budget deficit

Budget Gridlock Feeds Pessimism at Annual Fiscal ‘Summit’

Posted on 05/8/2013 by | General News | Comments

Bulletin Today | PoliticsBy Andrew Taylor, The Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — On this, some of Washington’s highest-ranking budget players can agree: A “grand bargain” this year to close the nation’s chronic budget deficits seems like a long shot. That was the consensus at an annual Washington “fiscal summit” thrown by billionaire deficit hawk Pete Peterson, who’s staked $1 billion of his fortune on a foundation aimed at raising public awareness of the dangers of the government’s growing debt. But barely 100 days into …

What Do Pelosi’s Smoke Signals Really Mean?

Posted on 03/15/2013 by | Washington Watch | Comments

Bulletin Today | PoliticsAs President Obama’s personal lobbying on Capitol Hill this week seemed to bring him closer to Republican lawmakers as he talked about changes in Medicare and Social Security, Democrats offered the expected pushback. But Obama won unexpected support from House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi, usually a leader of the party’s liberal wing. USA Today reported Pelosi as saying that Democrats are open to some reforms, among them requiring wealthier Americans to pay more for Medicare. She also sounded amenable to …

Obama’s Charm Offensive: Time-Tested Strategy

Posted on 03/11/2013 by | Washington Watch | Comments

Bulletin Today | PoliticsMaybe the most surprising thing about President Obama’s wining and dining of GOP lawmakers is the fact that it’s surprising. Socializing that crossed party boundaries once was the lubricant that greased political compromise in Washington. In recent years, though, lawmakers have been spending much more time back in their home districts, which means they have less time to get to know their colleagues in Washington. And the polarization of politics has led to less two-party partying. Obama drew lots of …

Obama Says He Can’t ‘Jedi Mind Meld’ a Budget Deal

Posted on 03/1/2013 by | General News | Comments

Bulletin Today | PoliticsBy Jim Kuhnhenn of The Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — A combative President Barack Obama blamed Republican lawmakers Friday for failing to stop automatic spending cuts from beginning to kick in late in the day, arguing he can’t perform a “Jedi mind meld” to get Republicans to agree on a deal. But he and GOP leaders displayed no appetite for letting the fight shut the government down later this month. Meeting on the day that $85 billion in federal spending …

Stop the Sequester (Wait … What’s a Sequester?)

Posted on 02/22/2013 by | News | Comments

Bulletin Today | PoliticsThe major budget cuts looming on March 1 are a bad idea, whether you know much about them or not. That’s one takeaway from a new poll by the Pew Research Center and USA Today on issues that are likely to dominate the political landscape this year. By a 9 point margin (49 to 40 percent), those polled favored finding a way around the $85 billion in spending cuts scheduled for military and most domestic programs — known in Washington …

Simpson, Bowles: Still in the Deficit Reduction Game

Posted on 02/19/2013 by | Washington Watch | Comments

Bulletin Today | PoliticsThe two leaders of President Obama’s 2010 panel on cutting the national debt, former Sen. Alan Simpson and former White House chief of staff Erskine Bowles, are back at it, offering a new compromise budget plan that builds on deficit reduction that’s already been enacted. But before we get into details, check out how another panel member, Alice Rivlin, is trying to shake things up with the “Harlem Shake” Internet dance sensation. The performance by Rivlin, an economist at the …

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