As bad as a government shutdown would be, heading much further toward GOP would be worse (NYT)

Holding Firm on the Budget

After letting a highly destructive budget fight fester far too long, the White House finally stepped in late last week to negotiate with the House, which wants to eviscerate nondefense spending. Senate leaders still seem shell-shocked by that breathtaking ruthlessness, and have pleaded with the administration for help in pushing back. The White House needs to do so, and firmly.

Last year the administration acted as referee in a similar situation and got mixed results. It allowed Republicans their cherished goal of keeping taxes low on the richest 2 percent of Americans, and even gave multimillionaires and billionaires new estate tax benefits. President Obama won an extension of jobless benefits and a cut in payroll taxes that could boost the economy.

But this is not a moment for another difference-splitting deal. The House wants to carve $61 billion out of the government for just the next seven months, which would throw hundreds of thousands of people out of work and kill off scores of vital functions. Many of them, like funding for health care reform, environmental regulation and Planned Parenthood, are on the Republicans’ ideological hit list. The latest deadline for an agreement is March 18; without one, the government would close.

Republicans claim they will not agree on a penny less than $61 billion, which is too little for some more aggressive freshmen. If the Democrats try to compromise on even half that amount, they will be still be doing enormous damage to many programs and threatening a recovery that is starting to show signs of real life.

Formal talks began on Thursday, led by Vice President Joseph Biden. The White House and the Senate have countered with a more sensible proposal to cut about $6.5 billion from current spending levels, including $2 billion in Pentagon cuts that are not in the House proposal, and other reductions to job training, firefighting and federal building construction.

Though Senator Mitch McConnell, the Republican leader, called that “outrageous,” Democrats are under no obligation to cut more. As bad as a shutdown would be, heading much further toward the Republicans’ number would do far more lasting damage to the economy.

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http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/07/opinion/07mon1.html?_r=1&pagewanted=print

to score ideological points."

:thumbsup:

I wonder how far out on a limb everybody will go on this. If cutting $61 billion is not enough to satisfy the teabaggers than it's the Republicans (the more "moderate" leadership) not the Democrats whom are going to be in one helluva bind IMHO. The Democrats will compromise but only up to a certain extent and President Obama has already drawn a line in the sand against the $61 billion cuts and is only agreeable to a current maximum of 1/6 of that, which isn't even acceptable to Boehner and McConnell. I don't see any real way out of this quagmire (giggity-giggity!!! ;-)) unless somebody blinks. I don't see President Obama and the Democrats EVER going along with the draconian $61B cuts being put forward by the teabaggers (esp. since it essentially defunds ACA) and the GOP "leadership" seems scared to death of the teabaggers and will refuse to budge as well- afraid for their political futures. Unless the GOP leadership (an oxymoron if I ever heard one) puts the teabaggers in their place and forces them to accept less in cuts, things will remain stuck in the mud. Like in 1995, public opinion is on the Democratic side and it's ultimately the Republicans whom will have to move towards the Democratic position IMHO.

Let the damn government shut down and let the chips fall where they may. At the Rethug's feet...just like last time. The people don't want draconian cuts to so many programs. When the people see which programs they want to cut...they'll have a change of heart/vote.

I don't see much "wiggle room" here. The teabaggers are (as predicted) massively overreaching here. There shouldn't even be any domestic spending cuts IMHO without massive concessions by the rich in terms of tax breaks/subsidies and cuts in military spending. The Republicans are basically calling for nearly the entire social safety net/social spending to be completely obliterated- as though our social programs are what are leading us into bankruptcy (which they most certainly are not). The Repubs aren't really serious about the deficit or our national debt- they just think that they now have an excuse to slash and burn all kinds of social programs that they've been wanting to cut for years/decades.