she drew the line in the sand. we want no cuts to medicare. keyword, cuts. what that really means in translation is when this deal is done, and it s going to get done, there will be some slowing of growth. there may be some additional taxation, a means testing of medicare, et cetera, et cetera. there is room to manoeuvre in there as firm as she sounded. there are plenty of things you can do in medicare. clinton s first act on medicare was to cut it substantially. without hitting beneficiaries. where do we go from here? cantor has walked out. is boehner really going to go in alone and have the burden alone of talking about taxation with the president, with democrats? well, initially, i think he will. i think he will. i think they are playing a sort of bad cop and worse cop routine
taxation, a means testing of medicare, et cetera, et cetera. there is room to manoeuvre in there as firm as she sounded. there are plenty of things you can do in medica. clinton s first act on medicare was to cut it substantially. without hitting beneficiaries. where do we go from here? cantor has walked out. is boehner really going to go in alone and have the burden alone of talking about taxation with the president, with democrats? well, initially, i think he will. i think he will. i think they are playing a sort of bad cop and worse cop routine here, where boehner, the golfing buddy no show cop. and the cop who is here but he is not allowed to discuss it. the one eating the doughnuts in the car. boehner will have the doughnuts. and he ll be sitting and listening to the president and get the president to say whatever he s going to say about closing loopholes or raising taxes, whatever. then they ll run out and denounce that.
element of growth. and we are not supporting any package that has cuts in benefits for medicare beneficiaries. joining me now is howard fineman, editorial director for the huffington post. howard, i read the cantor move as you guys want to talk about taxation? i will not discuss it with you. i want the president of the united states to go out publicly and make a speech telling us exactly what he wants in taxes so that we can then attack that. i think you ve got it exactly right. and the president won t do that. but what the president will do is get involved in the negotiations directly, which secondarily is what the republicans want. by the way, when we were listening to nancy pelosi there, she drew the line in the sand. we want no cuts to medicare. keyword, cuts. what that really means in translation is when this deal is done, and it s going to get done, there will be some slowing of growth there may be some additional
and so exercise their purchasing power which in turn will create jobs. the fact is we have a republican majority in the house, and you need 60 votes in the senate, and we have a democratic president of the united states, thank god, and we will work something out that has, again, balance and bipartisan as we go forward. but we will not support medicare, any change in medicare, that reduces benefits for our seniors and others who avail themselves of medicare. the republican budget as you know, the republican budget repeals medicare, makes seniors pay more, perhaps $6,000 a year, while they have fewer benefits. while they give tax breaks and big subsidies to big oil, and breaks to corporations sending jobs overseas. you know the poor priorities that almost shameful priorities
package that has cuts in benefits for medicare beneficiaries. joining me now is howard fineman, editorial director for the huffington post. howard, i read the cantor move as you guys want to talk about taxation? i will not discuss it with you. i want the president of the united states to go out publicly and make a speech telling us exactly what he wants in taxes so that we can then attack that. i think you ve got it exactly right. and the president won t do that. but what the president will do is get involved in the negotiations directly, which secondarily is what the republicans want. by the way, when we were listening to nancy pelosi there, she drew the line in the sand. we want no cuts to medicare. keyword, cuts. what that really means in translation is when this deal is done, and it s going to get done, there will be some slowing of growth. there may be some additional