Alan Simpson and Erskine Bowles, co-chairs of the president's fiscal commission and widely hailed as serious thought leaders on dealing with the country's economic problem, had strong criticisms for both men vying to be President of the United States for the next four years
Erskine Bowles, a former Chief of Staff to President Bill Clinton, chided Romney's economic plan saying "the arithmetic just doesn't work."
When asked if Romney could justify his tax cut proposals, Bowles said “I don’t think he can and the math is easy to prove.”
Simpson, a former Republican Senator from Wyoming, was not surprised the president "walked away" from their commission's report that was released December 1, 2010. He argued that former President Bill Clinton would have made more of an effort to embrace the Simpson Bowles plan. "I know that he would've agreed," Simpson said, citing the bi-artisan support their report received from members of the commission. Clinton would have "wrapped [his] arms around it and taken it right into [his] heart."
On the 2012 race generally, Bowles believes it has become "a choice election," saying that Mitt Romney has not "given the American people the substance in his response to convince them that they ought to make a change today."
Simpson, on the other hand believes the election will be a referendum on the president and that Romney's chance will come from "Obama fatigue."
"I think people are going to vote against Obama, which will be to Romney’s advantage."
Watch the entire interview with Alan Simpson and Erskine Bowles above to hear more from the economic duo, including some strong words of warning to his own party from Alan Simpson.
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Key word - both are FORMER political insiders. No one cares about substance because no one on talk radio is screaming about it.
Talk radio panders to the public, not vice-versa. We are completely polarized as a nation and subsequently talk radio, and the media in general, pander to that polarization. We are the "United" States in name only.
as a person who has loved and listened to talk radio -not always political- for 45 years, let me tell you a story. one night listening to a dj who was short on callers i heard him wonder out loud about a couple of entities buying up all the radio slots. radio slot buys used to be dribble in and not bought in blocks. [turns out three (probably 2 are shells for the 3rd) entities bought up all the slots.]...before the old dj signed off he bemused that a huge swath of radio stations owned by one mindset would be tantamount to propaganda. true story
Great interview! I wish all political conversations were just like this one. Honest, serious and realistic. It's nice to hear some politics that doesn't look like a cat fight.
Probably Obama's greatest failure was in picking this pair of useless fools to head the useless commission.
Both of them have only one goal: Destroy social security and medicare. Look at their connection to Peterson, google it. They are not bipartisan at all.
What is the alternative, since barrack has taken 716 billion out of medicare. Money that senior citizen have invested in medicare and SS isn't he the one already destroying medicare to fund his Obamacare? With obama is his way or the highway or Mitt/ryan at least giving us an alternative.
No he isn't, what it is doing is lowering the nations health care costs the government and giving the elderly more coverage, also helping the poor who can't afford any health insurance. We are a Judea-Christain Nation and our moral code is based on this. Its time everyone realizes we have an obligaton to help the lest fortunite.
It all comes down to Illegals. Don't think so? Health care cost are up fire, police anything that you have paid more for in the last fifteen yrs are do to the illegals. If they are so proud of where they come from how come they run away from there country instead of standing up and make a change in there own country. That sounds more like a lazy worthless people. It's to hard there? Libya, egypt syira all those countries are at least trying to make adifference. We wouldn't have half the economic issues we have like housing and jobs. If you think not I beg to differ.
Both men are saying all of the right talking points of their parties... they are towing the line. Same empty talk. I guess you can teach a couple of old dogs new tricks.
But - I bet Mr. Romney does know the difference between up and down. President Obama - I will lower the unemployment rate - well, it went up. President Obama says his energy policy will lower gasoline costs - well, gas went up - and - is going up more. I like arithmetic too.
Glad you like arithmetic -- so you must love the stock market skyrocketing under Obama. Sure beats the Bush years. Only mathematical success Bush had was in increasing the number of federal employees by 1.8 million. Given Romney's plan --increase Defense, and lower taxes on the rich --we can expect more of the same. As Ross Perot would say.."that dog won't hunt." Simpson must grudgingly admit same. Seems strange that press doesn't ask the obvious question -- since the Republicans had been plotting to stop any policies Obama offered from the day of his inauguration -- the surest way to kill Simpson-Bowles would have been for Obama to embrace it. So he used a respectful tone, but stopped short of putting his full "chop" on it. If he had embraced it , it would have been killed immediately by McConnell, Boehner, Cantor and Ryan. This is not rocket science.
