Finding a middle ground by combining the extremes

Today President Obama is talking deep cuts to entitlements with Republicans in an effort to bring down the national debt.  At the same time, Republicans are mixed on their message on levying taxes.  While some say they are willing to meet the President half way, others continue their hard line opposition to taxes.

The problem is that before they even develop a cohesive stance on their party's side of a debt compromise, Republicans already have President Obama giving concessions.  The President is entering negotiations already willing to sacrifice the millions of Americans dependent upon the very programs Republicans would cut, while Republicans are still not showing how much they are willing to compromise.  In this all-important game, the GOP is using dissension within its ranks as a kind of poker face, hiding their hand by giving conflicting stories on their willingness to negotiate.  On the other side of the table, the President has already laid out his cards.  If he has already conceded this much, it would be quite unpleasant to think of how much more Republicans can now squeeze out of him now knowing how much he will give.

Equally disappointing is the choice of cuts.  Rather than taking a scalpel to the disgustingly overfunded Pentagon, Obama is willing to take a hatchet to entitlements.  Rather than ending giant agriculture or petroleum subsidies, the parties are talking taxing more income from the poorest of Americans.  It is this sort of insanity that infuriates Americans - Democrats, Republicans, and Independents alike.  And for what?  Bipartisanship?

The central problem here is that rather than finding a middle ground, the two sides are uniting the extremes. Instead of cutting into several different programs - including subsidies and tax breaks for the rich and major corporations - the talks are centered around cuts to entitlements.  While the parties could talk tax hikes, they will certainly not even make a dent in the excessive lifestyles of the rich and famous.  Potential tax hikes will also likely not even likely be directed at those who can more than afford them.  Whatever compromise is made, it will not be a true middle ground.  It is bound instead to be a hodgepodge of extreme points on revenue and cuts, harming the middle and working classes while bolstering the very wealthy.  For those who were hoping for an end to business as usual, welcome to Washington.