Obama will likely unveil Social Security cuts in the State of the Union Address according to sources

[Cali_Democrat]

http://dyn.politico.com/printstory.cfm?uuid=EB5E9565-C4A8-7E36-747EADB1F4AAB099

Obama to blink first on Social Security
By: Robert Kuttner
December 16, 2010 04:49 AM EST

The tax deal negotiated by President Barack Obama and Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky is just the first part of a multistage drama that is likely to further divide and weaken Democrats.

The second part, now being teed up by the White House and key Senate Democrats, is a scheme for the president to embrace much of the Bowles-Simpson plan — including cuts in Social Security. This is to be unveiled, according to well-placed sources, in the president’s State of the Union address.

<snip>

White House strategists believe this can also give Obama “credit” for getting serious about deficit reduction — now more urgent with the nearly $900 billion increase in the deficit via the tax cut deal.

How to put this politely? For a Democratic president, this approach is bad economics and worse politics.

For starters, cutting Social Security as part of a deficit reduction deal is needless — since Social Security is in surplus for the next 27 years. The move also gives away the single most potent distinction between Democrats and Republicans — Democrats defend your Social Security, and Republicans keep trying to undermine it.

Read more....http://dyn.politico.com/printstory.cfm?uuid=EB5E9565-C4A8-7E36-747EADB1F4AAB099

It's clear that we are on an unsustainable budget path. If we aren't going to raise taxes, we have to make cuts. No way around it.

Looking at the defense budget bill that was passed in the House yesterday, it appears that defense cuts are off the table and the wars will continue.

That leaves Social Security and Medicare as the best candidates for cuts.

[MadMaddie]

1. Actually the Pentagon budget is the best candidate for cuts.

[and-justice-for-all]

69. Sure the fuck is....

that snake needs its head chopped off; that is the venom in our veins.

[alcibiades_mystery]

2. Suuuuuure...

:rofl:

[PurityOfEssence]

37. What's your take on eliminating the mortgage interest deduction?

Just askin'...

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

3. Politico?

[villager]

4. Robert Kuttner. And yes, how difficult to imagine Obama blinking first.

n/t

[senseandsensibility]

13. Not very.

At all.

[alcibiades_mystery]

14. I'll believe it when I see it

Kuttner is a hack, and his "well-placed sources" is an obvious and pathetic dodge.

Politico is trying to get the so-called progressives all worked up again after yesterday's victory. It's easy enough to do, and the right wing plays this group like a fiddle.

[villager]

22. "When you see it?" Haven't noticed Obama blinking first, yet?

n/t

[alcibiades_mystery]

26. No, actually

But in this context, I was referring to this particular heap of horseshit piled up in the OP.

Have a good one. :hi:

[villager]

57. well, you have a good one, too

I expect our over-arching goals for the republic are similar, even if we we're viewing the short-term a bit differently...

:hi:

[brentspeak]

50. "Hack" = liberal writer who doesn't sufficiently slobber over Obama n/t

[great white snark]

56. You got the slobbering correct.

Liberal and writer is debatable.

[brentspeak]

60. Kuttner is the co-founder of the Economic Policy Institute and the American Prospect

And has been a writer and a professor of journalism for decades.

Meanwhile, you are a...God knows what.

[alcibiades_mystery]

58. Hello, friend!

:hi:

It's good to see you can compose your own thoughts from time to time!

[vaberella]

5. Reaching...aren't we?! Now we go to Politico for factual news. Rumors and conjectures..

~sigh~

[Cali_Democrat]

17. Where are the budget cuts going to come from if we don't cut defense?

The tax deal will leave a huge hole in the budget for the next several years.

[totodeinhere]

27. We might not do anything about it. I predict that the deficit will go up in the

next few years, not down. What that will mean for our economy I don't know.

[sad sally]

74. ah, the Cheney doctrine - deficits don't matter (until the US is bankrupt, that is)

[tekisui]

121. And, this is the typical and predictable first defense.

The old, "wait and see" "just rumors".

We'll here the next defense when this is confirmed. And, in no time there will be those singing its praise.

[great white snark]

6. For fuck's sake. Politico, unnamed sources, called it a "scheme".

:eyes:

[GoCubsGo]

48. Thank you!

The only thing I trust less than Politico is "unnamed sources" at Politico.

