples from this blog which is exactly what I said.
And dave, be honest – the few examples you’ve managed to find are NOTHING compared to the thousands and thousands of ‘kill granny’ attacks on the Democrats by the Republican right that come up under the same search you suggested.
The Republican right set not only the standard, but record numbers for “kill granny’ posts.
“Balance out” – not at all.
Posted by: Sara | July 13, 2011, 5:11 pm 5:11 pm
You found no examples from this blog which is exactly what I said.
And dave, be honest – the few examples you’ve managed to find are NOTHING compared to the thousands and thousands of ‘kill granny’ attacks on the Democrats by the Republican right that come up under the same search you suggested.
The Republican right set not only the standard, but record numbers for “kill granny’ posts.
“Balance out” – not at all.
—
Sara,
Dave is the kind of guy that brings a gun if the other person brings a knife. He rewards his friends and punishes his enemies. That’s who you’re dealing with.
Posted by: Playa | July 13, 2011, 5:14 pm 5:14 pm
“You found no examples from this blog which is exactly what I said.”
So is there only one lefty (you) posting on this blog under a hundred different names?
I’m impressed.
Posted by: dave | July 13, 2011, 5:14 pm 5:14 pm
Posted by: Chuck | Jul 13, 2011 5:05:15 PM
July 01, 2011
Washington, D.C. – The battle to be named the Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington’s first Scoundrel of the Month came down to a race between two johns.
In the end, Louisiana’s morally and ethically challenged Sen. David Vitter (R-LA) triumphed over Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) in the race to Washington’s bottom.
From the Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington website.
You forget I know how to do actual research Chuck.
Posted by: Sara | July 13, 2011, 5:17 pm 5:17 pm
“With Wagyu beef, Chuck. Nothing but the finest…”
Posted by: Bawlistik | Jul 13, 2011 5:06:48 PM
$300-$500 per pound. Good recession-friendly grub, an especially good deal since taxpayers pick up the tab. But Obama only eats the finest foods in the world to demonstrate his deep compassion for the working poor who are having trouble affording basic food during the Obama Depression. Let them eat macaroni and cheese! Or nothing at all. Obama needs their donations for another round of Hope and Change!
Posted by: Chuck | July 13, 2011, 5:19 pm 5:19 pm
Posted by: Chuck | Jul 13, 2011 5:19:02 PM
Chuck has just discovered that some of the most lavish meals on the planet are served to heads of state.
Surprise!
Posted by: Sara | July 13, 2011, 5:22 pm 5:22 pm
Posted by: Sara | Jul 13, 2011 5:17:22 PM
More Democrats than Republicans are currently being investigated for ethics violations. As usual, you failed to post a factual rebuttal, tierra.
Posted by: Chuck | July 13, 2011, 5:22 pm 5:22 pm
$300-$500 per pound. Good recession-friendly grub, an especially good deal since taxpayers pick up the tab. But Obama only eats the finest foods in the world to demonstrate his deep compassion for the working poor who are having trouble affording basic food during the Obama Depression. Let them eat macaroni and cheese! Or nothing at all. Obama needs their donations for another round of Hope and Change!
——-
Don’t get me started on the horrible school his kids get sent to. The place is so bad, the public isn’t allowed there…
Posted by: Bawlistik | July 13, 2011, 5:25 pm 5:25 pm
More Democrats than Republicans are currently being investigated for ethics violations. As usual, you failed to post a factual rebuttal, tierra.
Posted by: Chuck | Jul 13, 2011 5:22:41 PM
Oh yeah, and how many from each party are under investigation Chuck? You didn’t leave that out on purpose did you?
Posted by: Sara | July 13, 2011, 5:25 pm 5:25 pm
“Oh yeah, and how many from each party are under investigation Chuck? You didn’t leave that out on purpose did you?”
Boy am I glad nobody mentioned me!
Posted by: Timbo | July 13, 2011, 5:28 pm 5:28 pm
“Oh yeah, and how many from each party are under investigation Chuck? You didn’t leave that out on purpose did you?”
Boy am I glad nobody mentioned me!
