Democrats Break With Obama, Oppose Entitlement Cuts In Debt Ceiling Deal

[Cali_Democrat]

Democrats Break With Obama, Oppose Entitlement Cuts In Debt Ceiling Deal
Zeke Miller | Jul. 7, 2011, 3:40 PM

House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) says Democrats will not support any entitlement benefit cuts as part of a deficit reduction package.

"We do not support cuts in benefits to Social Security or Medicare," she said after today's meeting at the White House.

Pelosi is the most prominent Democrat to raise objection to cuts endorsed by Obama as part of a "big" deficit deal proposal — as large as $4 trillion in cuts over 10 years — echoing comments from Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and Sen. Barbara Mikulski (D-MD) expressing surprise that steep entitlement cuts are under consideration.

Democratic lawmakers said they first learned of the $4 trillion proposal through media reports. "Good politics starts with good communication, and I think they should have come and talked to us about the direction, particularly when it’s the social contract and we feel so strongly about it,” Mikulski told National Journal.

Read more: http://www.businessinsider.com/nancy-pelosi-says-social-security-cuts-off-the-table-in-debt-ceiling-talks-2011-7

[Parker CA]

1. Kick and Rec yet still at 0.

[polichick]

3. Yeah, me too - this is "Democratic" Underground, right?

[woolldog]

10. It's Obama underground apparently

People are willing to sacrifice their progressive ideals on the altar of one man because they think he's a nice guy. I'm sure he is a nice guy, but he sucked pretty bad as a democratic President so far.

[polichick]

12. I guess so - he IS a nice guy (I've met him) but come on!

[polichick]

2. They shouldn't have been surprised - hope they stand tough.

[daggahead]

4. I have to wonder ... if Obama ...

is playing some sort of demented game with all of the conservatives that have had a hard-on for these cuts for years, and his intention is to draw attention to all of those that would love to cut SSI & Medicare.

Just wondering ...

:freak:

[boxman15]

5. The Progressive Caucus is for, however, what Obama has proposed for now:

Reforming SS to reduce waste, red tape, and fraud while not touching benefits. I hope benefits are off the table, and I've seen nothing except for mindless speculation to suggest otherwise. I'll be with you if it happens, but I doubt it will, at least for now.

[Thrill]

I find it hard to believe a Democratic President would even entertain

the thought of cutting SS.

So I'm going to call bullshit on this

[Skittles]

7. a Democratic president wouldn't

[sabrina 1]

8. S/he would not.

A democratic president would remove these programs from the deficit reduction debate in no uncertain terms.

Has Obama done that? It's not hard. All he has to do is say that Republicans are attempting to mislead the public into believing that SS has anything to do with the deficit.

This is a winning issue for any politician who refuses to consider even remotely tying SS to the deficit.

But so far all I can find from the WH are attempts to 'explain' why SS is even a part of these discussions.

[ProSense]

6. Ah

milking a rumor in progress.

"We do not support cuts in benefits to Social Security or Medicare," she said after today's meeting at the White House...Democratic lawmakers said they first learned of the $4 trillion proposal through media reports.

The meeting and media reports have nothing to do with each other. Thus far, Pelosi has reaffirmed her and the Democratic caucus' position in response to media reports, which are apparently based on information even the meeting participants don't have. Ludicrous!

Pelosi was at the meeting yesterday and today and will meet with the President tomorrow.

[patrice]

9. What "social contract"?? The one that says they'll pick my dead body up out of the street, so as to

avoid freaking out the rest of the sheep?

[Tarheel_Dem]

11. Don't you just love these headlines?

:rofl:

Break with Obama? :rofl:

[vaberella]

13. You do...because in another post---Dems DEFEND Obama. I don't get it. n/t

[CakeGrrl]

14. Does that mean that "Democrats break with the Progressive Caucus" too?

Follow the bouncing Bash Obama ball!