[AtomicKitten]

75. I think that qualifies as gospel truth in some quarters.

[DJ13]

7. SS has ZERO impact on deficits

This is nothing more than an attempt to default on the funds people have paid in so they can steal it to ease the deficits created by giving the wealthy and corporations too many tax cuts.

Fuck that.

[Pholus]

30. Not anymore. The Payroll tax cut is covered by funding SS through the deficit.

That was what the "purists" noticed and didn't like.

[Ikonoklast]

8. Politico? Oh, sure, I believe EVERYTHING the Republican blog outlet says.

They're always correct in their prognostications.


Oh, wait, no they aren't, they're just flinging crap to see who bites.

[jtown1123]

118. Politico may be right leaning but Kuttner sure as hell isn't.

[craigmatic]

9. That's weak. They should cut the military. We could save Social Security by closing a few bases.

If he does that then he can kiss the old people vote goodbye and they're going to blame the democrats for this.

[ProSense]

10. Robert "Evil Twin" Kuttner is

sounding more and more like a political hack.

<...>

Obama is already in trouble with older voters. Republicans have succeeded in convincing seniors that the health care reform bill diverted money from Medicare.

Consider what the right will do when Obama moves to cut Social Security. Republicans, with no sense of contradiction or hypocrisy, will whack Obama once for not being sufficiently serious about deficit reduction — then whack him again for cutting Social Security.

As for the Republicans’ leverage on raising the debt ceiling, a more resolute president would dare the Republicans to jeopardize government bonds, just as President Bill Clinton dared Speaker Newt Gingrich to shut down the government. One hopes that Clinton, in his recent visit to the White House, reminded Obama that Gingrich blinked first. But Obama’s trademark is that he blinks first.

<...>

He's worried about Republicans? Oh brother. Where have I heard this line of reasoning before? Oh yeah, just before Obama tapped Clinton for the presser.

:rofl:

[Name removed]

51. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[brentspeak]

61. He's a "hack" because he's not somebody paid to write gushing praise of Obama n/t

[ProSense]

65. No, he's a hack because this piece is garbage

and shows a tremendous amount of desperation.

[ProudDad]

99. Not as much desperation as those of us

who depend on Social Security to survive...

And don't trust Obama or the Dems to preserve it... :grr:

[jtown1123]

119. He is not desperate. He and other econs have been begging Obama to give them

some indication he has not bought into right wing talking points on SS. What have they heard? Crickets.

[Warren Stupidity]

101. So if Obama proposes cuts to social security and medicare

will you support those proposals?

Just hypothetically of course.

[dkf]

11. Are these the cuts that occur 50 years ?

[DemocratSinceBirth]

12. Why Would President Obama

Why would President Obama advocate cuts in programs which enjoy broad, popular support?

[senseandsensibility]

16. Because the repugs want him to?

Just a wild guess.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

20. Do You Believe He Would Harm His Reelection Chances Because The Repubs Want Him To?

.

[senseandsensibility]

32. Yes

What's with the all caps? Actually, to be more precise, I think he would support cuts to Social Security because the repugs want him to. I base that on his past actions. As far as his reelection chances, that's a different question. With the vast majority of Dems willing to follow Obama to the right, as evidenced recently, I'm not sure it's an issue. The corporate media will pull out all the stops to sell the cuts to the sheeple.

[Skittles]

71. HELLO!!!

HE'S ALREADY BEEN DOING THAT

[PoliticAverse]

46. Why would president Obama

sign a bill extending tax cuts for the rich?

[RichGirl]

52. He didn't....

It was a bill with MANY very important items and that was just one of them.

But your prefer to see it as a single page with just one sentence...extending tax cuts for the rich. That fuels your negativity nicely. Is this how you live your life. Find the very worst in every situation, focus on it, ignore anything good and then moan and groan and act like you are justified in your criticism???? You must be a real joy to be with....

[PoliticAverse]

54. Um, wow...

Anyway you did get my point:

"It was a bill with MANY very important items and that was just one of them."

Any bill restricting Social Security benefits will likely be part of a larger 'compromise' bill with many 'very
important items'.

P.S. Thanks for making me laugh.

[dflprincess]

63. Why did he put it at risk by cutting the payroll tax and shifting the funding

to the general revenue?

