Obama Reassures House Democrats On Cuts To Social Security, Medicare

[meow2u3]

WASHINGTON -- President Barack Obama assured House Democrats Thursday he won't slash Social Security and Medicare, moments after he reaffirmed his commitment to entitlement reform in a meeting with Senate Republicans.

Obama sat down with Democrats in late afternoon, just after he emerged from a 90-minute face-to-face with Republicans in the upper chamber, where his willingness to cut entitlement spending dominated the conversation. House Democrats hadn't seen the reports of what Obama discussed with the Senate GOP -- they were reacting instead, they told reporters after the meeting, to reports about the president restating his support for a grand bargain with Republicans that includes so-called chained CPI and other cuts to Medicare.

Rep. Keith Ellison (D-Mich.), co-chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, was first to ask Obama about chained CPI, a way of calculating the consumer price index that would decrease monthly payments to Social Security recipients. Ellison, one of the strongest opponents of the Social Security benefit cut, was soon joined by Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D-N.Y.), who also expressed concerns to the president.

Obama quickly pushed back, insisting that he would only move on entitlements if Republicans did the same on new tax revenues.

"I’m not Charlie Brown with a football," Obama told Ellison, according to Politico. "I haven’t heard anything from Republicans on revenue, so Keith, you can relax."

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/03/14/obama-house-democrats_n_2880723.html?utm_hp_ref=politics

Obama had better be bluffing on cutting earned benefits. He's scaring the living daylight out of me!

[jsr]

1. Relax. He's just playing with the old folks

and the disabled.

FDR must be rolling in his grave.

[AndyA]

2. There are a lot of things that can be done to save money with SS, Medicare, etc.

without cutting benefits.

Raise the SS cap, for instance. Allow the wealthy to pay into SS more, it will have no impact on them whatsoever, they won't miss the money at all.

Allow Medicare to get competitive pricing on prescription drugs.

Considering that SS has no impact on the deficit in any way, it's ridiculous that it's even part of the deficit discussion, but since it is, raising the cap will go a long way toward preserving this important program for many years.

[demwing]

3. "Obama...would only move on entitlements if Republicans did the same on new tax revenues" WTF?

is that supposed to make anyone feel better?

hey Rep Ellison? Do NOT relax, please!

[ladjf]

6. Sounds like double talk to me. nt

[Bake]

7. So IF the Thugs are willing to move on revenues, he's willing to cut SS?

Because that's what it sounds like to me.

Not good.

Bake

[demwing]

8. That's exactly how I read it as well

and then laughed (sadly) at the "So you can relax" message to Keith Ellison.

[duffyduff]

4. Talk is cheap, Mr. President

We are looking at your ACTIONS.

[woo me with science]

5. Orwellian GARBAGE.

I REASSURE you that I plan to cut Social Security and Medicare in exchange for a tax deal.

In other words, the chocolate ration is being increased.