Thirty-six senators from both sides of the aisle are encouraging the so-called super committee to "go big" and cut $4 trillion from future deficits rather than the mere $1.5 trillion in reductions over 10 years that they're tasked to find.

During a press conference Thursday, the bipartisan group spanning the ideological spectrum from Sens. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., to Ron Johnson, R-Wis., signed up to "encourage and support" the super committee, encouraging comprehensive tax reform -- reducing deductions and using at least some of the proceeds to lower tax rates.

"Be brave. Be bold. Go big," said Sen. Kent Conrad, D-N.D., chairman of the Senate Budget Committee.

The bipartisan group issued a "statement of principles" urging the 12-member panel to "include long-term entitlement reforms and pro-growth tax reform" in their final product.

It also called for the super committee to focus on "the major parts of the budget and include long-term entitlement reforms and pro-growth tax reform;" and it suggested the changes be "structured to grow the economy in the short, medium and long-term."

Finally, the group, which composes more than one-third of the Senate, asked the panel to work to keep the American public and business community involved in the discussion on the challenges and opportunities...