If we scorn the scorn, we might get somewhere
First, this is not a post about 鈥渟ibling rivalry.鈥� Not the usual kind at least鈥�
A front-page story in today鈥檚 New York Times by Jackie Calmes carries the (on-line) title Jackie explains the basic parameters of the dual scorning (emphasis added):
By putting deep spending cuts and substantial tax increases on the table, President Obama鈥檚 bipartisan debt-reduction commission has exposed fissures in both parties, underscoring the volatile nature and long odds of any attempt to address the nation鈥檚 long-term budget problems.
Among Democrats, liberals are in near revolt against the White House over the issue, even as substantive and political forces push Mr. Obama to attack chronic deficits in a serious way. At the same time, Republicans face intense pressure from their conservative base and the Tea Party movement to reject any deal that includes tax increases, leaving their leaders with little room to maneuver in any negotiation and at risk of being blamed by voters for not doing their part鈥�
鈥淭he only way to make those tough choices historically has been if both parties are willing to move forward together,鈥� [President Obama] said at a news conference in Seoul, South Korea. 鈥淎nd so before anybody starts shooting down proposals, I think we need to listen, we need to gather up all the facts. I think we have to be straight with the American people.鈥濃��
Mr. Obama鈥檚 stance was鈥 response to the outcry from both conservatives against taxes and from Mr. Obama鈥檚 liberal base against the plan鈥檚 proposed long-term cuts in domestic programs across the board, including Social Security and Medicare.
The scorn coming from both sides doesn鈥檛 mean the commission is doomed to fail its purpose. Some who praise the co-chairs鈥� report (including several of you readers) have suggested that the fact that both extremes are having temper tantrums about the centrist proposals is a good sign that these are reasonable policies representing a compromise position鈥搊ne where taxes (revenues but not necessarily rates) come up and spending (but not necessarily benefits to low-income households) comes down. Of course, Washington is not used to compromise where there is mutual sacrifice; negotiations in this town tend to follow the 鈥渕utual grabs鈥� model instead. Some who agree on these centrist policy proposals nevertheless are now down on prospects for the commission鈥檚 success, arguing that the commission will not do any good if it doesn鈥檛 lay down the political strategy and process needed to put these proposals into law鈥搃.e., if it doesn鈥檛 explain how to bring the policymakers on the two extremes to the center.
But I think it鈥檚 not the commission鈥檚 main purpose to see their proposals through to enactment. Sure, officially they had a goal of getting consensus (14 of 18 votes) for a comprehensive and specific set of proposals to close the fiscal gap, proposals that would then be taken up by Congress and enacted. But all along my greatest hope for the (and the as well) was that they would consider and deliberate on the full variety of real and tough policy choices required to make progress on fiscal sustainability鈥搃n as open and transparent a manner possible鈥揳nd I think the release of the alone decently succeeded in that.
It鈥檚 incredibly helpful to have these expert groups lay out these specifically-tough policy choices to the American people in the credible and respectful way that I think they have done so far. It shines a light on the real and necessary choices we鈥檒l have to make as a nation. This may start to make sense to most of us as the beginning of a reasonable and constructive discussion about turning our fiscal situation and economy around. We can debate, respectfully, about the particular tradeoffs we鈥檙e willing to make; some of us might prefer to see taxes come up more or differently, and some of us might prefer a different mix of spending cuts. But if politicians at the extremes react by continuing to 鈥渏ust say no鈥� and engaging in the same old ideological, partisan sniping at each other (what I think of as 鈥渁ttack and cower鈥� mode), we citizens might now be inclined to roll our eyes at it鈥搃n a variety of ways, some of which might get those politicians to snap out of their bad behavior.
In effect, we have to let the politicians know: 鈥�This is not what we elected you to do! You are the 鈥榩olicymakers.鈥� You are supposed to be making policy.鈥�
So if we can 鈥渟corn the scorn,鈥� I think we will be getting somewhere.
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