Its a toned down discussion, but still quite partisan, with the Repub Simpson unwilling to say anything negative about Romney instead concentrating on bashing Obama, and the Democrat Bowles trying to convince us that Romney's numbers don't add up.
Missing was the fact that VP Ryan also voted against Simpson-Bowles.
Gotta love the way the conservatives who impeached Clinton in the 90's are jumping on his bandwagon now!
Ryan voted against the Simpsom-Bowles Comission so did some Democrats,so what is your point?
Point is that those "some democrats" who voted against it are not trying to become the next VP. That answer your stupid question?
Mitt has the opportunity to improve his economic plan.
Obama has no chance, try as he might, to change his own history.
Vote RR for a chance of recovery.
You mean vote RR for an even greater recession and definite depression.
I would rather see President Obama get a third term were it possible.
Obama has been warned. More than once that his agenda is unsustainable. He ignores all this professional advice, and just concentrates on what will win the most votes. Everything Obama says or does is first weighed on the balance scale of votes.
Time for a real leader. Time for Mitt Romney/ Paul Ryan for the next EIGHT YEARS,
God forbid. Wouldn't be a Republic left if they had eight years. However, given what we know they could destroy most of it in less than eight years. Then they would be what -- Plutocrats in Chief?
Simpson and Bowles deserve our thanks for their honest efforts to address our huge fiscal problems. Simpon said that Obama walked away from the plan but I rather think that he knew that the dysfunctional Congress would never allow it to the floor for consideration. The plan contains changes in taxation and the Tea Party folks will not even consider such ideas. Ryan, a member of the commission, voted against the plan and is now the VP candidate for the Tea Party. I rest my case.
Thanks again, gentlemen, and perhaps your ideas will re-emerge before we collapse.
There is a growing movement supporting this movement. Even young people are getting on board. Check out "The Can Kicks Back," which is a Millennial-driven campaign supported by Erskine Bowles and Alan Simpson. Google them!
What a couple of real patriots! These guys have absolutely nothing to gain by doing the hard work they have taken on except for trying to secure the future of this country for our children and our children's kids. They don't need the headaches that this work involves... they do it for love of country. Too bad that more of our sitting Senators and Congressmen won't follow that example.
I think Obama will be a different president in his second term, and hopefully he will have a Congress that is less obstructionist to work with. If he doesn't get some cooperation from Congress, I expect him to go over their heads to the American public using the bully pulpit, much like Ronald Reagan did. I think he could be very effective using this tactic, and he should make it well known that he will do so if we continue to have gridlock and dysfunction in Congress.
They also have nothing to loose either. It is very easy to recommendations that will effect other people that will not impact you. They will continue to collect their taxpayer funded pensions and healthcare benefits.
I agree. After nearly four years paying congress to do nothing but bicker, someone should be able to tell them that they are fired. Perhaps the President should have the authority to reject congressmen who do nothing and request their state send a different representative who is actually willing to earn their 175k plus benefits each year on our dime.
By the numbers: 'Are you better off?' (from CNN.com)
By Caitlin Stark, CNN Library - updated 3:57 PM EDT, Thu September 13, 2012
9.4 million -- Number of people unemployed in August 2008.
12.6 million -- Number of people unemployed in August 2012.
6.1% - U.S. unemployment rate in August 2008.
8.1% - U.S. unemployment rate in August 2012.
3.4 million -- Number of job openings in the U.S. as of July 31, 2008.
1.6 million -- Number of long-term unemployed (jobless for 27 weeks or more) as of August 2008.
5 million -- Number of long-term unemployed (jobless for 27 weeks or more) as of August 2012.
6.1% - U.S. unemployment rate in August 2008.
8.1% - U.S. unemployment rate in August 2012.
