Attaboi Johnny! Raise taxes and cut Medicare and Social Security. I am sure McCain and Graham will be there in a photo-op backing you up as doing the rignt thing.

A partial solution to the Obama tax extensions (Bush tax cuts) is actually no solution. We are in the current situation because we delayed decisions in order to not have to make hasty decisions. Congress has been unable or unwilling to develop a solution to this ongoing problem. We are in a financial mess that we can´t spend ourselves out of.
I cannot support a solution that "kicks the can down the road" for another few months knowing that we will be in this same situation 4 weeks before the next extension expires. The current House, Senate, and President are responsible for this situation. President Bush and the 110th Congress have been gone for a long time.
The worst thing congress can do is to cobble some legislation together that they have to pass quickly in order to find out what is in it

Current Social Security sufferers do not receive a cost of living increase on the things they spend the most on - food, gas, medical and clothing.

Good! It´s good enough as a counter. Now the ball is right back in Obama´s court.

How about a 50% cut in your salaries, a freeze on raises for yourselves and inclusion in Obamacare for starters, followed by 10% cuts in every department except DoD.

This is so bad, cutting retirees benefits who really need them. Do means testing on these benefits, cut 25% from the EPA, Education Department, get rid of the No Energy Department.

Time is growing short, so John Boehner should immediately invite Erskine Bowles to appear with him at a joint press conference endorsing Mr. Bowles´s budget framework as as a bi-partisan basis for getting the fiscal-cliff talks going again.

If Erskine Bowles refuses to show up to publicly affirm his own proposal, then John Boehner should speak alone with an empty chair by his side labeled ´´Reserved for Erskine Bowles.´´

B. O. wants to raise everyone´s taxes w/o taking the blame for it. That´s why his "counter" offers are what they are.

He has no intention of negotiating anything.

Raise rates on the "Rich" in the face of overwhelming evidence that MORE revenue would result from lower rates ?

This is , clearly, a punitive measure.

As it damages the productive sector as well as the GDP as a whole it is a twofer for Barky.

As sure as groceries come from the store, Barky knows that money comes from the printing press.

Shoooow Nuff !

The United States of America will soon become the Slave States of Obama.

I don´t think cutting social security and health benefits to retirees is going to play well as opposed to raising taxes on rich people. Has the GOP lost its mind?

Right now they are just doing a dance for the benefit of each party´s base. Real negotiations will start next week in private when they will stop making public pronouncements everyday and go on till the very end of Dec. when a deal will be approved.

All negotiations should be televised on CSpan.

We´re on our own, folks. Levin said this several years ago. Anyone who believes the government is going to look out for their interests is deluded.

Remindful of that pitiful scene in Deliverence. Substitute Boehner for Ned Beatty and Obama for the hillbilly behind him, twisting his ears and saying "squeal like a pig". Boehner squealing away for his life...oh and the toothless guy laughing while looking on would be Harry Reid.

C´mon everyone, WEEEEE WEEEE!

#3, I´m not sure why a social security recipient would ever expect a cost of living increase. Are most annuities indexed? Aren´t most pensions a fixed amount?

Actually, I´m being a bit sarcastic (not toward #3 but economic illiterates who think a person "paid into" SS and think it´s an insurance plan, rather than a welfare program).

Pretty soon they´ll raise the SS "retirement" age to 85. Meanwhile, the lavish spending, fraud, waste, and outright foolishness will continue unabated. We´ve lost the fight, folks. Even the ones, like Boner, who are supposedly on our side are now cowering in closet, permanently folded up in the fetal position, crying their eyes out, and whimpering "Stop, stop, whatever you want...please STOP". And when it´s over, they´ll all go to nice parties every night, play golf every day, and continue to receive the lavish percs that they´ve voted for themselves. Meanwhile, we´ll be riding bicycles, eating pasta sans sauce 3 times a day, and waiting for that final decision from the Death Panel. They all should be locked in stocks, tarred, feathered, and pi$$ed on.

Sounds like neither side is serious about doing anything, "reduce borrowing by more than $4 trillion over the next decade" is a meaningless freaking joke.

Just means they will only borrow 20 trillion over the next decade instead of 24 trillion!

I´ve often heard the only way to get your best deal is to walk away at least three times. Try it once, Johnny...your House passed a budget. Let Harry do some lifting.

The GOP needs to propose that SS be means-tested in the future. It is indeed a welfare program that, like all of these schemes, has gotten out of control. Also propose that the full benefit age be raised to 68-70.

Buy television time to say that people making millions in retirement should give up their benefit. That SS is bankrupt and it must be saved. They will have to buy the time because the regular media will distort what they propose. It´s only a couple of thousand a month max benefit anyway. If you have an income of over $250,000 a year in retirement you can do without the extra two grand.

I know that this is a huge stealth tax increase but we have no options left. Our politicians have financially ruined this country. They have also encouraged a huge percent of our less intelligent population that SS will take care of their retirement years. This myth has to be busted to encourage them to be more responsible.

The only proper counterproposal to what the marxist dreamer demanded would be, "Get real, Barry!"

#5 is right. The fact that we allow these pols to have no skin in the game shows me that indeed, there is no hope. Boehner will continue to kick the can down the road. Congress´ personal bank accounts will continue to be nice and secure.

What an unmitigated disaster! I can already hear Obozo... Republicans want to starve seniors so rich folks keep low taxes!
I also thought impacted existing seniors was off the table for both parties!

Stupid! The GOP has lost. Unless someone with credibility goes on the morning talk shows, comedy central & the late shows... no truth will get out.

Rubio, Christie, Ryan... someone.

#16 Soc Sec is NOT a welfare program. And we could seriously lower it´s costs if we got all those phoney disability deadbeats off it.