So far the word "revenues" has not been uttered. But cuts to Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid have. He's still pushing the "big deal."
8:22 AM PT: "If not now, when?" is the message of the day. Possibly when we don't have insane nihilists in the GOP?
Addressing taxes: "Nobody has talked about increasing taxes now. Nobody has talked about increasing taxes next year."
8:22 AM PT: The taxes are closing loopholes in 2013.
8:24 AM PT: Obama's in favor of renewing payroll tax holiday next year. Ending it might weaken the economy, but renewing it definitely weakens Social Security.
8:25 AM PT: "I don't see a path to the deal if they don't budge, period." To a question on whether there can be a deal if they don't budge on taxes. "They're going to have to compromise just like Democrats are going to have to compromise."
8:28 AM PT: Answering a stupid Chip Reid question on why he hadn't convinced the public that the debt ceiling had to be raised, Obama uses it to explain how critical raising the debt ceiling is to the economy, which all "professional politicians" know, suggesting that the tea party House members are amateurs, perhaps?
8:31 AM PT: Boehner is "sincere" in wanting to "do something big." On entitlements: "If you look at the numbers, Medicare in particular will run out of money and we won't be able to sustain that program..... If you're a progressive who cares about these programs...then we have an obligation to make those changes" that will make it sustainable. However, that can be done without cutting benefits, and so far all we've seen discussed as on the table involve benefit cuts.
8:32 AM PT: "Trimming benefits" and "increasing revenues." I believe he just confirmed we're talking benefit cuts to Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security.
8:33 AM PT: "Social Security is not the source of our deficit problems," but it has to be strengthened in the out years. "If you're going to take a bunch of tough votes, you might as well do it now."
8:36 AM PT: "My point is that I'm willing to move in their direction to get something done. That's what compromise entails." "The revenue programs we've discussed would be significant," and would hit the people who can afford it. No "grand ambition" to create a bigger government, "if you don't have revenues, it means you're putting a greater burden on the people who can least afford it."
8:39 AM PT: HuffPo's Sam Stein asks about unemployment. "Our biggest priority is getting the economy back on track," and creating jobs. Obama talks about recovery act and the millions of jobs it saved, what we see now in jobless rates is the recovery act ending, federal support for states ending means state jobs ending. Would like more state support, unemployment benefits, but has to deal with the House.
8:40 AM PT: "We're still going to have to do a bunch of stuff," to create jobs, like the trade deal, infrastructure bank. Chides GOP for opposing trade deal.
8:41 AM PT: "We're still going to have to have a strong jobs agenda." Still? There's been one so far?
8:43 AM PT: Social Security (paraphrasing): Making changes to these programs is so difficult that this is an opportunity to do something smart to save it for the long haul. Won't get into details of negotiations to address what exactly they are talking about specifically.
8:45 AM PT: Question about business leaders: Talks about raises for CEOs, imbalance, that there are well-meaning business people out there, but they're "hesitant to be as straightforward as I'd like" when it comes to taking some hits themselves in a "balanced" solution.
8:46 AM PT: Gives props to Boehner. That will go over well in the GOP House caucus.
8:53 AM PT: What's he doing to protect the poor, elderly, people who are afraid of losing even more? Says the thing he has been most concerned about are the people who are hurting the most. Does a good job expressing the difficulties that are being faced, defends TARP, recovery act to stabilize economy. But says it stabilized it where unemployment was still too high.
Ways to solve unemployment: make sure the economy is still growing. Money in people's pockets, i.e. payroll tax holiday. Small business help. Training programs. Reviewing regulations to get rid of needless ones. "We've been looking at the whole menu of steps that could be taken." But taking an approach that costs "trillions of dollars is not an option right now." Dealing with the deficit now solves that problem so we can pivot to growing the economy.
Doesn't answer the question of the people who are right now worried about having their Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid cut.