Geitner Slips - No Obama Plan for Deficit or Social Programs

[soonercruiser]

So, the truth is out!
Obama and Geitner don't have any plan to tackle the real deficit causing programs.
But, of course, they will attack any Repubican plan! The only plan is to continue to tax & spend us into deeper debt!

Washington Examiner: Truth emerges during budget displays in Washington
Oklahoman 2 Published: February 21, 2012

.....But when Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner appeared before the Senate and House budget committees, he twice departed slightly from the usual script. First, in response to questions from Sen. Jeff Sessions of Alabama, Geithner acknowledged the lack of long-term deficit reduction in the Obama budget, saying, “Even if Congress were to enact this budget, we would still be left with, in the outer decades as millions of Americans retire, what are still unsustainable commitments in Medicare and Medicaid.” Then on the House side, in response to budget chairman Paul Ryan of Wisconsin, Geithner conceded the same point, but added, “We're not coming before you to say we have a definitive solution to that long-term problem. What we do know is we don't like yours.”

Geithner's formulation — we know we can't keep doing what we're doing and we don't have a plan to change, but we sure don't want your plan — is an apt summary of Obama's overall budget strategy since the beginning of his administration. Recall that no credible plan for reforming Social Security, Medicare or Medicaid was introduced by Obama in his first year. Then in his second year, he ignored the report of the National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility — aka Simpson-Bowles — that he created specifically to recommend a deficit reduction plan “to improve the fiscal situation in the medium term and to achieve fiscal sustainability over the long run.”

http://newsok.com/washington-examine...rticle/3650728

Sounds like a movie title....."Clueless in Washington"!

[Midtowner]

Neither party has a plan, so yes, the Obama administration is clueless as to how to fix the deficit. I'd care about that if there was a candidate who did have an answer.

I mean, I'll be voting for Ron Paul, but he won't win. So the guy with 4 years of experience is probably going to beat out the guy who needs on-the-job training or the religious zealot.

[XingTheRubicon]

On the job training > On the first job ever training

[soonercruiser]

Neither party has a plan, so yes, the Obama administration is clueless as to how to fix the deficit. I'd care about that if there was a candidate who did have an answer.

And, this statement shows that you are blind to the truth.
You really should go somewhere else for your information and news.

[StoopTroup]

And, this statement shows that you are blind to the truth.
You really should go somewhere else for your information and news.

You mean like a History Book? Especially one covering the time period of 2000-2008?

[soonercruiser]

Boehner calls GOP deficit plan a 'fair offer'
http://www.usatoday.com/news/washing...eid/51217948/1

Poll: Americans Support GOP Deficit Plan
July 21, 2011 RSS Feed Print
A CNN poll released Thursday shows that nearly two thirds of the American people support the "Cut, Cap, Balance" plan that passed the House of Representatives Tuesday, throwing a monkey wrench into President Barack Obama’s plan for a deal of grand design.
http://www.usnews.com/opinion/blogs/...ap-and-balance

The Ryan deficit plan, part two - shifting cost to Medicare recipientshttp://www.joepaduda.com/archives/002072.html

Paul Ryan's Deficit Cutting Plan And Your Delayed Retirement
http://www.forbes.com/sites/janetnov...ed-retirement/

'Super committee' Republicans offer alternative to Democrats' deficit plan
http://articles.latimes.com/2011/oct...e-gop-20111028

Midtowner - and here is even one from you favorite site....

Super Committee Democrats Reject GOP Plan To Cut Deficit
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/1...n_1083754.html

[soonercruiser]

You mean like a History Book? Especially one covering the time period of 2000-2008?

Come on Stoop! READ!
We're talking "CURRENT EVENTS here!

Midtowner said "neither party has a plan". That is false!
At least there is some Repug thoughts on how to reduce the deficit.
The boy who would be President is completely oblivious to the deficit.

All Obama wants to do is keep buying votes by promising the Moon!
And, keep Americans on "The Gobment Dependency Plantation".

[StoopTroup]

They both have been in power for quite some time and have been arguing over this crap for a long time. Just because some Party got some legisation passed doesn't suddenly make it current.

