Obama tries to "keep hope alive" for the big deal, including cuts in Medicare or Social Security.

[Karmadillo]

"Keep hope alive."

http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2011-07-14-obama-debt-ceiling_n.htm

Looking for debt deal, Obama outlines cuts
By Richard Wolf and David Jackson, USA TODAY

<edit>

Obama also is seeking to extend a payroll tax cut enacted last December for another year and possibly extend it to small businesses. For that reason, Republicans could claim that the package is revenue-neutral rather than representing a tax increase — but at the meeting, Republicans still refused to go along.

The remainder of the package would be spending cuts and savings on interest, but not the major reductions in Medicare or Social Security that Obama had been willing to accept as part of a $4 trillion deal.

"He wants to keep hope alive for the big deal, but he also knows the clock is running," one of the Democratic official said.

more...

[creeksneakers2]

1. You left out an important line in the article

which mitigates your headline:

"Without bigger tax increases — such as raising tax rates on individuals with income over $200,000 and couples over $250,000 beginning in 2013 — the president and congressional Democrats won't consider politically difficult cuts in popular benefit programs."

[patrice]

2. Good catch!

:hi:

[amborin]

3. mitigates nothing; you're saying that letting Bush tax cuts expire now requires slashing Soc Sec & M

edicare

eta: unreal

maybe you didn't mean to type that?

i mean, do you realize what you just said?

that it's ok for Obama to slash hallowed New Deal programs, provided rethugs agree to let the Bush tax cuts expire

this is what Dems are reduced to?

this is the best bargaining Obama can do?

we're giving away the New Deal to get one lousy campaign promise fulfilled, at horrendous and unacceptable cost

[chill_wind]

9. Well hey-- Obama and Biden Talk Dems at least had a price in mind.

I mean, they were being tough negotiators. It's not like they were going to screw over the sick, the poor and the elderly for free.

:sarcasm:

[amborin]

22. unbelievable!

[woo me with science]

13. We are seeing that some will defend ANYTHING now.

Good fucking god.

[amborin]

21. this is what it's come to apparently

[Karmadillo]

4. No mitigation at all. Social Security & Medicare shouldn't be bargaining

chips for increasing taxes on those whose taxes have been ruinously lowered. The sad fact is a Democratic president is willing to make significant, unnecessary alterations to core Democratic safety net programs. He claims he wants to take the heat, so if he really wants to cut something that will catch him some grief, let him cut the obscene defense budget.



http://www.warresisters.org/pages/piechart.htm

HOW THESE FIGURES WERE DETERMINED

Current military” includes Dept. of Defense ($653 billion), the military portion from other departments ($150 billion), and an additional $162 billion to supplement the Budget’s misleading and vast underestimate of only $38 billion for the “war on terror.” “Past military” represents veterans’ benefits plus 80% of the interest on the debt.*

The Government Deception

The pie chart below is the government view of the budget. This is a distortion of how our income tax dollars are spent because it includes Trust Funds (e.g., Social Security), and the expenses of past military spending are not distinguished from nonmilitary spending. For a more accurate representation of how your Federal income tax dollar is really spent, see the large chart (top).

Source: Congressional Budget Office for FY2008

These figures are from an analysis of detailed tables in the “Analytical Perspectives” book of the Budget of the United States Government, Fiscal Year 2009. The figures are federal funds, which do not include trust funds — such as Social Security — that are raised and spent separately from income taxes. What you pay (or don’t pay) by April 15, 2008, goes to the federal funds portion of the budget. The government practice of combining trust and federal funds began during the Vietnam War, thus making the human needs portion of the budget seem larger and the military portion smaller.

*Analysts differ on how much of the debt stems from the military; other groups estimate 50% to 60%. We use 80% because we believe if there had been no military spending most (if not all) of the national debt would have been eliminated. For further explanation, please see box at bottom of page.

[Bluebear]

5. It mitigates nothing. You are saying that that WILL consider "difficult cuts" if taxes are raised.

[sabrina 1]

7. Why are they considering them at all? Explain that please.

If they do this, they will lose the next election. SS has ZERO to do with the deficit and if he cannot protect it from the greedy, evil Republicans then we elected the wrong person.

