basis for a compromise. if you are serious is that smart? they are smart enough to play that game but they re going to say if you are serious about deficits, you cannot leave taxes off the table. will the congress ever adopt a combination of some modification or cost cutting, which we know has to come to place, somehow squeeze the medical costs and a tax increase for people that can afford it as a more democratic, a more fair way to deal with this problem? will they get that through and signed by the president or is that just a posture? i think it s a possibility but they ll be glad to talk about it the next few months. the one thing the president doesn t want to do is talk about tax increases in isolation. fair enough. i m with you. as richard was çsaying, tha won t work for democrats, even if you tax rich people. you have to put it in the context of a plan. so the plan is the president says, look, let them offer a big slash in medicare which is going to kill half