Quick Comments on Deficit Commission

I'm working on some other articles right now, but I decided it’s important to explain why I think taxes are unlikely to be part of the deficit reduction commission’s proposal.  Simply put, Republicans would love to go into the election saying that Democrats’ obsession with raising taxes killed the deficit reduction deal.  House Speaker John Boehner has already pledged to not put anyone on the committee who would raise taxes, and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell basically said the same thing: "What I can pretty certainly say to the American people, the chances of any kind of tax increase passing with the appointees that [Speaker] John Boehner and I are going to put on there are pretty low.”  He also added that the House wouldn’t pass the tax increases anyway.

And that will kill the deal as Democrats are likely to stand firm on their pledge to protect social welfare programs without shared sacrifice.  Their election prospects hinge on their ability to argue that Republicans are only hurting the most vulnerable during tough economic times.