[ProudDad]

83. Because he's a tool of corporate USAmerica?

:shrug:

And NOT Progressive!

[golfguru]

87. Cuz Chinese won't buy our debt any more

by buying treasury bonds. In order to pay any benefits there has to
be money in US Treasury. UST can't create money out of thin air.
Military will certainly be cut if entitlements face cuts. Count on it.

[ClarkUSA]

15. More totally unsubstantiated rumormongering from Politico? Unrec.

:puke:

[yourout]

18. Then he might as well announce he will not seek a second term.

[Donnachaidh]

24. thumbs up.

He's done if this is true.

[budkin]

19. As pissed as I am at Obama I refuse to believe this until it actually happens

[PurityOfEssence]

34. And that, sadly, is the standard Democratic response to all that is Barack Obama

The next step in the continuing saga is to shake oneself out of the confusion and dismay after a particular act, find some justifications for it, tap the baton and strike up the band once again to play another rousing ode to genius.

[Robbins]

21. Politico

So we are taking Cheney's favorate outlet seriously?

Remember people Obama has serious problems all ready with seniors.He didn't get where he Is by being stupid.Any cuts in SS will
be used to attack him as being against seniors.Commissions can recomend things all they want but they don't always lead to action.
Bush has commision recommending pulling troops out of Iraq he sent more troops Into Iraq.

Cuts In SS would be political disaster for the Democrats and If Obama's advisors are not Idiots they should tell him that.

[high density]

23. Obama's done some weird things recently I don't agree with, but this seems a bit much

Put me in the "believe it when I see it" column.

[pa28]

25. No surprise. He's already said he wants to lift the cap.

The only question is whether he stands by his position or goes with the Simpson/Bowles approach.

[Exilednight]

28. This is not surprising to say the least. In fact, many of were made fun of

when we suggested that this was a major possibility.

[Ikonoklast]

39. No, only the ones that take Politico as 'fact'.

Those people get made fun of.

[Exilednight]

41. well, let's see who's

laughing after the next SOTU. I think many, including those of us who are right, will be crying when it's all said and done.

[Ikonoklast]

42. Bookmarked n/t.

[jtown1123]

120. Politico may be a joke here but on the hill it's daily reading along with

The Hill and Roll Call. It's what the so-called insiders read and they don't call it a joke.

[Hello_Kitty]

29. I predict very soon there are going to be a lot of born again deficit hawks on DU

And we will be getting stern lectures about the need to take serious measures to reduce the debt. It's going to really smell like cat food around here.

[Vinca]

31. If he goes after SS and Medicare, he can forget about 2012.

[TheCowsCameHome]

35. You bet.

and 2011, too.

[golfguru]

33. Obama has no other option

except cut entitlements if he wants to reduce deficits in half
during his 1st term as he said he would.

I am on SS & Medicare and I am willing to share the sacrifice to
save younger people in 20's & 30's from losing both completely.

However I also want the military to share the sacrifice. Otherwise
it is a no-go with me.

[PurityOfEssence]

36. Well, not now that he's cut off the revenues to please the unpleasably privileged...

As for inroads to various programs guaranteeing their survival, I suggest you take a look at the general Modus Operandi of organized religion: take more, and use every shift in your favor as a justification for greater inroads. The messianic and religiously intolerant metaphor works far too well for the current reactionaries running our country, so the model just seems to fit even for the secular acts in the offing.

[Name removed]

40. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[golfguru]

62. I never understood why donations to religion are tax-deductible

That process does not help boost economy and violates equal protection
for non-religious people. Giving to charity and churches is commendable
but it is strictly personal matter and should not benefit from tax code.

[Cali_Democrat]

59. The military budget that passed the house yesterday was well over 700 Billion

I agree.....defense cuts should be on the table.

[jtown1123]

122. they do not need to be cut at all. Please don't let any right wing zealots convince you otherwise.

There is plenty to go around.

[Kdillard]

38. That would be very foolish but we shall see soon enough.

[bvar22]

43. I'm sharpening up the pitchforks and heating up the tar...

...because this is a line that shall NOT be crossed.


