The New York Times had a great side by side view of the plans proposed. It is obvious to me that they were close. I wonder what kept them so far apart? Is this going to the way things work in Washington from now on?

This is a simple view of the circus in DC.

http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2011/07/22/us/politics/20110722-comparing-deficit-reduction-plans.html?smid=tw-nytimes

I'm pretty sure the answer to your question Oz is : yes. The only thing that I know is that there are going to be a LOT of heads rolling next election.

Gcursor

Is this going to the way things work in Washington from now on?

Interesting policy comparison chart:

Is this going to the way things work in Washington from now on?

Where have you been? This is the way it has worked since Day 1 of the Obama administration. Sure their have been substantive differences between the President and the GOP Members of Congress. But there have been several instances where the GOP proposed initiatives that when the President embraced, they walked away from. Remember the GOP idea of a Deficit Commission first proposed by seven GOP Senators? When Obama signed on all seven voted against their own proposal even though there were no changes to their original proposal. Other examples can be dredged up readily.

Remember the GOP plan for Health Care reform in the 90s? They demanded the individual mandate. It's is all on tape even though they deny they favored it. Obama proposed a program strikingly similar to that GOP 90s plan and the similar Romney Plan only to have the GOP oppose it as anathema as proposed by Obama.

It been clear from Day One that the GOP's main objective has been obstruct Obama in anything he has tried to do. McConnell has declared from the beginning his goal is to make Obama a one term president.

SO, yeah, this is nothing new.