Negotiating to 0

[Pryderi]

Boehner and Obama can negotiate all they want, but when the monstrosity of the bill is put on the floor of the House no one is going to vote for it.

Off the "cliff" we go!

[a geek named Bob]

1. so Obama's running out the clock...

works for me!

[Pryderi]

2. And he'll look "reasonable" while doing it n/t

[a geek named Bob]

3. Is this the eleventy-dimensional chess I keep hearing of?

I swear to the Gods... President Obama has the skill to pull us out of just about any mess.

[lib2DaBone]

4. Obama is going to throw Seniors under the bus....

Then the Washington media will say what a great guy Obama is for being "Conservative" and non partisan.

He raised the tax ceiling to those making $400,000..(it was at $250,000) while offering up draconian cuts in Medicare and Social Security CPI.

Obama is a Blue Dog... once again he will screw the very people who voted for him.

[Pryderi]

5. It's not going to happen. President Obama doesn't get a vote. Pressure your

congressmen and senators. They're the ones that vote on legislation.

[kentuck]

6. He is not "negotiating".

He is capitulating.

[Pryderi]

7. It's a poison pill he's putting into a bill that won't pass. n/t

[kentuck]

9. And why won't it pass?

The majority of Democrats vote against it?

[Pryderi]

10. And the majority of Repugs will vote against it. Boehner can't lead. nt

[a geek named Bob]

13. It's starting to feel like Obama created a TRULY cunning master plan

1.) All he has to do is run out the clock
2.) If he can get the republicans to vote FOR the chained CPI, he makes them look like the would-be granny-starvers that they are... (I'd call that a bad career move, for the GOP)
3.) If he can't get the GOP cultists to vote for it, then they "obviously" have to keep having negotiations...

I'll never play chess or poker against our president.

[AnotherMcIntosh]

8. Durbin will vote for it.

[Pryderi]

11. No he won't. I just saw this story this morning:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/plum-line/wp/2012/12/18/dick-durbin-no-cut-in-social-security-benefits/

In an interview with me this morning, Senator Dick Durbin, a top ally of the White House, told me he opposes including Chained CPI for Social Security in the final deal.

[AnotherMcIntosh]

12. Actually, as indicated by the part that was left out:

"Pressed on why the White House is backing this, given that it’s bad policy, Durbin blamed Republicans, saying they were insisting on including it in a final deal. 'The president is trying to get to an agreement, and I understand that,' Durbin said. “Boehner has been adamant that he wants Chained CPI.'

" 'The Speaker and many of his Republican friends are hell bent on Chained CPI,' Durbin continued. 'It may be part of an overall solution (later) but to do it at this stage is the wrong way to go.'

"Durbin pointedly said that it would be a 'hard ask' for many Senate Dems if the White House includes Chained CPI for Social Security in a final deal. But Durbin declined to rule out the possibility that Senate Democrats would ultimately support it if the White House insisted on it."

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/plum-line/wp/2012/12/18/dick-durbin-no-cut-in-social-security-benefits/

At most, Durbin is saying that a chained-CPI should be supported by Democratic politicians later rather than at the present. He is saying that it should be on a separate table, rather than on the current one. His support for a chained-CPI is clear. He is only questioning the timing.

He also clearly says that if the White Houses insists upon it, a chained-CPI will be supported now rather than later.

Either way, we're going to get screwed.

While indicating that he would prefer that the screwing be later rather than at the present, at no time did Durbin say that he would not be among the Democratic politicians who would support this.