"If we don't fight hard enough for the things we stand for,
at some point we have to recognize that we don't really stand for them."
--- Paul Wellstone

[Juche]

44. I'm going to wait and see

FWIW, Obama's old budget director Orszag supports the SS plans. So the idea that Obama does too isn't too controversial. Looking at it, it isn't a terrible plan. I agree with point 1 and 3. Point 2 I'm kindof drawn on, and if it can be avoided it should. I don't like point 4. I've heard it'll cut real SS benefits by almost 30% within 50 years or so.


http://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/15/opinion/15orszag.html?_r=1&emc=tnt&tntemail1=y

The proposal put forward last week by Alan Simpson, the former Senate Republican leader, and Erskine Bowles, who was a White House chief of staff under President Bill Clinton, has four main elements.

First, it would make the payroll tax more progressive by increasing the maximum earnings level to which it applies. Over the past several decades, as higher earners have enjoyed particularly rapid wage gains, a growing share of their wages has escaped the tax because they have been above the maximum taxable level. Today, about 15 percent of total wages are not taxed. The chairmen recommend gradually raising the maximum threshold so that, by 2050, only 10 percent of total wages wouldn’t be taxed — decreasing the 75-year Social Security deficit by more than a third.

Second, Mr. Simpson and Mr. Bowles recommend indexing the age at which full Social Security benefits can be received to increases in life expectancy. This age is already increasing to 67, and under the proposal the gradual rise would continue, to 68 by 2050. A better approach would be to leave the full benefit age alone and instead directly reduce the monthly benefits as life expectancy rises, to keep average lifetime benefits roughly constant. But the chairmen’s approach would by itself narrow the Social Security gap by about a fifth.

The third suggested change is to make the formula for determining Social Security benefits more progressive, by reducing future payments to high earners while increasing them for people at the bottom. These adjustments would close at least another third of the projected deficit. And they would also help offset a little-noticed trend: affluent Americans are increasingly living longer than others. This pushes the Social Security system toward being less progressive, as higher earners collect benefits for more years.

Finally, Mr. Bowles and Mr. Simpson would have Congress adjust the cost-of-living index that’s used to determine annual increases in Social Security benefits so that it would measure inflation more accurately. Making this switch would fill in more than a quarter of the long-term deficit, because the new index would grow more slowly.

If Congress were to take all four of these recommended steps, it could not only eliminate the long-term deficit in Social Security but also make the system much more progressive. Even compared with the benefits promised by the current system, the recommended benefits for the poorest 20 percent of recipients would increase by about 5 percent, while those for the wealthiest retirees would fall by almost 20 percent.

[Aramchek]

45. anything to distract from Obama's recent successes

nice try.

[bvar22]

47. President Obama will NOT be "cutting Social Security".

He WILL be :

"Saving" Social Security (It doesn't have to make sense)

"Taking an incremental step forward" (doesn't have to make sense)

Passing "historic" legislation

"Playing Chess"

"Being pragmatic/realistic"

"Getting 90%"

"..Not letting the Perfect get in the way of The Good"

"Saving our children from the deficit"

"Reaching across the aisle and changing the tone in Washington"

"doing the best that can be expected"

"getting a HUGH WIN for the Democrats"

"Doing exactly what he promised"

....

[Catherina]

49. A very sad +1 n/t

[ProSense]

55. You forgot the one

that says his political career is over if he cuts Social Security.

Is that not true?

[Pholus]

68. Not so sure. 6 months ago I would have said extending Bush's tax cuts would end a Dem career...

But that was a pre-9/11 mentality apparently. Spent the morning watching the compromise praised across the board on the sabbath gasbag shows. I noticed the one guy who talked about how the cuts seem like a victory, but next year the *deficit* will drive the discussion and the expense of the compromise won't seem too wise then. He was roundly ignored. At least I know how he must feel...

[dflprincess]

64. And if there are problems, they can be fixed "later" n/t

[bigwillq]

72. Wow, what a list of BFDs!

:bounce:

[Hell Hath No Fury]

77. That's about it.

And after it has been done and defendeded here, millions of Americans will be left blinking, wondering what the hell just hit them. :(

[egoclothes]

78. yeah, yeah, those talking points will sickening and repeated over and over!