Is this meant to be a defense of him?? You just said he is using SS and Medicare as bargaining chips with Republicans. And you said it as if it is a good thing. Did I misinterpret you?

[Raine]

8. So it's OK if a Democrat cuts what people are

entitled to what they paid for?? :wtf:

[woo me with science]

16. The argument is shifting.

There will need to be rationalization and defense of the cuts when they are passed.

[somone]

17. Yep, it's only a matter of timing

and it will have Obama's signature on it

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/01/15/AR2009011504114.html

Obama Pledges Reform of Social Security, Medicare Programs
By Michael D. Shear
Washington Post Staff Writer
Friday, January 16, 2009

President-elect Barack Obama pledged yesterday to shape a new Social Security and Medicare "bargain" with the American people, saying that the nation's long-term economic recovery cannot be attained unless the government finally gets control over its most costly entitlement programs.

[blindpig]

11. Completely and entirely unacceptable.

Theat is an enormous false equivelency, trading a tad of discomfort for the upper class for real deprivation for the rest of us.

That ain't no deal, it's a screwing.

[woo me with science]

12. Good god.

You would consider that a mitigation to cutting SS and Medicare?

Is that how far the Democratic capitulation has sunk? Seriously?

[Bluenorthwest]

18. Most of us remember when Obama said he 'refused' to extend

the Bush tax cuts at all. Then he did. Now Social Security and Medicare are held hostage over tax cuts he claimed he'd just refuse to allow to go on? What happened to 'I refuse'? How did it turn into 'I'll give you gandma's lunch if you let me end them'?

[sabo_tabby]

6. Good grief...this is sickening...

Obama negotiating with rebugs is like the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. negotiating with the klan.

It's very simple:
o Tax the fat-cats and bleed 'em white.
o Nationalize the Labor Movement
o Do "Big Oil" and "Big Coal" like he said he would in his campaign.
o Any fat-cats that don't want to play ball? Fine - your company gets nationalized, you go to jail and your property (stolen anyway) goes back to the workers whom you stole it from.

He could get this all done by lunch.

[Jefferson23]

10. BAD , NEEDLESS idea.

Top 5 Social Security Myths
http://pol.moveon.org/ssmyths/

[JoePhilly]

14. Obama Bad Obama Bad Obama Bad

The breathless gasping about the predicted social security cuts is getting old.

But stick with it.

[Karmadillo]

15. "Presdicted" Social Security cuts? Do you think Social Security & Medicare aren't on the table?

nt

[JoePhilly]

19. GASP, I'm off to the fainting couch!!!

Pretty much every month this year, for a week or two, DU explodes because Obama is ABOUT to SLASH these programs, that is the prediction ... he's going to give them to the GOP ... he hates granny .... on and on and on.

We get lots and lots of threads screaming based on unnamed sources who don't provide a single detail.

And then ... nothing happens.

And the breathless screaming about this topic moves on to something else.

Its become quite predictable, the breathless panic I mean, not the "predicted" cuts.

[Karmadillo]

20. Obama's press conference suggests those reports are accurate. You disagree? Or do

you just think people shouldn't oppose cuts to Social Security and Medicare?

[JoePhilly]

24. I watched the press conference .... live.

And oddly, was not terrified, not even once. Go figure.

1) He said he was willing to CONSIDER proposals ... owwww ... scary. He's letting the GOP put up their proposals. Smart move if you ask me. Let them demand insane cuts.

2) As an EXAMPLE of something he might accept, he said that he might accept a proposal in which some one LIKE HIM (rich person), received a smaller benefit or paid more in taxes. Again ... Very scary!!!

I used to think that only the GOP was packed with folks who see the world in black or white.

DU has taught me that view was myopic. And thus, a willingness to CONSIDER proposals, becomes the same as ACCEPTING them.

Oh ... and I have no problem opposing cuts ... my problem is with the endless, knee-jerk, pearl clutching, which usually amounts to NOTHING but noise on DU.

Personally, I think much of it is intended to make people made at Obama, even when he has not done what was predicted ... the GOAL is to keep people angry at him REGARDLESS of what actually happens.

[chowder66]

25. +1

[SidDithers]

23. +1...nt

Sid