And the Super Winners Are...

“Winners and Losers” headlines abounded after the Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction (JSC) whimpered to an end. One of the most interesting analyses was in The Hill , written by Bob Cusak, although we disagree with some of his picks. Here is our analysis. "and, the winner is…the …

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Written by Steve Bell on Tuesday November 22, 2011

$1.2 Trillion in Cuts Still Avoids Hard Choices

Gloom has descended on the work of the Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction (JSC) as the Nov. 23 deadline for its work nears. As JSC Co-Chair Jeb Hensarling said over the weekend, it has been a roller-coaster ride. Republicans have made offers; Democrats have made offers. Both long-term …

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Written by Steve Bell on Tuesday November 15, 2011

On Revenues, Republicans Cross their Line in the Sand

Well, what do you make of that? It just proves once again that little is new under the sun. Democrat’s message-maker and message enforcer, Sen. Chuck Schumer of New York, took the airwaves almost at the same time that the Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction (JSC) members were exchanging …

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Written by Steve Bell on Wednesday November 9, 2011

America's Debt Will Get Kicked Down the Road

While much of Gucci row wonders what the Joint Select Committee (JSC) will do to their client’s specific interests, the more objective analysts seem to be split into three camps—just like they were in mid-August when the JSC was created by the Budget Control Act. In short, nobody knows what …

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Written by Steve Bell on Tuesday October 25, 2011

When the Senate Functioned

img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-105651" title="howardbaker" src="/files/wxrimport/2011-10/howardbaker2.jpg" alt="" width="535" height="340" /> Then, miracles of miracles, the amendment was debated and voted on. Next, another amendment might emerge from another Senator.  And, so on.  …

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Written by Steve Bell on Wednesday October 19, 2011

Super Committee Braces For Another Fight

The good, the bad and the ugly of politics has been on display for the past few days. None of it popped up spontaneously. First, the ugly. In an article in The Hill , Alexander Bolton reports that the Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction (JSC) “can’t agree on how to count.” This …

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Written by Steve Bell on Thursday October 13, 2011

Silence Won't Save the Super Committee

Hill-focused media report breathlessly that the Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction (the “super committee”) has clamped down on possibilities of leaks by allowing each of the 12 members to bring one staffer to meetings. Why? To “prevent leaks,” the staffers say. Given the track record …

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Written by Steve Bell on Friday October 7, 2011

The Coming Super Committee Crack-Up

Under any other circumstances, one would expect a technical, lobbyist-dominated group like the Super Committee to do what Congress always does when confronted with a crisis: Kick the can down the road. However, evidence suggests that won't happen this time. Why? Because the only incentives the …

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Written by Mytheos Holt on Thursday October 6, 2011