President Obama in Weekly Remarks: "...addressing the challenges in programs like medicare"

[KoKo]

(Sadly, the President doesn't say "what" challenges he wants to address in Medicare and "other programs." :-( At least he didn't mention "entitlements" this time...}
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Remarks of President Barack Obama
Weekly Address
July 9, 2011
Washington, DC

Earlier this week, we did something that’s never been done here at the White House – we had a Twitter Town Hall. I even sent my first live tweet as President. The questions at the town hall were sent in from across the country and covered all kinds of topics – from jobs and the economy to education and energy.

Lots of people also submitted different versions of another question. They’d start by saying that our politics has grown so contentious. Then they’d ask, When will both parties in Congress come together on behalf of the people who elected them?

That’s a really important question, and it goes to the heart of a debate we’re having right now in this country – and that’s the debate about how to tackle the problem of our deficits and our debt.

Now, there are obviously real differences in approach. I believe we need a balanced approach. That means taking on spending in our domestic programs and our defense programs. It means addressing the challenges in programs like Medicare so we can strengthen those programs and protect them for future generations. And it means taking on spending in the tax code – spending on tax breaks and deductions for the wealthiest Americans.

But I also know that Republicans and Democrats don’t see eye to eye on a number of issues. And so, we’re going to continue working over the weekend to bridge those gaps.
The good news is, we agree on some of the big things. We agree that after a decade of racking up deficits and debt, we finally need to get our fiscal house in order. We agree that to do that, both sides are going to have to step outside their comfort zones and make some political sacrifices. And we agree that we simply cannot afford to default on our national obligations for the first time in our history; that we need to uphold the full faith and credit of the United States of America

More.........

VIDEO and TRANSCRIPT at..........
http://www.shallownation.com/2011/07/09/president-obama-weekly-address-video-transcript-july-9-2011-radio-youtube-video/

[gateley]

1. I've heard things alluded to (like drug costs) from the likes of Dean

which make sense (and why didn't we do it LONG ago?)but Obama needs to come out and PLAINLY say what he means! Which is what you just essentially said. Frustrating!

[tsuki]

9. Drip, drip, drip. By skirting the question, we are allowed to speculate

how bad it will be. When he announces his position, you feel relieved because it is only half as bad as you thought it would be. He says that he has worked hard to hammer out this compromise in your favour. You feel relieved, and he has gotten you to accept his predetermined position instead of shoving it down your throat.

His schtick was okay the first time, but now, it is old and tired. Enough of the honest sincerity of back room deals.

[KoKo]

16. THAT's the PROBLEM with Him...Why doesn't he SPIT it OUT..if he's a Democratic President?

:shrug:

[Jackpine Radical]

2. A+

a+a+a+r+r+r+g+g+h+h+h = Arrrrgghhh!

Why da fuck should we accept the failed Republican frame that the deficit (which they blithely caused) is the primary problem to be resolved right now??

Shared sacrifice means we sacrifice and the rich share in the proceeds of our sacrifice.

[murielm99]

3. I have been reading and listening closely to anything

Obama says these days. I am hoping for a clue to his intentions regarding Medicare and Social Security.

I should stop doing that. His actions haven't matched his words before. Why should they now?

[21st Century FDR]

4. Mr. President, I'll make this so simple that even your predecessor could understand it.

1) End the wars
2) Remove the loopholes and THEN tax the rich & corporations at pre-Reagan levels
3) Strengthen Medicare by opening it to EVERYONE (i.e. "single payer").

Yes the money is there. It's the money currently going into the pockets of billionaire criminals like Steven Hemsley of United "Health Care".

[Cleita]

5. I guess the "challenge" is that Paul Ryan's budget

with Medicare vouchers won't go into effect. It seems that he might like it. If he didn't, he would be denouncing in strong terms any attempt to screw up seniors and the programs that they need to live a dignified life until their time to die comes.

[Angry Dragon]

6. 'both sides are going to have to step outside their comfort zones and make some political sacrifices

Does that mean the congress is going to cut their pay??
congress going to give up their pensions??
congress going to give up their health insurance??

what are these political sacrifices that congress is going to give up??

OR, does it mean that cuts need to be made in SS, Medicare, Medicaid, cut back on social services,
cut back on job creation, cut back on the people that are in the bottom 80% in wages in this country??

Are the hard choices that congress and the president need to make just which class of citizen loses??

[Cleita]

8. As I have stated before, I think Congress and

all federal employees should get Medicare and nothing else. Not only would it save billions, you might see a good single payer plan go into effect with lightening speed. Of course the insurance companies would get kicked under the bus, but who cares. They can take the billions that they have defrauded both doctors and patients with and go home.

[MichiganVote]

7. Uh huh. GOP Blue Haired Initiative coming right up.

[JoePhilly]

10. ... "so we can strengthen those programs and protect them for future generations."

