Progressive Coalition Warns Congress, Obama Against Deficit Commission

[laughingliberal]

A coalition of 56 progressive organizations sent a letter Wednesday to Congressional leaders and the White House asking them not to agree to the creation of a debt commission proposed by Sens. Kent Conrad (D-N.D.) and Judd Gregg (R-N.H.), which they said unjustly limits Congressional debate and "paints a target" on Social Security and Medicare.

Leaders of member groups, including labor, civil rights and Social Security advocates, say they haven't seen enough details on the alternative deal currently being struck between Conrad, House leadership and the White House. But their united attack on the Conrad-Gregg bill "can be taken as a warning" that similar opposition awaits any bill that would "fast-track" social-services cuts through the legislature, Campaign for America's Future co-director Roger Hickey said on a conference call with reporters Wednesday.

Several progressive leaders on the conference call acknowledged the need for debt reduction in the long term, but they said attending to the dismal state of the economy -- particularly unemployment -- requires more federal spending in the short term, not less.

"At the moment, we really need to be paying attention to the jobs crisis in the country," said Gerald Shea, assistant to the president of the AFL-CIO. The debt commission, Shea said, "really is just a distraction" and is "wrongheaded."

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/01/20/progressive-coalition-war_n_430284.html

Thank the stars for these 56. This commission will be deadly for Social Security and Medicare. Strangle this idea in its cradle.

[SergeStorms]

1. If this thing gets off the ground.....

I fear for Medicare and Social Security. They've wanted to gut it for the longest time and this would give them the access to start the process.

Not only NO, but HELL NO! :mad:

[nightrain]

2. exceptionally dangerous commission