And then there were five
This is not good news for bringing the Republicans around to the idea of reducing tax expenditures as part of a bipartisan agreement on deficit reduction. As :
The is now the Gang of Five, as Sen. made a quick departure from Tuesday afternoon鈥檚 meeting of the bipartisan Senate budget group struggling for months to reach agreement on a long range deficit reduction plan.
鈥淲e鈥檙e still talking, still trying. This is not easy stuff,鈥� Senate Budget Committee Chairman Kent Conrad (D-N.D.) told POLITICO after the meeting concluded about 45 minutes later. Asked about Coburn, Conrad had no comment, but the Republican later confirmed to reporters that he is dropping out of the effort.
The talks are at an 鈥渋mpasse鈥� [said?] Coburn, but allowed that the remaining senators 鈥渕ay continue to meet without me.鈥�
Why drop out today? He seems to have suddenly taken a turn toward the 鈥済lass half empty鈥� view. More from the Politico story (emphasis added):
鈥淲e鈥檙e at an impasse 鈥� there鈥檚 no reason to talk about the same things over and over and not getting any movement,鈥� Coburn told reporters later. 鈥淚t鈥檚 just a recognition that we can鈥檛 get there.鈥�
鈥淢y hope is that we can bridge that but right now I don鈥檛 think we can,鈥� he said, indicating that he remains frustrated that the emerging plan still does not go far enough to slowing spending on major government benefit and entitlement programs. 鈥淚t鈥檚 got to be balanced.鈥�
鈥淚鈥檓 not planning on participating at this time, if things change I will.鈥�
I am wondering if he was referring to the 鈥�tax entitlement鈥� programs and not just the entitlements on the direct spending side. No doubt each side will interpret his complaint about lack of 鈥渂alance鈥� the way they each want to. And they will stay in their trenches. It鈥檚 really too bad.
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