CNN Transcript: David Plouffe on the President's upcoming speech

[ProSense]

Transcript

<...>

PLOUFFE: Yes, but again, you just can't look at it broadly like that. I mean, we have a responsibility to the American people to look at every allocation here and make a determination, is it working for people? Can we afford it? Is it going to help the economy? And that's what the president did. So again, this is a budget agreement and this is the principle he's going to use bringing forward.

I will say, later this week the president is going to speak about his approach to long-term deficit reduction. Is that approach, which is while we reduce the deficit -- and we have to do it, we've got to do it in a balanced way. Can't be all on the backs of seniors and the middle class. We have got to make sure that we are taking a balanced approach to this that allows us to win the future. And we're not going to win the future in this country unless we invest in education, in research and development, in innovation and infrastructure. So that's going to be his north star in these spending decisions. How do we make sure that it is balanced? That we are investing in the things that are going to allow us to win the future.

But he does believe that to grow economically, to be a strong country, we can't sustain this fiscal situation. And there are some that don't agree with that, but he believes strongly that we do have to engage in serious deficit reduction.

<...>

PLOUFFE: No, he's going to lay out his approach, which is -- and he said this previously -- but to get the kind of deficit reduction we need to -- first of all, one of the reasons he wants to do it is so we can live within our means so that we then have the ability to invest in things like education and innovation. But obviously you've got to look everywhere. It's got to be a balanced approach. Every corner of the federal government has to be looked at here.

CROWLEY: So, Social Security?

PLOUFFE: Well, first of all, he said -- first of all, his health care reform package is going to produce $1 trillion of deficit reduction over the next two decades. That being said, we clearly have to do more. So you are going to have to look at savings you might be able to get in Medicare and Medicaid in the long term. He said Social Security's not a contributor to the short-term deficit problem, but in the process of talking about our fiscal situation and our government, we ought to look if there is a way to strengthen Social Security in the long term that doesn't endanger anybody, you know, who's a current beneficiary, and doesn't slash benefits. So he'll look at that.

Defense spending. Domestic spending. Revenues are going to have to be part of this. Listen, the congressional plan that you referenced...

<...>

The RW media is determined to spin this.

[BklnDem75]

1. Rec'd for truth

Notice how spin gets rec'd up, but an actual transcript gets unrec'd to hell. Telling isn't it?

[RaleighNCDUer]

6. So the 'Truth' is what some politico says the President MIGHT say

in an upcoming speech?

Sounds a little more like speculation, to me.

Like reading the dust jacket on a book, then saying you've read the book.

[BklnDem75]

7. Plouffe is the source

All the spin are from articles using HIS words. Are you saying a transcript isn't good enough?

[ProSense]

8. Facts have to be rejected in order for spin to prevail.

The media spin of Plouffe's statement is the truth. Plouffe's actual statement is irrelevant.

[BklnDem75]

9. LOL. It certainly seems that way here.

[CelticThunder]

13. Facts are that Obama's handpicked heads of his entitlements commission rec'd cutting SS.

Obama hand-picked them. So he knew they wanted to cut SS and he was prepared to go with their recommendations to do that. Is that not correct? I don't understand why you or anyone would think Obama's intention to cut SS has changed when he outright announced he was going to do just that.

[JoePhilly]

26. I know, that's what he announced in the State of the Union speech.

Oh wait no, that was predicted here on DU, but it never happened.

[CelticThunder]

28. His actions speak much louder than his false words!

[ReturnoftheDjedi]

35. Has he ever cut SS or Medicare?? Nope.

Looks like you haven't a clue.

[ReturnoftheDjedi]

34. Obama has repeatedly said he will not cut SS. every time he has been accused of it.

the accusers have ended up looking like fools.

but why would they let that stop them?

[RaleighNCDUer]

10. I'm saying that he said NOTHING.

He's throwing out feelers, and what feedback he gets from the Sunday talk shows will determine what Obama says on Wednesday. That's his fucking job.

It's all bullshit.

And, even if Obama says those things - however mealy-mouthed they might be - I can't help but remember the things he once said, about ending the war in Iraq in 18 months - closing Gitmo - trying terrorists in Federal court - ending the tax cuts for the rich.

So I shouldn't worry if he says some adjustments are due on SS? I don't think he's talking about raising the contribution cap. He's talking about messing with the most successful social benefits program in the nation's history, which exists entirely OUTSIDE the budget and so has no impact on the deficit. He references the deficit commission which HE appointed - filled to the gunnels with anti-SS deficit hawks - and I'm not supposed to be worried?

Since when is propaganda 'truth'?

[BklnDem75]

11. Gotcha. The end result is all that matters, not the attempt

If you was charged with delivering a package, it doesn't matter that your car crashed on the way there or the package was stolen at gunpoint. All that matters is you lied. :eyes:

[CelticThunder]

14. You must be joking. Obama hasn't even attempted to make good on most of his promises.

He started giving the store away as soon as he was inaugurated. I can't forget who he hand picked to lead his deficit commission. Two very well known opponents of SS!

[BklnDem75]

18. LOL. You're 4 months behind complaining about the deficit commission

Obama literally said he wanted to hear all sides with suggestions on how SS could be improved. Did you think he was just going to appoint proponents of SS? The rest of your outrage is just laughable.

[CelticThunder]

29. Your belief that Obama won't screw SS over is laughable.

[BklnDem75]

36. You cling onto that hope

It never came to pass when so many here said it would, but someday it might. Someday... :rofl:

[RaleighNCDUer]

15. What attempt?

Declaring the war over when there are still 50,000 soldiers in country being shot at on a daily basis, and still being killed is worthy of Bush.

