You did notice that when Obama mentioned no Social Security checks

[trumad]

the Republicans blinked.

He just needs to keep on doing that.

[Tennessee Gal]

1. Perhaps a lot of those teabagger fools are on SS and ...

the poop hit the fan.

[Nictuku]

2. On C-SPAN

.. They are allowing Republicans only to call in to discuss the republican leadership. Of course it has turned into an all republican Bash the President session. I am hearing things like: "He is threatening to withhold SS checks to get his way." So I guess that is the spin.

[safeinOhio]

3. Nope the $. have spoking

Chamber Of Commerce has told them "no shut down" .$=SPEACH, and$ has spoken.

got to love it.


















4==

[KharmaTrain]

4. Also VA Benefits...

I think the rushpublicans were forced into their own corner and saw themselves losing this issue on a bunch of different front. One that wasn't said much publicly was their own rank and file who began to question why large corporates were paying zero in taxes or the tax credits for corporate jets. The question wsa popping up at town halls and added to all the flack from the Ryan "plan", the heat is getting a little to much for many rushpublicans. By grabbing the middle ground with his own proposals of large cuts, President Obama out manuevered Boner and McChinless...who are scared shitless of the teabaggers but even moreso of the high rollers on Wall Street and their own corporate bosses.

Now the fun is to see how this affects the rushpublican Presidential freak show...and how long their heads will explode. This victory is short-lived as there's still a budget battle ahead where all these issues will once again come to a head, but this time only a government shutdown could happen...more "manageable" than a default that would turn the economy inside out.

[Sportsguy]

5. Good Observation :)

:)

[AC_Mem]

6. Ha! I think they did more than blink

Mitch "TurtleMan" McConnell looked VERY nervous. He was actually sweating. I think maybe he was trying not to choke on his words... (smile)

2012 is coming! Now is the time to volunteer and help get people registered and direct them to their voting location. There will be attempts at voter suppression. I feel a responsibility as an informed democrat to help those who may not be as well informed to GOTV.

It has NEVER been more important. www.barackobama.com

Shine on,
Annette

[Volaris]

14. I noticed that too, about Mitch...

he looked like the Grim Reaper just showed up in his office and ate all his cookies...scared witless. It was worth the wait, IMO=).

[jpak]

7. Obama is playing the GOP like a fish

yup

[Le Taz Hot]

8. I abslutely disagree.

He scared the holy bejeezus out of a lot of seniors and disabled. This was a despicable tactic. Really, what is it about "the ends do not justify the means" is so difficult to understand here?

[jpak]

9. Your outrage is misplaced - it is the GOP that wants default, shutdown and no SS checks

not Obama

yup

[AlinPA]

11. yup. Precisely.

[Le Taz Hot]

12. Read it again.

My "outrage" (in reality, objection but interesting spin nonetheless) has to do with tactics.

[Javaman]

22. a little shock treatment for the senior tea bag asshole is a good thing. nt

[Le Taz Hot]

24. Except that it was a scatter shot.

I refuse to see the non-"tea bag assholes" as nothing more than collateral damage.

[Javaman]

31. I honestly don't understand your annoyance.

He is using the bully pulpit to tell the right wing idiots to STFU and raise the debt ceiling.

Obama does this by showing what will happen if they don't raise the debt limit. This is reality, not a scare tactic.

Everyone needs to understand the gravity of the situation.

Cripes.

[Le Taz Hot]

35. Except that

Social security has nothing to do with raising the debt ceiling. Obama chose to bring up the SS boogey man and scared a lot of innocent people in the process. Not for nothing but I'm pretty sure most DUers are painfully aware of the "gravity of the situation" and it insults peoples' intelligence to infer otherwise.

[Javaman]

37. yes, it does. if the US defaults, it will be unable to pay out SS checks.

The government services are cut. That means the office of SS gets closed down. That means no checks are issued.

What part of that don't you understand?

[mmonk]

13. Neither wants default but to position the other party as the one

that threatens their checks.

[proud2BlibKansan]

20. Yet the right didn't say the SS recipients might not get their checks

Obama did. Most folks are't following this closely enough to realize it's not his fault there may be a problem with SS checks.

[proud2BlibKansan]

18. You're right

:thumbsup:

[dionysus]

19. if you try hard enough, you can make yourself outraged at any conceivable situation.

[Le Taz Hot]

26. Objection does not equal outrage.

:think:

[tallahasseedem]

21. They should be scared...

it's cold hard reality and they can no longer ignore it.

[jtown1123]

27. There really is no precedent for this. I think he is scaring seniors into

accepting a raw deal in no more COLAS.

[cutlassmama]

10. Doubtful they blinked. that's not their constitients. Only the rich and greedy

[jtown1123]

33. That's wrong. Seniors vote vote for GOP in large droves.

[cui bono]

44. If people voting for republicans were only the rich and greedy they would never get elected.

Of course their constituents include more than those. Come on.

