WP: Let’s just say it: The Republicans are the problem.

[JMS]

Is there any evidence that the Republicans will compromise on a budget?

They are not willing to compromise on Defense Spending, Revenue Increases or repealing the Bush tax cuts.
That taken in it's entirety equates to zero room for compromise, zero tollerance for differences, and zero responsibility...

And why should the Republican's compromise? I mean they fundimentally see this confrontation as one between thos who love God and their country; and folks who hate god, and hate America.

[twa]

Is there any evidence that the Republicans will compromise on a budget?

All the budgets in the past?....might not be the compromise you seek,but yes

[Chump Bailey]

20% now. Ok. Unemployment is not good right now, but A) you can't blame that ALL on the president. And B) you're ignoring a lot of other things he's done that have been very good for the country, including in regards to the unemployment figures.

I'm of the opinion it's actually closer to 25%

A. Why not? It's his policies and leadership going on 4.5 years now.
B. What am I ignoring? I like the work he's done on trying to help with regard to fair credit- full disclosure. Helping to reform predatory type student loans from schools that especially target service members. This is good. Wall Street is a mess. Whatever growth's there's been has been miniscule at best across the board. GDP is 2-2.5% IIRC. Bottom line: he needs to get corporate America - private sector believing better things are on the horizon and wanting to expand their workforce. He needs to create a favorable environment for that to occur.

http://www.nypost.com/p/blogs/capito...sH1MVVwgkK51mI

The unemployment rate is 8.1% but is that the real number of people out of work in America? Not even close.

As reported, 115,000 jobs were added in April, which is considerably lower than previously predicted. But still the number of jobs added brought the jobless rate down by .1 percent, which sure seems like things are moving in the right direction, albeit slowly. But the devil is in the details, and the truth is that the numbers hide a disturbing trend of people exiting the work universe by not even trying to find a job.
"The unemployment rate has fallen a full percentage point since August to a three-year low. But last month's decline was not due to job growth. The government only counts people as unemployed if they are actively looking for work. "In April, the percentage of adults working or looking for work fell to the lowest level in more than 30 years." So if you add back all the people who have stopped looking for work you get a "real" unemployment rate of almost 15 percent. "Factoring in those discouraged adults and others working part time for lack of full time opportunities, the unemployment rate is about 14.5 percent. Adding college graduates in low-skill positions, like counterwork at Starbucks, and the unemployment rate is likely closer to 18 percent," writes Peter Morici.

[Madison Redskin]

I'm of the opinion it's actually closer to 25%

Care to substantiate that claim?

And no, you're citation to the highly esteemed NY Post doesn't bolster your claim. They magically got to an 18% unemployment rate by adding the underemployed to the list of unemployed.

[Tulane Skins Fan]

You're ignoring the fact that you are comparing apples to oranges and we have historically always talked about the unemployment rate which lends itself to the 8.1% when evaluating unemployment. Essentially, you are just comparing apples to oranges. Pretty dishonest.

[Chump Bailey]

Care to substantiate that claim?

Nope. I believe that's correct.

[ABQCOWBOY]

Is there any evidence that the Republicans will compromise on a budget?

Hard to say one way or the other when Harry Reid refuses to bring any vote on one to the floor.

The reality is that the process by which it gets passed through the House and Senate are where the compromises take place. You can't pass a budget without compromise unless you have all three legs and a super majority in place.

I would say that if you looked at History, yes, there is proof that the Republicans would compromise if the process were allowed to take place. On the other hand, you can't say it's the fault of the Republicans if you don't even allow the process of passing one to move forward.

[thebluefood]

Why some people will give Shanahan and Allen their contract time (5 years for Shanahan) to fix the Redskins but expect a miracle fix in just 1 or 2 years from Obama when Bush had 8 years to **** things up, and we're talking the major world power here, and not just an NFL team is beyond me.

The Dems are NOT left of center, the center moved waaaaay right, from Reagan to Bush 41 to Clinton (Republican lite I call him) to Bush 43. The Dems are now where the liberal to moderate Republicans were decades ago. The right is so far right that they resemble the John Birch Society, which no one saw fit to comment on. The right kept moving to the right and the Dems had to move right to get anything accomplished. The Republicans have now let their party be hijacked by even more rightward people and the radical religious right and now refuse to do anything unless it's their way.

The present Republican Party is hurting the United States, are slaves to the corporations. It's sick. And it's not right. Do the right thing is not their slogan. It's "Do for the rich and the corporations and the rest of the country be damned."

For the most part, I agree with you.

There's no place for center-right folks in modern American politics outside of obscure third parties that will never see the light of day. You're too conservative for Democrats and you're far too liberal for Republicans.