Sounds like he wants to strengthen them. Not cut them, as your title suggests.

unrec for misleading OP title.

[AdHocSolver]

12. "Strengthen Social Security and Medicare" are code words for reducing benefits and raising premiums

Seems like you haven't been paying attention.

[JoePhilly]

14. Guess I didn't get the secret decoder ring yet.

Or was Obama blinking these cuts using Morse code??

[leveymg]

11. This is the part that really frightens me: "we agree on some of the big things"

" We agree that that, both sides are going to have to step outside their comfort zones and make some political sacrifices . . . That means taking on spending in our domestic programs and our defense programs. It means addressing the challenges in programs like Medicare.

". . . And we agree that we simply cannot afford to default on our national obligations for the first time in our history"

That means that Obama has basically accepted the GOP framework for "bridging the gap": cuts in Medicare in exchange for a deal on raising the national debt.

He's basically agreed to the terms of the nation being taken hostage by the Right-wing. All that remains is working out the precise numbers for cuts.

[AdHocSolver]

13. A list of actions to take to stimulate the economy and reduce the deficit.

1. Take the profit out of sending jobs to low wage countries. If that requires import quotas and import duties to enable American companies to compete with multinational corporations, then implement those policies. Rewrite the tax code so that corporations that avoid taxes by offshoring jobs don't profit from such practices. Working Americans pay income taxes. Unemployed people don't.

2. Reduce the profiteering by the military-industrial complex. Reducing the bloated military budget is the fastest way to reduce wasteful spending. Social Security and Medicare spending stimulates the economy and are supported by their own revenue streams.

3. End tax subsidies to oil companies.

4. Implement an affordable health care system.

5. Reinstate the Glass-Steagall Act to separate commercial banks and "investment" banks. Right now Wall Street has a license to steal using middle class assets to run their Ponzi schemes.

6. A healthy, robust economy requires an educated class of workers. Stop the war against teachers which is being waged to cut spending on public education and provide profits to "privatized" schools. Privatized schools don't provide any improvement over public schools because they use the same failed practices as the schools that they replace.


This is an abbreviated short list of meaningful actions to take for solving some of this country's problems.


A few suggestions promoted by the wealthy that are so nonsensical that they should "be off the table":

Tax cuts for the wealthy and the corporations will NOT ever stimulate the economy. Economies are DEMAND driven. Give people money to spend and they will stimulate the economy.

After Fukishima, not to mention Chernobyl and all of the other near disasters involving nuclear power plants, lets concentrate on developing renewable energy sources, instead of this ludicrous suggestion about building more nuclear power plants.

After Exxon/Valdez and BP/Gulf of Mexico oil spills, let's stop this idiotic push for more offshore oil drilling. With increasing demand for energy, and having passed peak oil, the idea promoted that increased oil production will somehow reduce gasoline prices is total nonsense. Moreover, the pollution caused by "fracking" for natural gas and open pit coal mining is destroying life support on this planet solely for Wall Street profits.

[KoKo]

23. +!

[lib2DaBone]

15. Mr. Obama.. do the right thing.. step aside.. do not run in 2012.

Open the field to many Dems.. let the process decide.

[KoKo]

17. ....teeny kick

[Fumesucker]

18. Didn't I just read that an increase in defense spending passed?

:shrug:

[Autumn]

19. Yes you did,

A 649-billion-dollar military spending bill.

Now, I don't see how an increase, even though it was $8 billion less than what Obama wanted, means taking on spending in defense programs. And that includes $119 to cover the costs of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Maybe when he says "taking on spending in defense programs" means increasing them, or he hopes no one is paying attention.

Edited to add:

The approved bill excludes funds for US nuclear programs or military construction which will add another $33 billion to military spending in later bills.

[Fumesucker]

20. I believe that it also excludes quite a bit of intelligence gathering.. n/t

[sad sally]

22. An additional $17 billion over the $649 was added...

"In the midst of a serious discussion about our nation's debt crisis, House Republicans demonstrated responsible leadership that sets priorities and does not jeopardize our national security interests and our nation's ongoing military efforts," Rep. Tom Price, R-Ga., chairman of the House Republican Policy Committee, said in a statement.

But Rep. Barney Frank, D-Mass, scoffed at the suggestion that "everything is on the table" in budget negotiations between the Obama administration and congressional leaders. "The military budget is not on the table," he said. "The military is at the table, and it is eating everybody else's lunch."

[KoKo]

21. "..for the first time in our history; that we need to uphold the full faith and credit of the US"

What is Obama saying here? That in the whole History of America (before he became President) that the United States of America will to quote Obama :"...uphold the full faith and credit of the United States of America."

What does he mean by this broad, over reaching statement? :shrug: