Simpson-Bowles Talk.

Here's some red meat for our budget deficit base.

You need to read three articles about the Simpson-Bowles deficit reduction proposal and why OBAMA didn't embrace it. I thought it was because he's a socialist who hates America. Some people think there's more to it than that.

The Simpson-Bowles proposal to cut the deficit by $4 trillion over the next decade was DOA, of course. Talking about deficit reduction in the abstract is popular. Talking about the things necessary to actually cut the deficit is decidedly unpopular. Sorry NPR, tax hikes on the 1% won't get you there. Sorry Fox News, dynamic scoring and more defense spending won't do it either. Anyway, Obama never supported the commission's proposal. Neither did Republicans, although the RNC (and more recently Romney) criticized Obama for not endorsing the plan. Huh. In short, all politicians naturally ran from the plan, which raises taxes and cuts spending - turns out that's the kind of crap that actually reduces the deficit. Instead, everybody opted for the old standby: talking points and blaming the other party.

Start here with this NYT article by Jackie Calmes, which is a good primer and review of the Simpson-Bowles committee and the debt/deficit debate of the past year:
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/02/27/us/politics/obamas-unacknowledged-debt-to-bowles-simpson-plan.html?_r=2&ref=todayspaper&pagewanted=all

Now read Ezra Klein's thoughts:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/ezra-klein/post/the-reason-the-white-house-didnt-embrace-simpson-bowles/2011/08/25/gIQAq1j2dR_blog.html

Now read Josh Barro's response to Klein:
http://www.forbes.com/sites/joshbarro/2012/02/27/the-real-reason-obama-wouldnt-embrace-simpson-bowles/

Now read luridtransom's thoughts:
I'm with Barro on this. Obama couldn't (or wouldn't) endorse the Simpson-Bowles plan because it raises taxes on pretty much everybody, including the middle class. Right, ACTUALLY cutting the deficit sucks. I don't entirely dismiss Ezra's idea that Obama didn't endorse the plan because his endorsement would automatically kill it. But before you get to that point, endorsing the plan wasn't an option regardless of the effect of an Obama endorsement. Republicans didn't endorse it for the same reason. Voters don't like tax increases. It's my money, and I want it now.

In giving the Simpson-Bowles plan the cold shoulder, Obama opted for the comfort of politics. Not that he's the first to take that route. If Ezra is right, and Obama actually likes the Simpson-Bowles proposal, but he doesn't want to say he likes it, because then the Republicans won't like it, that's a pretty good tactic for a high school girl with a crush. It's also a pretty good tactic if your goal is to talk about reducing the deficit. If your goal is to actually reduce the deficit, it's stupid.

Besides hating America and hiking our gas prices, running from the Simpson-Bowles proposal is the biggest black mark on Obama's first term. If he does strike a Grand Bargain, this term or next, I'll reconsider. But until then, at least we'll have plenty of opportunity to talk about magical imaginary deficit reduction plans.