So, what will Republicans be forced to cut?

[Drunken Irishman]

Looks like the compromise won't have any new tax revenue (Republican win) and will cut entitlements like SS and medicare (Republican win) - so, what do they give up?

Closing some loopholes is nice, but that seems mighty small compared to what we're asking the Democrats to swallow.

Hopefully there is more than being reported.

[RoyGBiv]

In terms of policy, and based entirely on what's being reported (which could be wrong), nothing that will come out of this now can be seen as anything other than a Republican victory.

The proposed changes to SS aren't actually all that big a deal, at least not the last version I saw, which was based in changes to COLA. They've been messaged poorly by Democrats, so Democrats will suffer for it politically, but as a matter of policy, I don't have an objection worth mentioning.

The cuts, however, are a huge deal. Our economy can't tolerate them. They will serve as a severe drag on an already faltering recovery. The most immediate problem we have right now is unemployment, not the deficit or the debt, and this deal will not help. The absolute best case scenario is that unemployment stays the same, but it could conceivable get a hell of a lot worse. Even the "best case" is pretty bad. Nine percent unemployment leading into November 2012 is an almost assurance of a Democratic defeat. Obama might squeak by an extremely thin margin, but Congress will be firmly in the hands of Republicans, and then we've just got more of this idiocy to look forward to.

We are heading into a worse position than we were in 1937. Hopefully it won't take a world war and tens of millions of dead to wake us up this time, but my optimism is about gone.

[Drunken Irishman]

Hopefully there is more to it than what's being reported. The fact there is no tax increases is really remarkable, after all the talk from Pres. Obama on shared sacrifice.

Disappointing that Republicans get what they've been pushing since 2010, major cuts, but Democrats can't get a damn tax hike on the wealthiest citizens - a move that is backed by a huge number of Americans.

[jaxx]

What will they cut? Their own throats.

[Treestar]

Everyone looks at it only from one side. Putting myself in their shoes, they are giving up bigger cuts. We know that is what they want. Dismantling the EPA and the Dept. of Education.

Another war somewhere.

Who knows but they are caving and not getting it.