Liberal Senators Warn Obama Over Social Security Cuts In Any Debt Deal

[Purveyor]

By Erik Wasson - 07/08/11 11:59 AM ET

Sens. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.) warned Friday that President Obama faces turmoil in the Senate and in his reelection campaign if he includes Social Security cuts in any debt-ceiling deal.

The senators said the White House has not communicated effectively to Senate Democrats and they and their rank-and-file colleagues are being frozen out of the process.

“I have talked to some of my colleagues, including some that you might not expect, who say if bring to the Senate a piece of crap that comes down heavy on working people, the elderly and the sick, they have another thing coming,” Sanders said. He added that he would filibuster such a deal.

“I do worry that the White House is misreading the Senate and taking things for granted,” Whitehouse said. “There has not been enough communication to alleviate that potential misreading.”

MORE...

http://thehill.com/blogs/on-the-money/budget/170409-liberal-senators-warn-obama-on-debt-deal?tmpl=component&print=1&page

[CaliforniaPeggy]

1. Now, THAT'S the message I want to see him get.

Maybe he'll listen to the Senators.

Goddamn, this is such a frustrating time.

[rainy]

2. Is it possible that Obama is trying to get us so mad that

we will FIGHT for what we want instead of sitting back and watching? I know we are really fighting and we are not being heard because of the media etc... meaning we have to fight really hard to just be noticed, but, never the less, is he pushing progressives to make him be more progressive?

[MessiahRp]

3. Why do we have to be the ones fighting? Why doesn't Obama just automatically fight for what's right?

I'm sick of this 'make me do it' bullshit. If you know right from wrong do right on your own from the GETGO. Don't force us to bitch about it, which you will ignore and attack anyway... and as it turns out we never make him do anything because he always chooses to side with Republicans and Corporations over us anyway.

Rp

[rainy]

4. I'm thinking we have to make enough noise that we can't be

ignored. Otherwise the media will continue to ignore us and our ideas so that we look small and the republicans keep control. Obama can't just go out there and make liberal pushes he'll be pulverized by the media and turned into a clown by same. WE have to get out there and show the country that we are right and we need to fight harder as our battle is much harder. We are fighting for our lives and for justice and for peace and for no more corruption.

The republicans are fighting us to protect the most powerful people in the world.

[MessiahRp]

6. He has the bully pulpit. Why not use that to press with force the merit of your ideas?

Every other President used their position to speak to the American people and sell them on what they want to do. Obama just doesn't do that. He keeps trying to force us to do the hard work for him, if we are to believe that he doesn't want to cut SS/Medicare which I honestly believe he does. To me the evidence that he is a Republican on fiscal issues is overwhelming: Geithner/Summers appointments, Bush Tax Cut Extensions, His overwhelmingly Republican appointments to the Deficit Commission, his purposely leading the HCR debate further and further right and never once holding out for a Public Option.

The evidence against him from past situation bears this out. I believe he fully intends to cut SS/Medicare and 'Make Me Do It' is a total scam. Every time liberals raise their voice to 'make him do it' he or his people attack us. He doesn't want us to make him do shit.

Rp

[sudopod]

10. Maybe God really doesn't love poor people. That's why they're poor.

Maybe they should write him a letter, er, pray more!

[gateley]

5. Speaking of Bernie -- I stumbled across this:

(Didn't see it when it was originally posted on DU)

Bernie ripping Greenspan a new one. A delight to watch!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nBnKh6B2cMw&feature=related

[laugle]

7. Now if only

dems would fight like Bernie, we might be able to turn the 'compromiser in chief' into a real leader..............

[polichick]

8. More assholery on the part of the WH - glad they're talking filibuster.

[vaberella]

11. What the hell are you talking about? Obama has taken the head of the Senate and House?

What more do you want? Whitehouse and Sanders need to convey this message to Reid and Reid will then speak to the President. I don't see how this as "assholery." Well you're alone on this. Even Dean has said that Obama is playing this the right way.

[polichick]

14. There's nobody in DC I trust more than Bernie Sanders to tell the truth.

[vaberella]

9. Obama is talking to your head guys---have you not talked to Reid and Hoyer? n/t

[sudopod]

12. Those crazy congress people. They believe anything, lol nt

[polichick]

13. LOL

[sudopod]

15. I wonder if this attitude is a natural outgrowth of our distrust in experts?

You can't start a discussion about anything specialized these days without some wag coming in and insisting that they can do it better and that everyone who ever worked in a given field is blinkered and clueless. Only their special intelligence mixed with their outsider's perspective allows them to see what generations of people had missed. It makes it easy to dismiss ANYTHING if it clashes with one's prejudices. It's confirmation bias turned to 11.

"Relativity is dumb!"
"Evolution, more like EVILution, amirite?"
"Global Warming isn't real, it snowed some where.
"TAX CUTS TAX CUTS DERP"

A similar phenomenon is the Dunning-Krueger effect, where nonexperts overestimate their skills, while experts tend to minimize them. It seems to be mostly an American phenomenon, being somewhat muted in Europe, and actually reversed in much of Asia.

An interesting article on it can be found here: http://www.apa.org/monitor/feb03/overestimate.aspx

Afterthought: I saw a thread one of the cheer leading brigade linked to on DKos that claimed that everyone was upset about nothing because the cuts would amount to something like 14 cents a month or something. People took it seriously. Are we that fucking dumb? Really? I know my training gives me a better head for numbers than the average bear, but Jesus on a Pogo Stick.

[high density]

16. "There has not been enough communication to alleviate that potential misreading."

I agree. I am having flashbacks to the healthcare reform "debate." The problem with this White House hasn't been what they say, it's what they won't say.