3.4 million -- Number of job openings in the U.S. as of July 31, 2008.
3.7 million -- Number of job openings in the U.S. as of July 31, 2012.
1.6 million -- Number of long-term unemployed (jobless for 27 weeks or more) as of August 2008.
5 million -- Number of long-term unemployed (jobless for 27 weeks or more) as of August 2012.
Federal Reserve plans more stimulus
Another round of Stimulus won't create jobs
Above data came from CNN? It can't be reliable, right?
As is usual someone has to follow...republicans around the blogs ironing out "wrinkles". Here are the straightened out implications:
Calbab:
Datas don't lie. CNN data was pulled out from US Dept of Labor 2012 report. Where did your data come from? polls? Statistics can't be skewed. Polls can.
You certainly are taking the "are you better off now than four years ago" question very literally. The question is meant to ask are you better off after Obama's first term than you were during Bush's presidency. Comparing numbers from July and August of 2008 and 2012 is a little ridiculous. Though the financial downturn is believed to have started in late 2007, the crash took place in September of 2008. I'm not accusing you of lying with these statistics, but you are being a bit misleading. Of course, anyone with a basic knowledge of recent history would see right through it.
cavitena', you are the one who started your comment with these words:
So I went to CNN and got some analysis of your data.
"Pure statistics", smure statistics. You sought to imply, and I'm following up on that. :-) Let others decide.
Alan Simpson is a liar, and ol' "Stretch" Gregory should have called him out on the "Obama walked away" fantasy fabrication. There was nothing, NOTHING to walk away from. Rep. Paul Ryan, and others, voted no on the Simpson-Bowles report. It was never sent up to the White House. Like all of his rightwingnutjobz pals, Simpson relies on the reality that his host will not contradict him (Stretch probably doesn't actually know what happened), the viewers have not read any actual news, the viewers get their information from phony "tv shows" pretending to be news, and the actual circumstances have never been reported by broadcast media.
Alan Simpson is NOT a Right Wing GOP. He's an extremely knowledgeable MODERATE. There were 18 on the Commission looking for 14 "Yes" votes. With Ryan voting "no" they were one other vote short. John Warner headed up The Gang of Six from the Senate Finance Committee, which took Simpson-Bowles and tried to come up with an actual workable Plan, not just a set of recommendation. Both groups spent months, gained each other's trust, were largely elderly Statemen. The 3rd Committee formed after Labor Day 2011, working until Thanksgiving 2011 of 12, was intentionally filled enough with TEA PARTY extremists, that had also tried to constantly hold Congress or the US hostage on the Budget or raising the DEBT ceiling, had demanded a $1.5 TRILLION in cuts to match the DEBT ceiling arise. The design stipulated, if the newly formed group of 12, that had intentional GOP sabotage, then $1.5 TRILLION in across the board cuts would be forced into effect. The result will be 2 million people losing their jobs in 2011, as the US is thrown back into a recession. The same will happen with the GOP cut and gut budget, which was similarly forced on Roosevelt in 1937 and caused a double dip to the GREAT DEPRESSION and drove unemployment past 15%, just what is happening in Europe from their austerity Plan. These are 2 of FIVE "DEATH SPIRALS" the GOP have in motion in 2012. Obama 2012 7.5 million jobs, 2016--another 12 million jobs. Of