The debt deal's 'super committee': Who will be selected? What choices will they have?

News outlets report on the work ahead regarding this budget-trimming panel. First on the list — appointing its members. After that, however, the hard work of finding at least $1.2 trillion in spending cuts will begin. Medicare and Medicaid will certainly be on the table.

The Washington Post: The Debt 'Super Committee': Who Will Serve On It?
With an Aug. 16 deadline ahead for making the 12 picks, the top four congressional leaders have so far held their cards close to the vest, not publicly declaring which lawmakers will be tapped for the committee. It's not even clear whether the leaders will announce their selections on the same day, at the same hour, or if they will dribble out over the next week. … But there is no upward limit to how much they produce in savings and no restriction as to how they come up with the savings, through increased tax revenue or cuts to entitlement programs (Kane, 8/8).

Politico: The Super Committee Health Care Menu
Okay, super committee — ready to cut some entitlements? Oh, stop making those excuses. Like, "We haven't been appointed yet." Or, "We like our town halls quiet." The super committee is going to have to come up with at least $1.2 trillion in spending cuts by Nov. 23, and it's going to be awfully hard to get that without dipping into the big health care entitlement programs — Medicare and Medicaid (Nather, 8/9).