[sappstuf]

Neither party has a plan, so yes, the Obama administration is clueless as to how to fix the deficit. I'd care about that if there was a candidate who did have an answer.

I mean, I'll be voting for Ron Paul, but he won't win. So the guy with 4 years of experience is probably going to beat out the guy who needs on-the-job training or the religious zealot.

Actually Geitner is quite clear that Paul Ryan, whom he was speaking to, has a plan.

You are right to say we’re not coming before you today to say ‘we have a definitive solution to that long term problem.’ What we do know is, we don’t like yours.

In another words, while the Obama administration won’t or can’t provide leadership, they will be happy to torpedo those who can and will — like Paul Ryan.

And they call the Repubs the party of no....

[StoopTroup]

Americans did elect this President because of Hope and Change and since the Tea Party were elected into Congress they have done everything to block the POTUS.

Now....You can be for or against the manuevre but you can't suddenly have 3-4 Candidates running for POTUS that they are going to change things and make it all better when your party has helped America dig the hole we are in even bigger.

So....yeah...maybe the Dems don't have a solution and maybe they don't like the Pubs....but what has gone on for the last 3 years won't get the Pubs a Candidate elected as POTUS.

All this yanking each others wanks is pretty sickening.

[okie52]

3 years? Maybe the last year but Obama had total control the first 2 years.

[JohnnyMack]

Midtowner getting pwned by soonercruiser. Quite an upset. This is like OU losing at home to Tceh.

[cleller]

Regardless of who wins, is anyone paying attention to the interest rates the Fed has kept so low?

Basically they are zero, and the Fed aims to keep it that way. For now, it is working. Its killing any income retirees need, but keeping our economy going. With our deficit, should interest rate rise, we would be unable to meet our debt obligations, like Greece. Picture the US when we tell the populace that food stamps, social security, and medicare are going to be cut by half.

What is it that historically causes interest rates to rise? Deficit spending. If no one seems worried, its because that's the nature of the markets. They are only concerning with what is happening today, like our current administration.

[Midtowner]

Boehner calls GOP deficit plan a 'fair offer'
http://www.usatoday.com/news/washing...eid/51217948/1

Poll: Americans Support GOP Deficit Plan
July 21, 2011 RSS Feed Print
A CNN poll released Thursday shows that nearly two thirds of the American people support the "Cut, Cap, Balance" plan that passed the House of Representatives Tuesday, throwing a monkey wrench into President Barack Obama’s plan for a deal of grand design.
http://www.usnews.com/opinion/blogs/...ap-and-balance

The Ryan deficit plan, part two - shifting cost to Medicare recipientshttp://www.joepaduda.com/archives/002072.html

Paul Ryan's Deficit Cutting Plan And Your Delayed Retirement
http://www.forbes.com/sites/janetnov...ed-retirement/

'Super committee' Republicans offer alternative to Democrats' deficit plan
http://articles.latimes.com/2011/oct...e-gop-20111028

Midtowner - and here is even one from you favorite site....

Super Committee Democrats Reject GOP Plan To Cut Deficit
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/1...n_1083754.html

Did you even read the articles you linked to?

Well, the CBO did review his plan, and the results are pretty discouraging.

Here's Forbes' Rick Ungar:

"Accordingly to the CBO estimates, the program would result in seniors paying twice as much for their care - a sum that would total more than $12,510 a year...

The GOP proposal, which would begin in 2022, involves providing a 'voucher' - or as Ryan likes to call it, 'premium support' - to seniors to help pay for their health insurance. The average American would receive a check for $8,000, representing roughly what the CBO estimates Medicare would have to fork out for the average beneficiary in 2022. In addition to the government's costs, the CBO estimates that seniors, in 2022, would lay out about $6,150.00 in out-of-pocket costs in the Medicare system. That totals an average cost of health care for participating seniors, in 2022, to be $14,770.

Republicans offered a $2.2-trillion package of steep spending cuts but gave no ground on their resistance to new taxes, congressional aides said Thursday. The proposal was a counter to the "grand bargain" that Democrats put on the table — as much as $3 trillion in spending cuts and new taxes on wealthier households.