[EndElectoral]

53. After giving tax cuts for the rich, he would be crazy to do that in the SOU address

[ProSense]

66. This is also posted at Daily Kos

Obama to unveil Social Security cuts in State of the Union

<...>

If these reports are true, we need to RUN not walk to find a serious primary challenge to this cynical and completely destructive President.

Two years of this crap from Barack Obama makes me actually miss George W. Bush. At least George W. Bush had no chance to pass his Social Security cuts. Now that a Democratic President is proposing them, he will likely get Democratic support and finally take an axe to the program that we have been trying to protect for so long.

Barack Obama is probably the worst President I have ever had to live through. His general auro of weakness and pleasure in pissing on the Democratic base has been simply disgusting.

Shame on all of us for not listening to Hillary Clinton in 2008 when she warned that Obama was a poor fit for the White House because he is.

Not only has he destroyed the Democratic party, now he is destroying a sacred Democratic progam.

Its time to draft either Russ Feingold or Howard Dean to challenge Obama in 2012. Of course, many people here will say that "there will be no primary challenge". Well, that attitude could well cost us sacred Democratic programs like Social Security.

<...>

Missing Bush, longing for Hillary, worst President ever.

Clownish, which is what Kuttner's piece deserves.

[politicasista]

81. +1 n/t

[ProudDad]

82. Bush tried to mess with Social Security and got hammered...

Obama has succeeded where so many others have failed...

And gets defended by such as you... :shrug:

As far as S.S. goes, it was safer under bush...

[4dsc]

67. Wait, isn't the president the most progressive president ever??

Didn't I just read somewhere....

[and-justice-for-all]

70. bloody hell that is absurd....

cut the militaries budget, close most overseas bases, cut all reps. pay and make them buy their own fucking health care, it is not like they can not afford it.

[Honeycombe8]

73. Well, we know it's coming. Only a matter of how much and when. SS will be in trouble in 10 years..

if something isn't done.

100 dollars coming in.....100 dollars being paid. Check
10 years from now, though, it'll be 90 dollars coming in.....120 dollars being paid.

We all know something has to be done. Cutting JUST defense or JUST Medicare or JUST Medicaid won't work.

We have a huge deficit. Cuts are going to come raining down on us very soon. Partly because we have to pay for those tax cuts for the millionaires.

[ProudDad]

84. Cutting the war budget

Will take care of the deficit...

The fucking war budget and bush's tax cuts are what CAUSED IT!

And leave S.S. the fuck alone as a Social Safety net (but remove the cap on deductions and lower the percentage)...

[Honeycombe8]

85. No, that's not enough. SS was in trouble before then. We've known

for decades the Baby Boomer problem was coming. Before 9/11...when Iraq was just a gleam in Cheney's eye.

[ProudDad]

88. NO IT WAS NOT!!!

Back in the late 70s/early 80s the baby boom bubble was noticed...

And the deduction rates and cap were adjusted to account for the boomers...

The system WAS completely solvent until after the boomers were DEAD!!!

The ONLY trouble with Social Security is that the payroll tax is too regressive. Removing the cap and LOWERING THE RATES would make the system solvent into the 22nd Century!

Please, please, please, please DON'T PASS ON THIS RIGHT-WING PROPAGANDA!!!! It's NOT TRUE!!!!

[OwnedByFerrets]

104. Thank you so much for preaching the truth. Makes me sick to hear

those right wing propaganda tactics on this board.

[Warren Stupidity]

102. 27 years

and that is using the most pessimistic assumptions about economic growth over the next quarter century.

[impik]

76. Hee. Bunch of crazy paranoids

[WI_DEM]

79. I tend to take a wait and see attitude

[CreekDog]

80. So Obama's going to start negotiations by offering cuts to Social Security?

without getting anything (for us) in return?

and the negotiations will mean that the cuts get worse, because he'll have to compromise on his original position (naturally).

:wtf:

how does everyone feel knowing they are chits that the President can negotiate away to Republicans for approval points?

[ProudDad]

89. Obama

constantly shows up at the strip poker game already naked... :grr:

[704wipes]

105. how true, then he's a genius when

he wins back his tighty whities and one sock with a hole in it....

[egoclothes]

111. He have away first with the health "reform" and with the

tax cut issues. It is the way he does things (sadly).

[boppers]

86. Define "cuts". Some people call the lack of a COLA a "cut".

Others call raising retirement ages a "cut".

