Where is the compromise?

It looks like we might once again miss an opportunity to take a major step toward solving our countries fiscal problems. First of all everyone in Washington has understood for some time that the debt ceiling will be raised. Although the idea of hinging tax and spending policy to raising the debt ceiling felt too political to me at first, the far reaching bi partisan debt reduction agreement that Speaker Boehner and President Obama put together earlier in the week felt more like... perhaps this is a good time to force the issue. The deal was a darn good start and sure looked like it had promise. It kind of felt like Tip O’Neal and Ronald Regan were back.

But clearly the “tax pledge” signers in congress have put themselves in a box and can’t compromise even if it means getting a whole lot of what they say they want. No one likes taxes but arguably there are some pretty egregious holes in our tax code that favor those who clearly are not using the advantage to create jobs.

What pledge? Now we elect and send them down there with a script? Why don’t we just take the word compromise out of the dictionary?

The “everything on the table” approach that Obama and Boehner were after seemed like a pretty good compromise for addressing real problems. A great way for both sides to take on many of the entitlement cuts we need right now along with balancing the budget. But unfortunately Speaker Boehner had to back away. I don't blame him as his reach seems limited. But for Eric Cantor and the rest of the legislative body to let this opportunity slide because of a tax pledge is more than annoying and frankly irresponsible. So I guess we continue to stay politically safe, hold onto power and in search of the perfect ideological solution for our small base while letting our country continue to deteriorate. What do you call that? How about stupid...