On Social Security, he punted back in the direction of President Obama (who, of course, has himself punted.) Ryan proposed no specific Social Security cuts, he explained today at the American Enterprise Institute, because coming out with specifics “would make it too easy for the Democrats to attack” and “there’s a shot at some bipartisan agreement.” Instead, he called for a trigger mechanism. According to the 73-page document here describing Ryan’s Fiscal 2012 budget resolution and 10 year plan, in the event that the Social Security program is found to be “not sustainable, the President, in conjunction with the Board of Trustees, must submit a plan for restoring balance to the fund. The budget then requires congressional leaders in both the U.S. House of Representatives and U.S. Senate to put forward their best ideas as well.”

So in short, Ryan's "plan" is bullcrap political posturing, no different than what the Dems are doing, except that what the Dems are doing would cut the debt by 3 trillion over ten years instead of 2.2 trillion.

Both plans are horse****. We need HUGE defense cuts. We can roll back the wars on drugs and terrorism and save billions. Sanity must win out over stupid partisan dogma. If you think Obama vs. Ryan is a real fight, you're deluded. Neither is going to do anything substantial to reverse or recent ill fortunes.

[StoopTroup]

Now that DADT has been repealed a guy named Boner can join the military.

[StoopTroup]

Also....

I'm kind of with Ron Paul on this whole Healthcare deal in that....I think it would be cool to see a group of say 10,000 Republican and 10,000 Democratic Doctors to look into how they think it could not only be feesable but be worthy or creating a New Healthcare System in America that was run by Gov't and subsidized so that everyone could get care.

I'm not going to get into details as I just think they would be the best place to start in fixing the System. I'm sure everyone in the healthcare industry would declare bankruptcy that day and move to France but it would be interesting to see what a large group of Doctors could come up with and then maybe reduce the number of ideas down to a more managable number and reduce the number of Doctors of both political parties down until we have a pretty good idea of the direction we could send Congress in ironing out this huge problem without bankrupting everyone in the industry and bankrupting the Country.

To me it just seems like the GOP is continuing to play the "OMG...anything that we don't create is going to bankrupt the Country!". Then they just put it off longer and longer acting like the American people will continue to elect them.

[Midtowner]

To me it just seems like the GOP is continuing to play the "OMG...anything that we don't create is going to bankrupt the Country!". Then they just put it off longer and longer acting like the American people will continue to elect them.

The funny thing is that the GOP created the Affordable Care Act! For them to now maintain that this is going to bankrupt the country (but prescription drug coverage in medicare with no cost controls gets the Nobel Prize) is just silly.

[yermom]

Now that DADT has been repealed a guy named Boner can join the military.

I remember that episode of that one show

[soonercruiser]

Did you even read the articles you linked to?

So in short, Ryan's "plan" is bullcrap political posturing, no different than what the Dems are doing, except that what the Dems are doing would cut the debt by 3 trillion over ten years instead of 2.2 trillion.

Both plans are horse****. We need HUGE defense cuts. We can roll back the wars on drugs and terrorism and save billions. Sanity must win out over stupid partisan dogma. If you think Obama vs. Ryan is a real fight, you're deluded. Neither is going to do anything substantial to reverse or recent ill fortunes.

Midtowner,
Unlike "some", I do read what I link to. And, I don't hide the "other side of the story" to make a lop-sided point.

YOUR supposition was that there was "No Repubican Plan"!
That was a nonsense statement!

Now, what I linked to shows that there are several Repug plans; but that no one is totally happy about those plans - especially the left!

I made no supposition in posting those stories that there "isn't opposition to the Repug plans".

Now.....carry on with discussion of the lans.
And, don't forget to discuss the 300 pound gorilla in the deficit room - SS and Medicare!

[soonercruiser]

The funny thing is that the GOP created the Affordable Care Act! For them to now maintain that this is going to bankrupt the country (but prescription drug coverage in medicare with no cost controls gets the Nobel Prize) is just silly.

OK, here we go again!
More nonsense!
What are you smokin' man?