The Package President Obama Should Propose Today

by The Green Miles

I called the office of my Congressman, Rep. Jim Moran, today to ask him to vote against the debt ceiling deal. The GOP got 98% of what they wanted in this deal - let them vote for it. What about the threat of default? Would you rather see the economy & seniors take a short-term hit through default, or watch the economy, seniors, education, transportation, and regulatory protections all suffer permanent hits under this deal? And considering the stock market is down this morning, I question whether we'll even be any better off in the short-term under this draconian 98% GOP plan. Barack Obama lost a battle everyone saw coming but him. If I was Barack Obama, I would immediately propose a plan to reduce the deficit & revitalize the economy that would: Immediately end the Bush tax cuts on income over $250,000 Create a low tax on carbon pollution from the biggest emitters that's gradually ratcheted up over time  End key subsidies for Big Oil, corporate jets, etc.  Use much of the revenue to fund transportation projects, unemployment insurance for the long-term unemployed, and any from a list of dozens of job-creating projects Use the rest of the revenue to reduce the deficit by billions of dollars Would Republicans immediately block it? Of course. But poll after poll shows this is exactly what the public wanted in a balanced deal and got left out. Let Republicans explain to the public why they're voting to fully preserve tax cuts for the rich instead of putting people to work fixing roads and bridges in their own districts. If the president continues to let Republicans drive the narrative of cut, cut and cut as the economy continues to slide, it's hard not to see a Republican president & a Republican Congress being swept into office in November 2012 by voters tired of a president not just unable to create jobs for American workers, but apparently unwilling to go to war for them.