the 7.5 million jobs, 4.5 million have been filled, 3 million are looking for qualified candidates and there's training going on to make that happen. GOP 2012--FIVE "DEATH SPIRALS" with BILLIONS in damages already, 2013--2 million lose their jobs due to Grover Norquist and TEA PARTY extremists "no revenue increases PLEDGE", 2015-2020 there will be MASSIVE, CATASTROPHIC damage in the TRILLIONS with millions killed as these "DEATH SPIRALS" play out. What are they? 1) Global Warming already BILLIONS in damages with millions killed from sea level rise, severe weather events and food crop failures therefore shortages causing severe jumps in malnutrition and starvation numbers (500 million affected)2) Keystone XL Pipeline puts the planet over a cliff 2015 spewing 70% more pollution, 3) GOP cut and gut causes double dip severe rise in unemployment, 3) "Fiscal Cliff" coming January 2013 from $1.5 TRILLION in cuts with Bernanke, Lagarde, and CBO all warning, "IT'S TOO MUCH, TOO SOON", 5) repeal FINANCE REFORM, Dodd-Frank, so derivatives stuffed w junk can damage the economy 2018-2020, for the 4th time, just like 1987 (S&L), 1998 (LTCM), 2008 (Subprime). You'll want to watch 60 minutes report in August called THE PLEDGE on how Grover Norquist has 279 GOP trapped and unable to negotiate. The watch BILL Moyers interviews on Ralph Reed, Grover Norquist their ties to Jack Abramoff and their snarling statements "to destroy the opposition". Then watch Moyers interview Craig Unger 9-14-2012 who has tracked Karl Rove, political, GOP "mafioso" boss for decades, as Rove's scorched earth tactics and Campaign of DECEIT now entering its 4th decade, backed by a corrupt Infrastructure, pursues the MOTTO: "Fix the date to push the HIDDEN AGENDAS--lie, deceive, fabricate". The GOP have been trained for 3 decades in this strategy, which is producing nothing but "damage-needed repair cycles", which is why they now have FIVE "DEATH SPIRALS" in motion that on the current trajectory will play out. They've already murdered millions, soon it will be HUNDREDS of MILLIONS. Meanwhile we could be growing GDP by 158% with millions of Green and Infrastructure Jobs, leave the DEBT in the dust, and get a Sustainable Future. (REINVENTING FIRE rmi.org). This plan gets to 46% Renewable Energy by 2050. Obama's Plan is more aggressive to get to 80% Renewable Energy by 2035. However, we need to be to 80% Renewable Energy by 2025 to save the Ice Sheets, the world coastlines, and major US cities that will be flooding in the next decade--NY, New Orleans, San Fran, Tampa, Miami, Sacramento, Boston, the lower 1/3 of Florida over to Beaumont Tx, etc. There's already MILLIONS in damages in Norfolk, VA from sea level rise. 200,000 people have been displaced in Bangladesh and they will lose 1/3 of their country. There are ways for the cycles going on between the heat, the atmosphere, the oceans can become self-propelling loops. Tax overhaul will have to be one of the solutions, but it has to be balanced. The GOP can't negotiate, 190 in Congress and 279 all total are tied into THE PLEDGE. As far as I know Obama was in contact with Warner's Group and they were trying to take Simpson-Bowles and come up with a concrete Plan. It does no good, if the GOP decided in 2009 to be committed to obstructionism and were saying things like, "we will give Obama no wins, so he'll be a one-term President". Mitch McConnell was very candidate on FOX News. They therefore did everything in their power to sabotage the RECOVERY. There's plenty of very solid research to show this. Winning elections are more important than taking care of the American People.