Posted by: Timbo | Jul 13, 2011 5:28:10 PM
Chuck? How many?
Posted by: Sara | July 13, 2011, 5:29 pm 5:29 pm
Posted by: Sara | Jul 13, 2011 5:22:00 PM
I would imagine most Americans find it inappropriate for the President to dine on $300-$500/pound imported beef when over 44 million of our fellow citizens are having trouble buying basic food and we have a $14.3 trillion national debt ($4 trillion of which is his).
Even FDR had the good sense to cut out a lot of luxuries during the Great Depression out of concern it would look bad to suffering Americans. Since Obama is a malignant narcissist who is out of touch with the everyday American, this doesn’t occur to him.
Posted by: Chuck | July 13, 2011, 5:33 pm 5:33 pm
“Oh yeah, and how many from each party are under investigation Chuck? You didn’t leave that out on purpose did you?”
Boy am I glad nobody mentioned me!
Posted by: Timbo | Jul 13, 2011 5:28:10 PM
Chuck? How many?
Posted by: Sara | July 13, 2011, 5:41 pm 5:41 pm
Posted by: Chuck | Jul 13, 2011 5:36:56 PM
Proving yourself once again a phony.
At least you’re not outright lying this time.
How many Chuck?
Posted by: Sara | July 13, 2011, 5:43 pm 5:43 pm
“Clinton left Bush a balanced federal budget.”
This is such an inane argument. Bill caved to Newt and reaped the windfall. Yep, no denying it. The problem? Obama has trippled down on Bush’s spending and has no interest in producing a balanced budget. So, yes, the argument works if Clinton was in the WH. It doesn’t work here because the current President has already outspent the previous one in less than 3 years and is determined to keep spending at current levels.
Posted by: r | July 13, 2011, 6:15 pm 6:15 pm
I would imagine most Americans find it inappropriate for the President to dine on $300-$500/pound imported beef
Posted by: Chuck | Jul 13, 2011 5:33:19 PM
Except for that is just another one of your lies Chuck . . .
“attendees of Mexican President Felipe Calderon’s May 2010 State Dinner dined on Oregon wagyu beef . . .”
The beef was not ‘imported’ at all. It was American beef. You’ve heard of Oregon right?
Should we believe your stated price of “$300 – $400″ a pound?
I hardly think so.
You’ve certainly not proved your posts trustworthy or accurste.
You’re interested in smearing the President, not in facts or truth or actually moving things forward through addressing the truth of matters.
Posted by: Sara | July 13, 2011, 6:22 pm 6:22 pm
All republicans in the House need to do is send a bill to the Senate which will then go to the president’s desk so he can sign it. Or they can just raise the debt limit. They want to point fingers and play games like children because they now have the responsibility on their shoulders and they don’t want to accept it.
Posted by: TV | July 13, 2011, 7:07 pm 7:07 pm
“They want to point fingers and play games like children because they now have the responsibility on their shoulders and they don’t want to accept it.”
I’m afraid the Republicans (McConnell et al.) care more about the benefit their Party will likely experience by making Obama own the debt ceiling increase than they do about the harm the country will likely experience as a result of it.
It seems everyone in Washington cares more about party than country. Maybe it’s time to send them all home.
Posted by: dave | July 13, 2011, 7:54 pm 7:54 pm
“Clinton left Bush a balanced federal budget.”
the current President has already outspent the previous one in less than 3 years and is determined to keep spending at current levels.
Posted by: r | Jul 13, 2011 6:15:51 PM
First of all that’s not true. Second of all – why would you keep ignoring the fact there was an almost complete collapse of the economy on Bush’s watch just before Obama became President.
Only a grade one student would fail to understand the impact that has had on the demands on government programs, the slashing of normal revenues and the budget.
Posted by: Dan | July 13, 2011, 9:02 pm 9:02 pm
We were all shocked and appalled that President Obama dangled out in front of the cameras that senior citizens may not get their checks. That is a very dangerous statement to make
Posted by: Jail Nation | July 14, 2011, 8:22 am 8:22 am