Showdown! In dueling press conferences last night, President Obama and House Speaker Boehner made their cases to the American public—and appeared as far apart as ever on a potential debt deal. Now, exactly one week from the deadline, the plans being considered include no new taxes, no new spending, and possibly even a short-term deal. So haven’t the GOP and the Tea Party already won this fight? We’ll go one-on-one with White House Press Secretary Jay Carney. Then we’ll ask Politico Executive Editor Jim VandeHei where we go from here.
Next: How did we get in a position where the wealthy are contributing next to nothing, and the rest are contributing nearly everything? We’ll talk with New York Times columnist and CNBC “Squak Box” co-anchor Andrew Ross Sorkin and Washington Post Columnist and msnbc Political Analyst Ezra Klein about how a debt deal will affect Wall Street and Main Street.
And what about the silence on the right? Where are the GOP 2012 contenders in this debt ceiling fight? Michele Bachmann made it known today that she’s not supporting Boehner’s plan. But where’s everyone else? National Journal Chief Correspondent Michael Hirsch and Time magazine’s White House Correspondent Michael Scherer are here to discuss.
Plus: A new poll shows that Hispanics have been hit hardest in the recession, and President Obama said yesterday that Latino unemployment is “painfully high.” He earned 67 percent of the Hispanic vote in 2008, but can he rely on a similar number in 2012, given this poor economic climate? Maria Cardona, Democratic Strategist and former advisor for Hispanic outreach to Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign, will help us answer that question.