Probably right this minute.
After unveiling his budget earlier today, President Obama will dine with twelve Republican Senators tonight, to gauge their receptiveness to his proposal to cut entitlements.
The guest list includes Susan Collins of Maine and Lamar Alexander of Tennessee. On the menu? Social Security and Medicare.
Wednesday’s guest list of Republican senators was compiled by Sen. Johnny Isakson, R-Ga. The senators are expected to talk about the budget, the economy and fiscal issues. But with Senate voting on gun control expected to begin on Thursday, that issue is likely to be on the minds if not the lips of Obama and the Republican senators during the “goodwill” dinner.
This so-called charm offensive is the key to any budget deal this spring, even a small one, and will determine the Republicans’ receptiveness to the president’s offer in his budget to cut Social Security benefits and slash billions from Medicare. “This is an offer, not a starting point for negotiations,” stressed one senior administration official, roughly 24 hours before the White House was to release its fiscal year 2014 budget.
Hmmm. I wonder how receptive they will be to that?
Everyone who is reassuring themselves that tax increases will never pass the House, read this:
If Wednesday’s bipartisan dinner goes well, as the last dinner with Republican senators did, then the path to a budget compromise this spring and early summer becomes clear: through the Senate. The White House is slowly trying to woo enough Senate Republicans to move a budget deal through the chamber and then pressure House Republicans to act—similar to the script used during the fiscal-cliff deal.
Obama (the
"stupidest" man in the room) has figured out how to do an endrun around the House.
And what is to stop them from taking out the tax hikes, leaving in the entitlement cuts, and then voting?
Already, there are a few, small reasons for optimism. Republican senators seem pleased that the president is willing to cut roughly $230 billion in government benefits, including Social Security, by changing the cost-of-living calculations for benefits. “‘Chained CPI,’ means-testing, and age adjustment, I think, will save these programs from bankruptcy and avoid us becoming Greece,” said Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, who attended the previous private dinner with the president.
“In return, I would raise revenue by flattening the tax code, paying down debt, and lowering some rates,” he added.
Got that? In "exchange" he would 'flatten' the tax code (which Ryan wanted to do, which is code for lowering taxes on the rich and raising them on the poor). Wait, you don't need any code, he says it outright: "lowering some rates". So, in exchange for cuts to Social Security, he would graciously offer to lower taxes for the rich. Isn't that special.
6:48 PM PT: Bloomberg Business Week provides the following regarding the guest list:
Neither the White House nor Isakson released a list of the invitees. Senators Lamar Alexander of Tennessee, John Boozman of Arkansas and Susan Collins of Maine said they would be attending. The offices of Senators Mike Crapo of Idaho, Pat Roberts of Kansas, Marco Rubio of Florida, John Thune of South Dakota, Mike Enzi of Wyoming, Deb Fischer of Nebraska, Orrin Hatch of Utah, and Roger Wicker of Mississippi confirmed they were going to the dinner