The Fact that the CBO has analysed Chained CPI

[MineralMan]

does not mean that the President supports it. It does not mean he does not, but it's not evidence that he does. There have been posts about that analysis that appear to be suggesting that the CBO analysis is the doing of the President. Not so.

The Congressional Budget Office analyses bills for Congress and projects the cost or savings from those bills. The President does not submit issues to the CBO for analysis. The CBO works only for Congress.

So, the analysis of Chained CPI recently released by the CBO was not ordered by President Obama. It was sent to the CBO by the House of Representatives or the Senate. It is that simple. Find out the facts about the CBO at the link below:

http://www.cbo.gov/

[woo me with science]

1. Just because he keeps proposing it, over and over and over again,

doesn't mean he supports it!

[MineralMan]

2. I guess I'm missing something.

I have no idea how that cartoon relates to my post. The CBO works for Congress, not the President. It is a legislative branch organization. Do you dispute that?

Please link to a quote from President Obama stating that he supports Chained CPI for Social Security. Thanks.

[Nite Owl]

8. It's on his proposal

to meet the 4 trillion on the White House website. Would save $130b. Adding up the savings would come to 4.3t so if 4t is needed the SS cuts don't even need to be there. He's been proposing it for about 2 years.

Sorry can't supply the link right now I'm in the middle of painting, just taking a break.

[MineralMan]

10. I've heard President Obama mention "reforms"

of both Social Security and Medicare. I also know that Chained CPI was part of the Simpson Bowles draft report that was never made into an official report of that commission, which dissolved without any official report. I don't know that President Obama has ever said that Chained CPI was the "reform" he meant. Reform is a word that can mean many things.

That's why I asked for a direct quote where President Obama specifically said that his idea for Reform was Chained CPI. Maybe that happened, but I haven't seen it. I've seen lots of times when editorial writers have assumed that he said it, but then, when I looked closer at what was written, I don't find that he said that at all.

So, if someone has a link to a quote or something coming directly from the White House that says that reforming Social Security and Medicare should be done through Chained CPI, I'd appreciate seeing it, so I can check it out. Lacking that, my post here stands. The CBO analysis was not prompted by the President. It can't be, since all CBO analysis requests must come from Congress.

[WillyT]

9. From The White House... And They're Calling It "Superlative" CPI...

From: http://www.democraticunderground.com/10022416164

[MineralMan]

11. Thank you.

[WillyT]

12. You Are Quite Welcome !!!

[Jeff In Milwaukee]

3. He doesn't "keep" proposing it...

He's proposed it, and the media keeps reporting it every 7-10 days as though it's news.

Bottom Line: Obama is willing to entertain proposals for entitlement reform.

This is politics, so if Obama can get something of significant value, he'll do it. The thing is, the Republicans have become the party of cutting off their nose to spite their face. They're NEVER going to give Obama something of signficant value, so I doubt we're going to see entitlement reform.

[BlueStreak]

4. It may be true that we don't know the rest of what he is linking to this concession

but there is no question that he has put that up for grabs over and over again. He's willing to give up chained CPI. The only question is the price.

And unfortunately we won't learn the price until it is fait accompli, with no opportunity to pressure against it. That is exactly WHY he is being vague with his public statements. It is to defeat US (the progressives), not to defeat the Republicans.

It is OK to support Obama. It seems a bit naive to deny the obvious though.

[Jeff In Milwaukee]

5. It will take an act of Congress

Any deal that Obama might strike (and I don't think it's every going to happen) is likely to require a vote in the House and Senate. It's not like he can do something in the dead of night with no one looking.

[BlueStreak]

6. I don't think you understand how these games are played

There are a lot of back room agreements, then they try to rush it through Congress before the deal falls apart. Yes, it takes an act of Congress, but generally they have lined up their accomplices before they let the plan go public.

Sometimes -- maybe one time in 5 -- the public outcry is strong and fast enough to stop one of these sellouts before it actually passes. Such an example was the SOPA protests. But that is hardly the usual case.

[Jeff In Milwaukee]

7. Name one...

How many times has a backroom deal between the President and Congress made it through both houses of Congress before anybody knew what was happening? I don't mean some obsure rider attached to a bill -- we're talking about the fundamental restructuring of Social Security. Something significant.

[BlueStreak]

13. I didn't say that. You are misquoting me

I said:

There are a lot of back room agreements, then they try to rush it through Congress before the deal falls apart. Yes, it takes an act of Congress, but generally they have lined up their accomplices before they let the plan go public.

That happens all the time. I'm not going to cite an example of something I never claimed int eh first place.

Obviously with any initiative, there is some small window when the public learns the gory details. With controversial legislation, the game is almost always to MINIMIZE that sunshine time to reduce the chances that strong opposition with coalesce before the bill passes.

Almost all legislation is an example of that. But if you want a specific recent example, look at the "cliff" deal.

[Egalitarian Thug]

14. "Don't worry about it, nothing is really happening."

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"Don't worry, this will never pass."
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"You just don't understand the President's strategy."
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"Stop complaining, we get more than we give and we'll fix it later."
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"There's no use complaining now. Where were you when this was going on?"

[MineralMan]

15. I said none of the things you quoted. So, why did you put things

I didn't say as a reply to my post.

I said that Obama didn't order the CBO analysis. That was all I said. The CBO works for Congress.

Do you find an error there? If so, please show it to me. Putting words in my mouth is a failure of discussion.

[Egalitarian Thug]

16. Everyone but you and the others so adamantly invested in excusing this party and

administration's despicable actions understands exactly what I wrote.

Thanks for playing.

[MineralMan]

17. What you don't know is that I've been sending correspondence

opposing Chained CPI since it was first mentioned. To the President and to my legislators. I just like facts, and the fact remains that the President doesn't order CBO analyses. He can't. People have been posting stuff that appears to say that the CBO results are because Obama asked for them. Ain't true. Congress asked for that analysis, not the President.

Details matter.

As for Chained CPI, I'm a Social Security and Medicare beneficiary. It is of direct concern to me.

Have a pleasant evening.

[pa28]

18. Right. The CBO analysis is *not* evidence he supports a chained CPI.

The fact he's proposed the idea directly is much better evidence.