Ignoring Gitmo until after the repukes took the house, and then, surprisinigly, being unable to do anything about it is irresponsible. And he COULD close Gitmo today. All he'd have to do is an executive order saying "Whereas political forces in this country have rendered the Federal Judiciary unable to conduct criminal trials of the Guantanamo suspects, instead leaving them to unconstitutional and illegal military tribunals, I am ordering their immediate release and restitution to their home countries." You think THAT would make congress come up with the money for trial?

Boehner, BEFORE Obama gave away the tax cuts, said publicly that the GOP could accept the ending of tax cuts for the 2% if cuts to the middle class were preserved. BOEHNER GAVE IT TO HIM AND HE REJECTED IT.

So yes, HE LIED.

[ProSense]

17. "BOEHNER GAVE IT TO HIM AND HE REJECTED IT."

Boehner, what a guy!

So the President shouldn't believe the Republicans unless you tell him to?

You believed Boehner?

[RaleighNCDUer]

22. Did he try to hold him to it?

So the President shouldn't believe the Republicans unless you tell him to?

WTF does that even mean?

And I don't HAVE to believe Boehner - Boehner said it, publicly, and Obama could have held him to it, then it would have be Boehner who was the liar if he didn't stand by it. I guess Obama just wanted to spare Boehner's feelings or something.

This ain't pattycake - if someone is going to be hurt, I want it to be THEM not US.

[ProSense]

24. "Boehner said it, publicly, and Obama could have held him to it"

How? Boehner says a lot of things publicly, much of it gibberish.

More relevant, what did Boehner have to do with the tax cut negotiaions? House Republicans weren't needed to pass a bill.

[BklnDem75]

20. 'Ignoring Gitmo until after the repukes took the house'

You really need to do some research so people will actually think you know what you're talking about.

[Shiver]

21. Wow... Have you any idea how wrong you are?

I mean, it's uncanny.

January 22, 2009: Obama Signs Executive Order to Close Gauntanamo Bay

Second day on the job, he signed an Executive Order to close Guantanamo. Congress blocked the funding.

Give me a link where Boehner said that, because everything I've seen indicated the exact opposite. So either you're lying, or you're naive enough to believe what a Republican says.

[RaleighNCDUer]

23. Yeah, I know that. And then he did NOTHING for two years

until the repukes took over - only then, when he could blame it on them, did he revive the kangaroo, er, tribunals.

http://www.google.com/search?sourceid=navclient&ie=UTF-8&rlz=1T4ACAW_en___US345&q=gitmo+congress+block+funding

"The decision to pull the funding leaves Obama with three choices. He can veto the supplemental bill to pressure Congress to reverse its position; he can try to move ahead with his goal of closing Guanatanamo by Jan. 22, 2010, using funds from other sources; or he can reverse his decision to close the facility."

He had two years. Did he find alternate funding? Did he present a comprehensive plan to congress as they requested? Did he even address the crap that Reid said about 'releaseing terrorists in America' (the most obvious bullshit, because if released they would be repatriated to their home countries, and if convicted they would be in fucking PRISON).

The fact is, poliltically he couldn't allow them to be tried in a civilian court - too many would be exonerated. Too embarassing.

[jenmito]

2. Rec up to +1 for now. I saw the interview so I didn't buy the spin anyway. n/t

[Clio the Leo]

3. And we are determined to HELP them spin it. nt

[MannyGoldstein]

4. Signaling Social Security cuts, awesome.

His hand-picked commissioners recommended a $50,000 lifetime cut per recipient, and his commission voted in favor, even though there's http://fdrdemocrats.org/the-common-sense-guide-to-social-security/2/">little reason to believe Social Security will ever deplete its Trust Fund.

When the Third-Way crew says "strengthen", "not slash", "responsible", or "adult", we all know what it really means: Cat food for the old folks, shared sacrifice for working Americans, and bailouts and hyper-low taxes for the wealthiest.

[wysingm]

5. "... we ought to look if there is a way to strengthen Social Security"

Put the money back into Social Security.

"Of the nearly $14.2 trillion in debt, roughly $5 trillion is money the government has borrowed from other accounts, mostly from Social Security revenues, according to federal figures. Several major policies from the past decade when Republicans controlled the White House and Congress — tax cuts, a Medicare prescription-drug benefit and wars in Iraq and Afghanistan — account for more than $3.2 trillion. " http://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/10/us/politics/10debt.html?_r=2">Link

.

[CelticThunder]

12. Unrec.

[ProSense]

16. Pesky facts? n/t

[Shiver]

19. Honestly!

Get those facts out of here! We have RAGE to build, dammit!

[CelticThunder]

30. What pesky facts? Just because YOU say they are facts?

[ProSense]

38. So

that wasn't Plouffe on CNN?

[jefferson_dem]

25. It's not only the RW media who are determined to spin this.

Take a look around this place.

[JoePhilly]

27. Remember the predictions here on DU that Obama would announce SS cuts ...

during the State of the Union.

When that didn't happen, those who screamed about the "fact" that he would simply moved on to a new "outrage".

Now they've cycled back to it.

[CelticThunder]

31. Even Obama was savvy enough to be more subtle about cutting SS than flat out announcing it then.

[ReturnoftheDjedi]

33. yep, somehow Rove has recruited "progressives" to do his work for him

[ReturnoftheDjedi]

32. so, the truth is he said they'll look for savings in Medicare and ways to strengthen SS

Nothing about drastic cuts to either.

It's a damned shame that so many here are bound and determined to do the Repugs propaganda work for them.
They dislike Obama so much, they fall for the Repuke spin with the greatest of ease.

[CelticThunder]

37. Obama is doing Rove's work. Beginning with blinding himself to Bush's illegal torture program.