A Round of Applause for Harry Reid, Please!

[MannyGoldstein]

The only Democratic leader who's not cool with cutting "strengthening" Social Security, and seems to have held fast for our interests in the latest shock doctrining.

And, as PA28 points out below... anyone who can get Boehner to demand that he perform sexual union with himself *must* be doing something right!

[fadedrose]

1. "not" ?

[ProSense]

2. Cool, then it's a no go for good, right?

Glad to see that you've come to that realization.

[MannyGoldstein]

4. Not sure why I gave that impression

I suspect it will be back... Someone important has a fixation on cutting it.

[ProSense]

5. Do you think Reid

"the only Democratic leader who's not cool with cutting "strengthening" Social Security" will hold fast in the future or do you think he will eventually cave?

You love making predictions, what's your take?

[MannyGoldstein]

8. Tough one. Reid has a boss.

Will he defy his boss?

I tend to think he will, but there will be a lot of pressure to not. Also, his boss tends to take Reid out of the loop when he's not sufficiently deferential to Republicans, which makes it even more difficult - he'd have to kill a deal rather than stop one from being made.

[ProSense]

11. You think he

"Will he defy his boss? "

...defied "his boss" this time? What would cause him to submit in the future?

What do you see changing that would cause Reid to sellout Social Security and seniors?

[MannyGoldstein]

12. There's $2.5 trillion (and growing) in the SS Trust Fund

And the wealthy want it for themselves.

Very, very strong pressure will be applied.

[ProSense]

14. I don't think anyone

"Very, very strong pressure will be applied."

...who strongly supports Social Security will cave to pressure. Seriously, I don't think such a proposal could pass in the Senate, especially not the next Congress.

[MannyGoldstein]

15. I hope you're right

And I hope that we never find out if it will pass, that it won't even come up.

[Enrique]

25. yes, the usual pressure

from the people that have been gunning for Social Security all along.

Possibly some additional pressure from someone that helped Reid in a very close election. I'm sure Reid doesn't need to be reminded about that.

[Enrique]

24. Reid dared once to claim that Obama was NOT his boss

and DU came down on him like a ton of bricks for that apparently outrageous statement. By the same people that tell me to "read the Constitution"

[patrice]

3. Yep! & Now to see if we can get some reinforcements in there in 2014. nt

[MannyGoldstein]

6. We've got a big one in Elizabeth Warren starting Thursday

As she says, if Democrats lose they should make sure that there's blood and teeth left on the floor?

[patrice]

9. I feel good every time I think of Elizabeth Warren! Yeah, "blood & teeth"! Let's DO this thing!

[pa28]

7. He's doing *something* right.

John Boehner staggered out of a bottle long enough to shake his fists and tell him to go fuck himself before staggering back in.

[MannyGoldstein]

10. Great point!

Mind if I add that to the OP?

[pa28]

13. No, Harry Reid is really one of the good guys. He deserves a round of applause. n/t

[marlakay]

16. When I heard he threw a list

Of what republicans wanted in the fire, I thought yeh Harry!

[MannyGoldstein]

17. Actually, those were *Obama's* requests in the fireplace. nt

[rocktivity]

18. If Social Security needs more money, get rid of the salary cap

If Medicare or Medicaid need more money, get rid of the age requirements.


rocktivity

[CreekDog]

19. Yes. I'm nervous about the filibuster developments, but impressed with how Reid handled this

[UnrepentantLiberal]

20. Go Harry!

[JDPriestly]

21. K&R.

I admit. I was a doubter.

And part of me is still very skeptical about this deal.

But for the moment, thank you, Senator Reid.

[MannyGoldstein]

23. It seems that Reid thought it a bad deal, too

but did the best he could, given that his boss wanted a deal:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/how-mcconnell-and-biden-pulled-congress-away-from-the-fiscal-cliff/2013/01/02/992fe6de-5501-11e2-8e84-e933f677fe68_print.html

They weren’t moving because Democrats had decided that they had gone as far as they could. Reid and Obama had disagreed privately about what their next offer should be. At one point, Reid was unhappy with an idea that Senate aides said came from Obama — to put the change in Social Security benefits back on the table in exchange for a delay in spending cuts and a rise in the debt limit.

Aides said Reid actually tore up the proposal and threw it into the blazing fire in his ornate green marble fireplace. The paper burned. Reid said he didn’t want evidence that the idea had ever been considered.

...

McConnell, frustrated, asked an aide to call Biden. The two of them had brokered the deal that set up this mess, during the debt-ceiling crisis of 2011. Now, they would broker the deal that ended it.

[JDPriestly]

28. This is what I suspected and why I also suspect that Social Security and Medicare are still in dange

At one point, Reid was unhappy with an idea that Senate aides said came from Obama — to put the change in Social Security benefits back on the table in exchange for a delay in spending cuts and a rise in the debt limit.


http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/how-mcconnell-and-biden-pulled-congress-away-from-the-fiscal-cliff/2013/01/02/992fe6de-5501-11e2-8e84-e933f677fe68_print.html

[aquart]

22. Did you see Lawrence tonight? Because Harry was a whole lot busier than that.

[Jefferson23]

26. Hold strong Harry, you may be the last hope here. n/t

K&R

[Rex]

27. .