If the talk on the Sunday news shows is any indication, GOP leaders and the White House remain far apart, with moderates in both parties expressing frustration that the two sides seem more interested in a political showdown than a compromise. So in September, we'll be exactly where we are now, which seems to me to be a real pity.
Some people think that's a great political issue.
The task this week is to hammer out differences between those two plans. That's the smart thing to do. Sperling also indicated that if a compromise tax cut figure can't be reached, the White House would prefer no tax cut at all. But Republicans counter that their plan protects Social Security and Medicare while also paying down the debt and providing relief to taxpayers who created the surplus in the first place. GOP leaders also accuse Clinton of wanting to spend the surplus on a variety of new programs that would expand Washington's power.