Obama, White House seek to reassure base on debt ceiling talks

[alp227]

Source: The Washington Post

The White House is waging an aggressive behind-the-scenes campaign to reassure core Democratic activists, following weeks of criticism from liberals who fear that President Obama has given too much ground in his debt-ceiling talks with Republicans.

Senior aides are holding conference calls to take questions from leaders of black and Hispanic organizations, local elected officials and other political allies nationwide. Obama spoke by phone this week to a group of college student body presidents to seek their help in lobbying for a compromise. And top economic advisers have huddled in the West Wing in recent days with pastors and advocates for seniors, children and the poor — including one session with Easter Seals and families it serves to discuss the importance of Medicaid to disabled children.

Some efforts have taken place in public, as well, with Obama assuring a conference of Hispanic activists this week that he is looking out for low-income people and telling a public radio show last week that “a lot of the spending cuts that we’re making should be around areas like defense spending, as opposed to food stamps.” Speaking to Univision Radio, in one of two Hispanic-oriented radio interviews last week, Obama described the fight to protect the poor and the elderly as a “debate about our values.”

The push comes at an unusually tense time on the political left, as liberals fret over how far a Democratic president might go in reducing once-untouchable programs such as Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid.

Read more: http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/obama-white-house-seek-to-reassure-base-on-debt-ceiling-talks/2011/07/26/gIQAd7godI_singlePage.html

[DJ13]

1. How reassuring it will be when SS stops rising due to the chained CPI

I know it will be a relief to millions of recipients, who Im sure will thank him in 2012.

[boppers]

10. Oh, if the limit doesn't go through,the chained CPI will guarantee SS income increases for years.

Of course, that's because interest triggers inflation. So, yeah, increases, because the money is worth less and less.

[roguevalley]

11. cutting pay to veterans in the field, reassuring? They have no souls.

none of them.

[Angry Dragon]

2. The battle lines are drawn

Wars, corporations, wealthy on one side

The American bottom 95% on the other

[robinlynne]

3. the problem is that we the 95% don't have enough money to buy the politicians. And

they are for sale to the highest bidder, with notable exceptions.

[Angry Dragon]

5. Yes I know ......... I have seen the bidding on E-bay

[robinlynne]

6. lol

[applegrove]

4. The rich should pay more for these programs. Period.

[EFerrari]

7. Why does he think our values are up for debate?

Why is he creating a debate out of a consensus? Isn't that @ss backward?

[grahamhgreen]

8. "should be around areas like defense", should be? Not assuring OR reassuring.

[dgibby]

9. I want him to tell us what shared sacrifices the top 2% are making.

“a lot of the spending cuts that we’re making should be around areas like defense spending, as opposed to food stamps.” I believe the operative weasel word here is "SHOULD". Not "WILL BE", but "SHOULD". If there's one thing he's taught me, it's to parse his words carefully.