Obama vows "hard choices" on debt as Democrats fume

[The Straight Story]

Obama vows "hard choices" on debt as Democrats fume

WASHINGTON, July 22 (Reuters) - President Barack Obama insisted on Friday he was prepared to make "tough choices" for a sweeping deficit-reduction deal to avert a U.S. default, despite being warned by Democrats not to make too many concessions.

With the deadline to raise the U.S. debt ceiling now just 11 days away, Obama appealed for compromise by both parties as he and the top Republican in Congress, House of Representatives Speaker John Boehner, pursued a plan for up to $3 trillion in spending cuts over the next 10 years.

"I'm willing to sign a plan that includes tough choices I would not normally make, and there are a lot of Democrats and Republicans in Congress who I believe are willing to do the same thing," Obama said at a townhall-style meeting at the University of Maryland.

While an agreement did not look imminent, Obama faced increasingly vocal complaints from his own Democrats on a deal-in-the-making that could mean painful curbs in popular health and retirement programs but no immediate increase in taxes.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/07/22/usa-debt-idUSN1E76K2FL20110722

[Autumn]

1. I would like to ask him one question.

Mr. Obama, how will ANY of those hard choices you are so willing to make affect you and your family? I want you to fucking list them.

[roguevalley]

40. he gets the tax cut, he makes millions, his kids are in private school,

his parents are dead and not on pensions etc. what the hell does he care?

[Autumn]

44. Even if he didn't pass the tax cuts he and his

family are set for life. Damn right,what the hell does he care?

[QC]

2. Tough choices for whom? Certainly not for him

or his Harvard/Wall Street friends.

They are all set for life.

[Blue_In_AK]

3. What I think of Obama right now can't be posted here. n/t

[kath]

36. same here.

Soooooooooo totally done with him.

[monmouth]

4. I'll have to make a "hard choice" at the election booth..n/t

[gratuitous]

5. And you know it will be a terrific deal, because both sides will be upset about it

Sure, a few million people will have to make do with less, but wealthy people are going to have to wait seven years instead of five to realize the full benefit of the depreciation on their private jets. And we're going to hear a whole hell of a lot more about the hardship of the wealthy than we will about those lazy poor people in the coming months. It will be such a tough situation for wealthy private jet owners that the depreciation schedule will have to be changed back to five years just so the poor dears aren't unduly inconvenienced. After all, what was that whole American Revolution about, if not depreciation schedules for private jets?

[Taverner]

6. Honestly - don't blame Obama

IN a game of chicken, it's not the good or the smart guy who wins. It's the most psychotic fucker with the biggest death wish.

Obama saw the writing on the wall, that the GOP would let the country default on our loans, and they probably even wanted us to default. After all, it brings about their dream of a Charles Dickensian America.

He made a choice, which plan hurts the least.

I'm pissed too, but it makes no sense to go after the only person with ethics in this situation.

[choie]

8. only person with ethics?

Obama? you must be kidding...

[Angry Dragon]

9. Is it better to hurt 98% of the people or 2%??

I really do not see how ethics enters into this at all

If he had any ethics he would have thrown the doors open and let the American people
see what was happening. Do I have the right to monitor the negotiations or just to see
what everyone else thinks I deserve??

IF this president caves again then he has done nothing to help this country.
We are on the slippery slope to hell and someone needs to stop it.

[Dr Fate]

10. We should not blame elected politicians for all this government mess. n/t

n/t

[sad sally]

15. You're right, especially if we believe that we - the voters - elected them.

That makes us the ones to blame. Repeat of earlier post, a quote from George Carlin on who politicians are:

Now, there's one thing you might have noticed I don't complain about: politicians. Everybody complains about politicians. Everybody says they suck. Well, where do people think these politicians come from? They don't fall out of the sky. They don't pass through a membrane from another reality. They come from American parents and American families, American homes, American schools, American churches, American businesses and American universities, and they are elected by American citizens. This is the best we can do folks. This is what we have to offer. It's what our system produces: Garbage in, garbage out. If you have selfish, ignorant citizens, you're going to get selfish, ignorant leaders. Term limits ain't going to do any good; you're just going to end up with a brand new bunch of selfish, ignorant Americans. So, maybe, maybe, maybe, it's not the politicians who suck. Maybe something else sucks around here... like, the public. Yeah, the public sucks. There's a nice campaign slogan for somebody: 'The Public Sucks. F*ck Hope."
— George Carlin

[Dr Fate]

18. Blaming voters for voting wrong sounds like a sound strategy to me.

Maybe we should call them Emo Voters.

LOL!

[atreides1]

14. Ethics don't pay for groceries

And by the way, the GOP will still get their Dickensian America...only they'll get it with Mr. Ethics assitance...and it'll just take a little longer.