[proud2BlibKansan]

15. He should have said no pay for the troops

Why upset the seniors?

[TBF]

16. Agreed, this would have been more effective. All anyone is going to remember is that

President Obama threatened to take away their social security checks.

[proud2BlibKansan]

17. He pissed off a lot of seniors needlessly

Stupid move, IMO.

[CTyankee]

30. He is the president. He has to tell the truth about the situation.

And remember, he didn't just single out seniors. He also talked about disability checks and others.

I'm a senior and I wasn't pissed off by what he said. It was true. A lot of people don't "snap to" on politics until the President speaks and speaks clearly. He said nothing out of line. He did his job. I expect that of a president.

[pipi_k]

36. Funny, isn't it...

People want transparency in our government, but when it's given to them, they call it "scare tactics".

:shrug:

[CTyankee]

38. Well, I do think "scare tactics" are real and often used. But I really didn't see that

in what the President said and the way he said it. In fact, his remarks were thoughtful as well as informative. Again, we can't shoot the messenger for telling us the truth...

[TBF]

39. Don't come crying to us when he loses in 2012 -

he really should figure out how to talk to people in this country, and not just those in his inner circle inside the beltway.

[CTyankee]

40. I came away with a different perspective. I liked the way he gave it straight

on what would happen if we went into default. And at his presser I loved when he said "This is the United States of America" as if to say to the repubs, "you guys are nuts."

In my long life I have managed to develop a BS detector when it comes to politician. But those moments at his presser and in the subsequent interview I thought he was right on. I appreciated being talked to like an adult...

[TBF]

41. I could agree with you, possibly, had he threatened defense. Why no mention of shutting off

defense spending?

Obviously we are all adults, and many of us realize a debt ceiling being raised is not ideal either. Why not raise taxes (on high income individuals, corporations, and capital gains)? Why not cut defense rather than be involved in 6 wars for oil?

Instead he threatens not to send the elderly their checks - that is the way it comes off to your average person on the street.

Once again the wealthy get off with their profits and the poor are threatened.

[CTyankee]

43. Because it wasn't the context of that conversation.

He was asked specifically about SS checks. He responded about SS checks and disability and veterans checks. He has said frequently that he wanted the rich to pay their fair share and that means closing loopholes. I've heard him say this. I'm sure you have too.

AS for defense spending, that would be a great place for an interviewer to go. Ask him bluntly about defense spending and the wars we are involved in. Put him on the record. I'm all for it. Unfortunately that was not asked and it probably should have been.

But in the instance we are discussing I do not believe he was "threatening." The situation DOES threaten the elderly, particularly the poor elderly. He was pointing out the folly of the repubs doing nothing and letting the government default. THAT was what he was discussing, IMHO.

I'm a senior and I need my SS check and I didn't feel that he threatened me. I know damn well what that default would mean in my life and in the lives of many people. I just appreciated that he told it straight.

[juajen]

46. I am a senior and I do not blame him for using what was in his

arsenal. It was the truth, after all, and our outrage made his position even stronger in republican eyes. He played it exactly right and seniors are not that sensitive.

[pipi_k]

28. But he wasn't asked about the troops...

as far as I know.

Had he been asked about the troops his answer might have been the same.

[TBF]

42. He has to be asked specifically about defense? Is it not the single largest item

in the room? Talk about being afraid of elephants.

[juajen]

47. IIRC, he did. I know veterans checks were certainly talked about.

[KaryninMiami]

23. Yes- I have a feeling they had a long list of juicy tidbits to be released

with each sound bite, knowing eventually that they would cave. Not sure they expected it to happen immediately however. Check- Mate. And-- Go-Bama. Still the smartest guy in the room.

[jtown1123]

25. The thing is, he may scare seniors into accepting Chained CPI w/ the threats of no checks

I think this is pretty slimy on his part.

[JPZenger]

29. Its real - the bank account will be overdrawn early Aug.

This is not an idle threat. The Feds have to make a payment of tens of billions of dollars of social security checks at the beginning of August. They have shifted money around to delay the deadline until that date, but they can't any further. After the beginning of August, a large part of the federal spending has to be frozen - whether it be debt payments to China, military pay, social security, food stamps, etc. There will not be enough in the accounts to pay for all of the spending, unless new debt can be issued.

Senator Toomey tried to get a "Pay China First" bill through Congress. It would have insured that debt payments would have been paid before anything else. He made his money as an investment banker in Hong Kong.

[Odin2005]

32. Yeah, giving the elderly and disabled NIGHTMARES is so great!

:puke:

[freshwest]

45. And it's being done in GOP governed states as we speak. More Dems, less BS.

[juajen]

48. I know of no seniors who are having nightmares, and I know quite

a few, as I am one. Some that I know always ask me what's going on?

[Name removed]

34. Deleted message

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