but I'm not.
According to MSNBC Live these is pertinent points: One trillion over 10 years? That's completely reasonable. No cuts until 2013? Just what President Obama wanted and really not that far from the clean bill we all wanted, because anything can happen down the road. SS and Medicare is not on the table. Although revenues did not make it to this agreement, it didn't make it because Reid forced Republicans to vote against it. And when the cuts come into play, they will come into play in 2013 at exactly the same time the Bush tax cuts expire, so once again either the Bush tax cuts expire, or Republicans go on record as believing that the wealthy should not pay their fair share under any circumstances, which is a terrible platform to run on.
I'm fine with this. I'm trying to muster up outrage, but I cannot. This seems okay to me. Did I just lose my progressive card?
I don't think President Obama caved, I don't think he gave away the candy store, doomed us to economic failure, or has ushered into the Apocalypse. I think he exposed the Republican Party for what they are (corporate whores) and the Tea Party for their obdurateness and inexperience.
I think it's a decent deal.
5:11 PM PT: I want to be clear about what I think. I don't think the planned spending cuts will be to programs in any significant way. It's over ten years, it will happen automatically when the war(s) end. This Congress isn't anymore serious about spending cuts than any other Congress has ever been. The timing of the next deficit reduction debate I think is simply to highlight how unsuited to political life these Tea Baggers are. Their language and behavior will be as abhorrent than as it is today. Boehner and McConnell don't want these assholes around anymore than we do. They are out. Out. Out. Out. The only purpose of this debate (at these later stages) was to try and figure out a way to satisfy them in a way that will end up giving them NOTHING and still get them out the fucking door as fast and as permanently as possible.