There are times when being the most psychotic fucker in the room is preferable to keeping your ethics, and this was one of those times!

[Renew Deal]

17. Why does Obama have to be the reasonable one?

[rhett o rick]

23. Disagree. You cant compromise with blackmailers, terrorists and republicans.Time to stand and fight.

Tell the American people how you really feel Mr. President. If you think the Republicans are blackmailing you into disaster, tell the American people. Let the people decide. Dont keep giving away the farm bit by bit. The bastards know you will give in so they wont.

Time to stand and fight. The tipping point is near.

[Taverner]

33. He was doing that. Then, he realized that the GOP was prepared to kill us all to get their way.

And that's not hyperbole

[rhett o rick]

46. And they will do it again and again until we lose SS and Medicare altogether.

He should go before the American people and say that the Republicans are willing to destroy the country if they cant kill SS and Medicare. Maybe the American people will understand. I think they would.

Settling for the lesser of evils is only prolonging the inevitable.

[Liberalynn]

28. Sorry but IMHO He doesn't have an ethical bone in his body or a place to put one

IMHO Saying you have values and principles only counts when you are willing to stand up for them. He stands for nothing.

But keep believing "he's got your back." Its your right.

I know he doesn't have mine.

[frylock]

35. comedy gold

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

7. That seems apt. "Being President is hard work." - George W. Bush

:nopity: :nopity: :nopity: :nopity: :nopity:

[kick-ass-bob]

11. So, if Obama agrees to SS/Medicare cuts, will it pass the Senate?

I'm wondering how they'll be able to get it through the way they've been treated. It does have to pass both Houses, after all. Would enough Dems in the Senate back him up? Is that what they're thinking?

[jtown1123]

13. It will be presented at the last second so they have no decision. This disgusts me.

[Marrah_G]

12. Screw you Mr. Obama

YOUR family will never sacrifice or want for a god damn thing.

[LWolf]

16. If he wants to make hard choices,

at least, choices that would obviously be hard for him, he'd support liberal policies.

[WinkyDink]

19. "Eessy for you, deeficult for me."

[ProfessionalLeftist]

20. They're not hard on him. They're not hard on anyone in DC

They're only hard on everyone else - those who don't have any voice in this government. THAT is who is hurt by this.

Just sent another email to the white house as well as Harry Reid and my own senator. Another to my congressman is on the way. I sent them a link to Ed Schultz video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zdUXD6lK6D0

I asked them if they are going to represent this 80% of Americans and if they think these cuts are fair considering that unfunded wars and tax cuts are what created the majority of the debt, not old or poor people.

[jtown1123]

21. This is a fantastic video, thanks!

[woo me with science]

26. Great link. You should post this video as an OP. nt

[ProfessionalLeftist]

32. It already is - check out the video section, that's where I got it. n/t

[Generic Other]

29. great video!

thanks

[okieinpain]

22. I don't care if he makes cuts, if a repug wins the cuts are going to

happen any way. what I have a problem with is he should already know what dems in the house and senate will go for and what they will not. if he's doing this on his own and thinks he can bully his side into it, I say they should walkout on his ass and let it all fall down.

[blkmusclmachine]

24. Is this a representative democracy, or not?

[Fuddnik]

25. Not anymore.

Inverted totalitarianism and managed democracy.

There's a good book on the subject: "Democracy Incorporated" by Sheldon Wolin.

[Liberalynn]

27. Oh but I thought he wasn't really willing to deal

its all just a game and in our hysterical imaginations. "He's got our back." :sarcasm:

What a Benedict Arnold he is.

[Quezacoatl]

30. Obama is playing chess like a checkers player

[hifiguy]

31. I presume none of these "hard choices"

will involve ending wars or shrinking the imperium. I am so sick of this happy horseshit. :grr:

[L0oniX]

34. The only "moral" choice is to cut the military. Hurting old people is an evil thing to do.

[Ignis]

37. Democrats are indeed fuming.

Those who aren't, aren't.

[kenny blankenship]

38. Primarying a sitting President of your own party IS a hard decision. But we're left w no choice.

[JoePhilly]

43. .... and no primary candidates!!!!

You might want to get busy on that tiny problem.

[G_j]

39. negotiating with terrorists

:thumbsdown:

[ljm2002]

41. "tough choices I would not normally make"...

...and yet, Mr. President, you keep making them.

What is your definition of "not normal", Mr. President? Because from where I sit, it looks like in your world, "not normal" == "normal".

[spanone]

42. well, he can't make any choices on his own. none.

[Forkboy]

45. If he cuts SS 2012 won't be one of those hard choices.