Sources: House Dems Stunned By White House Debt Proposal, Read Obama

[cal04]

Sources: House Dems Stunned By White House Debt Proposal, Read Obama The Riot Act
http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2011/07/sources-house-dems-stunned-by-white-house-proposal-read-obama-the-riot-act.php?ref=fpa

Multiple senior House Democratic aides tell TPM that caucus members were caught off guard by news stories about President Obama's push for deeper deficit and spending reductions -- and particularly about the White House's willingness to cut Social Security as part of a grand bargain to raise the debt limit.

At a private caucus meeting Thursday morning, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) told her members that if Obama's serious about putting Social Security on the chopping block, he'd left her in the dark about it. And after an at-times-contentious meeting about how open Dems should be to significant entitlement cuts, leaders departed to the White House to read Obama the riot act.

According to one top aide, both Pelosi and Minority Whip Steny Hoyer (D-MD) intended to "deliver a message from the caucus that we definitely want to see revenues included in any package."

Additionally, "any changes to Medicare have to be things that strengthens the program, not just a bank for tax cuts for millionaires," and the party is broadly opposed to cutting Social Security as a means of balancing the budget.

[Cali_Democrat]

1. Go Nancy!

Fight! Fight! Fight!

It's obvious that Obama won't.

[DJ13]

2. I watched Hoyer 2 days ago saying all entitlements should be on the table

Either he's lying now to cover his ass after seeing the shitstorm this has created, or he's just a liar.

[LiberalAndProud]

3. I don't think they've been taken off the table.

Additionally, "any changes to Medicare have to be things that strengthens the program, not just a bank for tax cuts for millionaires," and the party is broadly opposed to cutting Social Security as a means of balancing the budget.

I wish the article had quoted the part where they said the party is broadly opposed. What does that even mean?

[senseandsensibility]

5. He'll be on The Last Word on MSNBC tonight

Maybe he'll clarify.

[ljm2002]

4. So "reading Obama the riot act"...

...amounts to insisting that any package include revenue measures, and be careful what kind of cuts you make to Medicare?

Geesh, no wonder we're in trouble.

Here's the message I would like to send: NO cuts to entitlements. CUT the Pentagon, END the wars, END the Bush tax cuts.

Seriously. If that's what they call reading him the riot act, no wonder Obama doesn't take Congressional Democrats seriously. On the other hand, he clearly does take Congressional Republicans seriously.

We are so f***ed.

[CrossChris]

6. This is all a big show for the 95% who aren't paying close attention.

And we get to be the Cassandra's.

[damntexdem]

7. They should be warning him, and talking about a primary challenge.

Push back is very important now.