Date -------------- U.S. National Debt -------- Info -----------------------
Jan 20, 2001 ---$ 5,727,776,738,304.64---GW Bush sworn in
Sep 11, 2001---$ 5,773,172,068,291.89---Terrorist attack
Sep 30, 2001---$ 5,807,463,412,200.06---FISCAL YEAR 2001
Oct 7, 2001------$ 5,810,495,191,205.19---Afghanistan War begins
Sep 30, 2002---$ 6,228,235,965,597.16---FISCAL YEAR 20
02
Mar 20, 2003---$ 6,460,712,491,314.69---Iraq War begins
Sep 30, 2003---$ 6,783,231,062,743.62---FISCAL YEAR 2003
Sep 30, 2004---$ 7,379,052,696,330.32---FISCAL YEAR 2004
-------------------------------------------------------
Jan 20, 2005---$ 7,613,215,612,328.37---GW Bush second term begins
Aug 29, 2005---$ 7,930,506,290,857.94---Hurrican Katrina hits New Orleans
Sep 30, 2005---$ 7,932,709,661,723.50---FISCAL YEAR 2005
Sep 30, 2006---$ 8,506,973,899,215.23---FISCAL YEAR 2006
Jan 4, 2007-----$ 8,670,596,242,973.04---Dems take House (Pelosi) & Senate (Reid)
Sep 30, 2007---$ 9,007,653,372,262.48---FISCAL YEAR 2007
Sep 30, 2008 -- $10,024,724,896,912.49---FISCAL YEAR 2008
Oct 3, 2008 --- $10,186,269,007,199.11---Bush signs TARP, $431 billion
-------------------------------------------------------
Jan 20, 2009 --$10,626,877,048,913.08---Obama sworn in
Feb 17, 2009 - $10,789,783,760,341.41---Recovery Act signed by Obama, $831 billion
Jul 10, 2009 -- $11,524,606,290,165.04---GM Bailout
Sep 30, 2009--$11,909,829,003,511.75---FISCAL YEAR 2009
Sep 30, 2010--$13,561,623,030,891.79---FISCAL YEAR 2010
Jan 5, 2011---$14,011,526,727,895.85----Boehner sworn in, Repubs take House
Sep 30, 2011--$14,790,340,328,557.15---FISCAL YEAR 2011
Dec 18, 2011--$15,099,497,460,357.58---Iraq war over, estimated cost: $806 billion
Aug 29, 2012--$15,978,184,771,159.29---latest debt number
-------------------------------------------------------
Sources: US Treasury's Debt To The Penny, and CostOfWar.
You forgot to mention there was a Surplus when Bush took Office!
You Forgot to Make the Point that Obama put Bush's Wars on the Books (Something Bush forgot to do)
You Forgot to state the FACT the the Auto LOAN was Not a Bailout! (and most of it had been paid back already With Interest)
You FORGOT to Put Bush's $900 Billion Bank Bailouts!
You Didn't Mention the the Economy was in a Nosedive before Obama took office.
Very Selective Group of FACTS?
Hah Simpson didn't know which countries belong to the PIIGS group.Iran?I don't think so!
Simpson and Bowles are 2 wealthy members of the political class who have taxpayer funded pensions and healhealthcare benefits. The things they support will have minimal effect on their lifestyles. Let therm renounce this and then I will listen to them
I don't understand why the media doesn't get this?? They just don't get it!! If you cut taxes and reduce regulations, we can create jobs!! Then when people are working they will pay taxes instead of collect government assistance which 50% are right now! Then our fed gets more money to pay off debt and such! They keep asking ' How can we collect enough from cutting 20% from taxes and closing some special interest loopholes". Romney/Ryan keep saying that by creating jobs in a five step plan (which by the way sounds really great right now )we will become energy independent and come roaring back! WHAT IS SO HARD FOR NEWS PEOPLE TO SEE THAT IF WE HAVE PEOPLE WORKING THEN EVEN WITH 20% DECREASE IN TAXES THAT WE WILL BE COLLECTING MEGA BUCKS MORE MONEY and not giving money as assistance!! Collecting tax money is better than giving!! I don't understand how anyone can think that you can change someone that hasn't changed for 4 years! Its like a boyfriend or girlfriend that promises to change if you give them one more chance. You give them one more chance and then one more and then one more but they still end up the same. Totally out of character for a person to change. How can David sit there and at the end ask what Obama and Romney would do after the election and then paint a rosy view of obama (after he has made NO effort to tweet it or something to get passed.) if it really is so great and he says now he will do something" but wait did you hear the condition to get it done is to wait til after i'm elected" HAHA! and DAVID you let Obama get a free pass on that! Why didn't you ask " why Obama hasn't made any effort this past year to work with them and get something done?" we heard one side' what did Romney say ?? You said that we would hear what they thought of what each one would do after election and they only gave the rosy side of promise of change again from Obama! Why does the press CONSTANTLY paint rosy pic to the public as to who they should vote for? What gives you all the right to not be objective?? DO YOU REALLY WANT TO FORCE YOUR VIEW ON PUBLIC AND SEND US DOWN THIS PATH OF PROMISE OF CHANGE FROM SOMEONE WHO HAS ALREADY PROMISED THAT FOR 4 YEARS? We have already given Obama HOW MANY CHANCES to do something to develop REAL jobs? Lets let him go now like the old car or girlfriend/boyfriend that isn't really ever getting better no matter how much time and money we invest in them!
