Really?

During the debate on raising the debt limit, the president delivered remarks from the White House’s press briefing room.

“What we said was give us $1.2 trillion in additional revenues, which could be accomplished without hiking taxes – tax rates, but could simply be accomplished by eliminating loopholes, eliminating some deductions and engaging in a tax reform process that could have lowered rates generally while broadening the base.” (Emphasis added.)

In countering the president’s plan to avoid the fiscal cliff, the speaker offered a proposal Monday that does just this. The president’s reply?

“Unfortunately, the speaker’s proposal right now is still out of balance. You know, he talks, for example, about $800 billion worth of revenues, but he says he’s still going to do that by lowering rates. And when you look at the math, it doesn’t work.”

This debate is not about winning a public relations campaign. This is about enacting the best policies. But it’s nearly impossible for lawmakers to have an honest conversation with a White House that contradicts its own ideas on how to move our country forward.