[ProudDad]

90. Both are cuts...

While the Obamites are "crowing" about "growth" (which means higher cost of living in USAmerica), especially food and energy costs...

Our meager Social Security check has remained constant for 2 years now...

When Obama used the right-wing/libertarian word "entitlement" to refer to Social Security, even before he sold-out the funding mechanism in his surrender to the republicans, we knew we were fucked...

[boppers]

93. Hm...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Entitlement

What word is more appropriate, in your opinion?

[ProudDad]

95. Social Insurance Policy...

Social Safety Net...

The things that FDR called it...

Not the SHIT that the republicans have been calling it in order to denigrate it...

It's called framing and Obama's SHITTY at it!!!

[Recursion]

91. Well, we either have to cut or come up with 2.5 trillion

Neither is very palatable.

[ProudDad]

96. You had better come up with the FUCKING 2.5 TRILLION

that we paid to fund our insurance system...

And quit trading it away...god damn it!

[Recursion]

106. OK, where do we get it from?

I'm a little tapped this year; I don't know about you.

[Warren Stupidity]

107. From the part of the budget that services debt.

And if that portion has to grow then perhaps it would be a good idea to RAISE TAXES ON THE MASSIVELY RICH.

p.s. 2.5T paid out over 25 years is 100B/yr, or about what we have given the plutocrats as an annual bonus every year since 2001.

[ProudDad]

109. "2.5T paid out over 25 years is 100B/yr"

or 1/13th the cost of the fucking war machine...

Or the cost of the Afghanistan quagmire...

Why isn't Obama talking about the war budget???

(rhetorical question: answer = they'd "take him out")...

[ProudDad]

108. Well, we could have gotten it from the rich fucks

who squirreled away the productivity gains of the last 35 years... :shrug:

But Obama decided to "compromise" on that one...

I supported YOUR parents and grandparents under the contract that if I needed it, I WOULD GET THE SUPPORT...

And thanks to the execrable nature of vampire capitalism and the way it used my talents then kicked me to the curb many times in my "career", I NEED IT NOW...

You will need it too so you should be as intolerant of sell-outs and prevaricators as I am... :hi:

[Warren Stupidity]

103. well then which other t-bills are we also going to default on?

How about the ones held by China, for example?

[Cherchez la Femme]

92. Tax breaks for the rich, cut Social Security

what a fucked up country we live in

[ProudDad]

97. You've got that right..

And what rock did all the fucking libertarians crawl out from...

[11 Bravo]

94. Do we have to wait until it actually happens, or can we start hating him now?

[ProudDad]

98. Who's hating?

And it's already started -- he used Social Security funding as a bargaining chip with the pukes...

He's already pissed on the social contract...

It's just a "little thing" for them to go the next step...

[Name removed]

117. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[AtomicKitten]

100. The school of thought here seems to favor getting a head start preemptively.

If it happens, they'll do a victory dance; if not, they'll quickly change to the next prediction and tear-down.

[ProudDad]

110. It's already started

He used Social Security funding as a bargaining chip with the pukes...

He's already pissed on the social contract...

It's just a "little thing" for them to go the next step...

[jtown1123]

123. Nobody wants this to happen. We are trying to give everyone a heads up so that maybe

we can encourage each other to call up the WH and do some pesky calls and letter writing to share our thought on Social Security cuts.

[Jakes Progress]

112. I wonder how the coming cuts

will be excused here on DU. They are coming. There will be excuses.

[rasputin1952]

113. SS and Medicare are not a part of the actual budget...

Cutting either will do nothing for the deficit...they are separate entities from the general fund.

While money has been borrowed from the funds, they were designed to be separate, and except for the drawing off of funds, (since Reagan), both are sustained under FICA, not the normal tax revenue...cutting anything in either or both would do nothing for the budget crisis.

[mmonk]

114. This is not a time for cuts in domestic spending, particularly

in the area of sustainable income for retirees or disabled persons. It will not bring any economic benefit to our society.

[blindpig]

115. It is obvious that it's a done deal.

Just a matter of details, who gets shit on worst. When the media and the entire political class are beating the same drum you know it's coming.

[craigmatic]

116. If he does it'll be the end of his presidency. Nobody wants to see that.