I must say that there is someone that is not getting it, and that person is you. I am not political at all but if you slow down and look at the video you will understand that the problem is tremendous, it does not matter who is President for real. George W. Bush was assigned the task of bring in the New World Order. He did that with the help of Congress. Republican, Democrat or Independent it does not matter, it is done. At this time the idea is to prepare for the pain of what is coming. That is the real truth.
We are a polarized country and it comes after at least 30 years of talk radio and conservative propaganda pitting Americans against each. Guess what? Propaganda works. We blame Congress for being gridlocked - we should look in the mirror.. Everywhere I turn, people act like their side MUST win and it's really the country that is losing. We are better off than four years ago, given what health care reform means to people like me who now don't have to worry about a limit and other requirements of for-profit insurance companies who don't give a fig about my life and health but the bottom line. It's immoral to have people's very lives in the hands of companies out for the most profit - a goal opposed to good health care. We're the only industrialized country in which this is case. And, someone was right -people like Simpson/Bowles have all the benefits our society has to give and are insulated from the concerns of the rest of us - like Congress itself. And, if Obama were only interested in what gets the next vote he would not have made some of the hard choices he made, such as pursuing health care reform. Also, anyone who thinks that one president can reverse the (bi-partisan) jobs/economic policies of the last 30 years in one term or even two terms you are being either totally naive or totally partisan. When a country's government does nothing to preserve jobs at home but rewards companies that send them overseas, you cannot expect people to have jobs and spend money. We have taken our economy and our government for granted, thinking the U. S. would be on top forever. Now, we're reaping the results of politicians and regular Americans taking a lot for granted, whistling while the world changes. We will be a long time getting out our bad economy and electing a plutocrat who wants to helps other plutocrats even more is the last thing we need. Having unelected people like the Kochs and Adelson pulling strings without responsibility is a recipe for disaster and one that history has shown will absolutely lead to a more vicious, unstable, unlivable society. It absolutely matters who's president, if for no other reason than the supreme court. If the Citizens United/Bush v Gore decisions didn't teach us that, then we are lost for sure.
they are the only ones out there telling American people the truth about our country's fiscal situation, debt/deficit/SS/Medicare etc. which however are something many politicians in Congress and WH, and people don't want to hear.
the easiest thing for any politician to do is promising everyone everything: no tax increase, no Medicare cut, no SS cut and reform, and anything except the painful reality. stupid people will fall for such promises without hesitation. this has been what Obama and of course many in Congress have been doing. but at least we have a few courageous lone voices in Congress and those 2 guys who are telling us to do something now or it will be too late.
A lot of partisan rhetoric on this message board. Have any of you even looked at the data behind the plan these guys propose instead of calling out their character and party affiliations? I suspect not.
These two are political figureheads for a massive fix the debt campaign. The data doesn't lie. This campaign is not backed by political one-liners and partisan rhetoric, it's completely backed by facts and data. I'd love to see either Obama or Romney produce the same level of facts and data that these guys are quoting from.
Everyone, rich and poor, are going to have to sacrifice in order to get this country back on track. That's what this campaign is proposing. Both sides have to put their political babies on the table. Taxes must be adjusted, entitlements must be reformed and spending must be cut. Everyone is going to feel the effects, and we should all want to feel them now rather than much worse effects later on.
How about we stop the attacks on both sides and actually start looking at the data? Most people don't want to because it's takes too much effort. It's much easier to say "don't touch my Social Security" or "Tax the rich!!". Neither of these solutions will work, ever.
Whatever is clever I said. But. Be realistic. We can not fix Washington or anywhere else from a blog. We come here to express our points of views. And, possibly, help someone discover a view, or a means to express their own. Some sharing of ideas as appropriate.
The partisanship comes when too many obstinate people show up and allow truth escape out the side door.
That is not our fault. In some ways it is the nature of the times we are in. So we "weather" it. :-)
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