(This one is for you, Claire. There is nothing more infuriating than Democrats who give cover to these false equivalencies that are nothing more than deft political framing on the part of Republicans.)
So here we go. On tax increases:
Despite what the GOP keeps telling us, Bruce Bartlett has compiled a list of 19 different polls taken since January that demonstrate that Americans support increasing taxes in order to reduce the deficit and inequality. Americans may not love tax increases, but they understand their necessity for deficit reduction.
On entitlements:
Nearly twice as many Americans say it is more important to maintain the benefits from entitlement programs than it is to cut the budget deficit, according to a poll by the Pew Research Center for the People & the Press released Thursday, the day President Obama and top congressional leaders met to discuss budget and debt issues.
On priorities:
Americans name the economy and unemployment/jobs as the most important problems facing the nation, as they have all year, despite the dominant focus in Washington on the federal debt ceiling.
Now, y'all can keep ignoring the American people if you want, but don't be surprised when you receive very low approval numbers, or maybe even lose your jobs, for doing so.
It really doesn't get any clearer than this. If the Democrats would only stand up and fight for what is fair, and most importantly for job creation first, they would win in a landslide. And yet, they can't seem to formulate a coherent message around these very simple principles.
Why?
Update: Once again, Digby is right about the "deal". And I've pretty much given up on the idea of hope.
That isn't "shared sacrifice," it's asking the poorest, oldest and sickest among us to give up a piece of their meager security in exchange for the wealthy giving up some tip money and the defense industry giving up a couple of points of profit. It's stripping the nation of necessary educational, safety and environmental protections while the wealthy greedily absorb more and more of the nation's wealth and the corporations and financial industry gamble with the rest.
I'm not so sure the wealthy or the defense industry will end up giving up anything at all, but we haven't seen the final verdict yet. There is still a chance this all blows up if it can't get through the House, and they have a track-record now of being extreme problem children. Any "triggers" that offer protection to the American people could scuttle the entire thing.
Update 2: And right on cue, teabaggers are already complaining that they didn't get to destroy the entire government right now. That's what happens when you negotiate with terrorists.