The blatant prejudice coming from Republican leadership (especially in regards to homosexuals and Arabs) is troubling to say the least; but hopefully the Republicans will find their way back to the center in my lifetime.

[Chump Bailey]

You're ignoring the fact that you are comparing apples to oranges and we have historically always talked about the unemployment rate which lends itself to the 8.1% when evaluating unemployment. Essentially, you are just comparing apples to oranges. Pretty dishonest.

Yeah, I'm just imagining all the pain and despair right now. Believe what you will.

[LadySkinsFan]

Obama hasn't been in office for 4.5 years. He was inaugurated in Jan of 2009. That's about 3.5 and the Bush budgets were in effect for about 2 of those years. The effects of Bush policies over 8 years will resonate for many years to come, unless we have Wall Street reform, campaign finance reform, infrastructure repairs, non-profit public option to create real competition in healthcare and so on.

While I'm at it, a real benefit of the public option will be that businesses can get out of the health insurance business and not have to choose policies or even to offer policies to their employees. People can choose what they need in coverage, they won't lose their coverage if they change/lose their jobs, they won't have to pay astronomical rates for COBRA. These are just a few of the benefits to our citizens. But the Republicans vote it down or negotiate it out every single time in favor of the for profit health insurance industry.

[Madison Redskin]

Nope. I believe that's correct.

LOL. I say the unemployment rate is really .01%. Do I care to substantiate that claim? No, but it just feels right.

I have now entered the world of the fringers, where facts don't matter because anyone can make up whatever facts they like.

[Chump Bailey]

LOL. I say the unemployment rate is really .01%. Do I care to substantiate that claim? No, but it just feels right.

Bury your head in the sand all you wish partner.

[ABQCOWBOY]

Why some people will give Shanahan and Allen their contract time (5 years for Shanahan) to fix the Redskins but expect a miracle fix in just 1 or 2 years from Obama when Bush had 8 years to **** things up, and we're talking the major world power here, and not just an NFL team is beyond me.

The Dems are NOT left of center, the center moved waaaaay right, from Reagan to Bush 41 to Clinton (Republican lite I call him) to Bush 43. The Dems are now where the liberal to moderate Republicans were decades ago. The right is so far right that they resemble the John Birch Society, which no one saw fit to comment on. The right kept moving to the right and the Dems had to move right to get anything accomplished. The Republicans have now let their party be hijacked by even more rightward people and the radical religious right and now refuse to do anything unless it's their way.

The present Republican Party is hurting the United States, are slaves to the corporations. It's sick. And it's not right. Do the right thing is not their slogan. It's "Do for the rich and the corporations and the rest of the country be damned."

This is interesting. The Country is not a Football team and I, myself, have seen many Skins fans calling for the head of Shanahan in the past few seasons but be that as it may, you ask us to give President Obama a chance, which is fine, but in the same breath, you accuse GWB of screwing it all up in 8 years which anybody who is rational understand that it was not all GWB. I know it is popular to lay it all at his door and refuse to lay any of it on the step of this Administration but come one, you at least must deal fairly if you expect to see any real compromise or progress. It was also a Democratic House and Senate in place during the Bush Administration in that last term. Things did not get terrible in the GWB Admin until the last term, yet it's all GWB? This is why it's not going to work. I know, the present GOP is evil and they are not worth the time spent typing out your response. The want Slavery back in place and this is why the plan fails. OK.

[Tulane Skins Fan]

Yeah, I'm just imagining all the pain and despair right now. Believe what you will.

What does that mean?

Ok, what was the underemployment rate during the great depression? During the tech bubble burst, during the early 80's recession? Let's compare the 25% figure to all of that. We just don't use that figure historically, so its dishonest to point to it now without serious explanation and context.

[PeterMP]

Hard to say one way or the other when Harry Reid refuses to bring any vote on one to the floor.

The reality is that the process by which it gets passed through the House and Senate are where the compromises take place. You can't pass a budget without compromise unless you have all three legs and a super majority in place.

I would say that if you looked at History, yes, there is proof that the Republicans would compromise if the process were allowed to take place. On the other hand, you can't say it's the fault of the Republicans if you don't even allow the process of passing one to move forward.

I don't see how voting helps compromise. I think normally if you look historically at the budget process, the compromise is normally done before the vote (except in cases of political grandstanding) and the budget is passed.

We're talking over the last 3 years- since Obama has been President.

If your Obama, is there any evidence that the GOP has any interest in compromising with you to pass a budget?

Clearly, people like Lugar and Snowe would compromise but those people are leaving/gone.