Budget talks: Republicans offer to seek common ground with Democrats

Senior Republicans conceded Wednesday that a deal is unlikely on a contentious plan to overhaul Medicare and offered to open budget talks with the White House by focusing on areas where both parties can agree, such as cutting farm subsidies.

On the eve of debt-reduction talks led by Vice President Biden, House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (Va.) said Republicans remain convinced that reining in federal retirement programs is the key to stabilizing the nation’s finances over the long term. But he said Republicans recognize they may need to look elsewhere to achieve consensus after President Obama “excoriated us” for a proposal to privatize Medicare.

That search should start, Cantor said, with a list of GOP proposals that would save $715 billion over the next decade by ending payments to wealthy farmers, limiting lawsuits against doctors, and expanding government auctions of broadcast spectrum to telecommunications companies, among other items.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/economy/budget-talks-republicans-offer-to-seek-common-ground-with-democrats/2011/05/04/AFNvVwrF_story.html

Limiting lawsuits against doctors = bad.

Looks like Republicans are changing their tune after getting their asses kicked at townhall meetings on account of their attack against Medicare.

There's gotta be a catch. Half the state repub senators and reps receive farm subsides...That's how the repubs have the money to run in the more rural areas.