An early win for both parties

President Obama sat down this weekend with Steve Croft of “60 Minutes”
and gave an interesting interview — his first since the thumping his party took
on Election Day.

It was interesting because he was particularly sober and somber in his demeanor
and presence. In some small ways, I saw a willingness to be open to compromise —
to begin to signal a consensus is out there with the Republicans. I choose my words
carefully because all of this could change soon enough, but for now, there is an
opening for an early win for both parties. And here it is:
 
America is reeling from a shaky economy that can’t seem to get back
on its feet. The next big test on its balance is the expiring Bush tax breaks at
the end of this year. Virtually every economist of all persuasions would say, irrespective
of who gets relief, raising taxes on ANYONE right now is the wrong way to go.
 
Couple that reality with the pledge of incoming Republicans to cut
spending. A ripe yet difficult area that’s in desperate need of some trimming is
the defense budget. Yes, a sacred cow to Republicans, but it can no longer be that
way in this new era where tough decisions loom around every corner. The sooner Republicans
put everything on the table, the sooner Democrats will realize they themselves have
a responsibility to do the same, and offer up their own sacred cows, such as duplicative
programs throughout the federal government.
 
Swapping job-creating tax relief while cutting the Pentagon’s budget
would bring Mr. Obama and his cohorts to the table on an issue they have heretofore
been reluctant to engage — spending. And offering up the defense budget as one of
its first areas for waste, fraud and abuse would send a strong message to the country
that the GOP has taken this leadership stuff seriously. They knew they’d need to
examine the program eventually; doing it now sets the right tone while wrangling
a tough but correct victory on tax relief for all Americans.
 
The “tax and spend” mantra of Democrats must finally be traded for
a new slogan of “cut and cut” by Republicans — cut taxes and cut spending — then
watch this economy rebound.