Mr. Obama, it's not an "eat our peas" moment- it's about Grandma having anything to eat, at all.

[grahamhgreen]

"A hungry man is an angry man" - Bob Marley.

"According to a report prepared for Sanders' committee, more than 5 million American seniors face the threat of hunger and 1 million a year go hungry.

Sanders says it makes more sense to invest in meals for seniors than in the much more costly hospital stays and home care that can result from poor nutrition." http://sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/news/?id=a55aaa4e-d784-45cf-98b1-d642733215a1

Now is not the time, nor will there ever be a time, to cut social programs to provide tax breaks for the rich and money for pointless wars.

That is all.

[William769]

1. I wish I could record this more than once.

:thumbsup:

[GreenPartyVoter]

2. Me too!

[emulatorloo]

3. Currently Obama is behind the Reid plan, which does not touch social programs

House will not vote for revenue increases, unless their constituents pressure them to. Or maybe not the House is insane

[katnapped]

4. WH response to that

"Then git a job! Plenty of greeter positions at Wall Mart where you can socialize with people! We're letting them build new stores as fast as possible!"

[emulatorloo]

6. Link?

[dionysus]

25. make shit up much?

[Fire1]

71. For real!! n/t

[DollyM]

38. my mom just "retired" from Wal Mart at the age of 82 . . .

She worked from the time she was 17 until last year when she was diagnosed with stage 4 colon cancer. The factory she was working at closed when she was just 65 so she went and got a job at wal mart and worked full time until the day she was diagnosed with colon cancer. Medicare covered their part of the bill and she drained most of her savings to pay the rest and still had a 20 thousand dollar bill to cover. I helped her get on Medicaid. Now she has 800 dollars a month in social security to live on. I can't help her, I lost my job in January and am about to run out of unemployment. My husband is disabled. I have just never seen things so bad. My mom is now worried that her social security check will be held up if the government can't straighten out their differences. I wish they would realize this isn't a game-there are real lives being affected here, people making a choice between groceries and paying the electric bill. (We live in Illinois and since they recieved less funding in energy assistance this year, they cut out ALL summer cooling assistance!) I am just so disgusted with the way America is treating it's seniors, especially those who have worked hard all their lives like my mother.

[midnight]

40. Dolly I'm so overwhelmed for you and your mom, and others being ignored...

I just listened to a interview between Dennis and Big Ed... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PQR3tprq9i0

[Zookeeper]

56. Goodness, I'm so sorry to hear this. It's a reality that simply...

isn't being talked about in the media (that I can see). Have you contacted your Congresscritters? Or written a LTTE? Your experience is not uncommon and it's important enough to bring to everyone's attention.

All the Tea Pots and Rethugs I debate talk about is how we can't punish "The Job Creators" with the same percentage of taxes the middle class pays.

[Liberalynn]

65. My thoughts are with you and your Mom.

:hug:

[Incitatus]

5. In related news

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x4939154

[deminks]

7. Even catfood has gone way up in price, Mr. President.

I watch the price every time I shop, Mr. President, for my kitties and someday soon for me. Even the dry noodles have doubled in price last time I looked.

If the middle class becomes poor, who will buy their stuff?

If the poor die, who will clean their toilets? fight their wars? tend their gardens? wash their clothes? change their sheets? pick their fruit? rebuild their roads? nail their McMansions together?

If the elderly all die prematurely, who will tell them where they have been?

Somebody isn't planning ahead, now are they?

[Amonester]

32. Sorry it's sadening, but 'they' will just issue h1b visas for strangers

who will gladly do all that for a piece of meal a day, and a toothbrush.

Until the dwingling middle class will collectively say E.N.O.U.G.H or we'll strike your bidnesses to a 2-3 weeks stall, they will roll on their soylent-green agenda.

THEY.DO.NOT.CARE.ABOUT.ANYONE.BUT.THEMSELVES.

[Irishonly]

34. I know

We are fortunate that we can garden all year around. I hate going to the grocery store and the seeing the looks on people's faces. Cheap meals are no longer cheap.

[tavalon]

8. Okay people, let's put this at the top

[florida08]

9. kickety kick kick

:kick:

[bullwinkle428]

10. K&R.

[jwirr]

11. I'm in big trouble if that check doesn't come in August. I usually run

out of food money by the 3rd week in the month - that is when we start eating anything that will fill our stomach. i.e. cook pasta and add oleo and call that a meal.

[grahamhgreen]

12. The situation has become untenable. This is not why he was elected.

[Raksha]

14. It's that simple, isn't it: "This is not why he was elected."

Time to let Obama and the rest of the Dems know that, loud and clear.

[pnwmom]

28. So what should he do? The answer doesn't seem so clear to me.

Another Depression doesn't seem like a great idea.

[Vanje]

41. What should Obama do?

How about pretending that he cares as much about poor and jobless americans, as he cares about the manufacured "deficit crisis".
For starts.

How about working as hard for regular stiffs as he does for Goldman Sacks!?

[pnwmom]

46. That's not an answer. He didn't manufacture this crisis.

If we default, working people, jobless people, and the poor will all suffer. They won't be any more immune from the effects than they were when the stock market crashed and we ended up in the Depression.

[Vanje]

47. We are

in a depression.

[pnwmom]

49. Not compared to the 30's we aren't. But it could still happen. n/t

[Vanje]

75. Theres a lot you dont know.

How nice to be you.
Hunger is NoW!

[pnwmom]

76. You must not know anyone who actually lived through the Depression.

I realize it doesn't matter to the person who is homeless -- this is his personal Depression.

But considering the country at large, we are not at Depression levels. And the economy has improved since the depths of the recession -- although we're back at the brink, due to the actions of the Rethugs.

[Vanje]

79. Speak for your lucky assed self

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=439x1610262


Endured the winter with no heat, save a single plug-in space heater.
Running water- intermittant, not potable. Good for washing though, when the pump runs. Lucky fucking me!

DRainfield- Not so good. Septic Tank shot. Cant afford to fix. Yard doe'snt smell too great.

Hey pinworm, ! You don't know so much.

[Vanje]

80. And yeah.

My parents came of age during the great depression.
FDR saved their asses.
He spent government money, made jobs, ended the depression.
They went from dirt poor to middle class.
Wow!

THIS depression is being utterly ignored, or utterly denied.
We're on our own.
You don't see us in the news, because the news is not the news anymore.

Stay where you are. It sounds very very comfortable.

[pnwmom]

81. Speak for yourself.

As I said, it doesn't matter to someone who is suffering whether the country is in a recession or a depression. But your personal experience doesn't prove that we're in a depression.

[Vanje]

83. Well

aint that nice for you. So very nice.

When pinworm finally can't afford both gas and food, it will finally be a depression.
Oh yes. It will.
Yeah. Let me know . I'll make a note of it.

[Vanje]

84. I speak for myself.

[Vanje]

85. You may not be in a depression

but I assure you, many are.

[certainot]

50. is this whining or trolling? the left has not had the back of dem reps the last 20 years

or their presidents.

as long as it ignores the right's best weapon and in fact has no clue what that is how the fuck can it expect any reform?

1000 think tank-coordinated right wing radio stations beat everything and anybody liberal 24/7 with an invisible political 2x4 and make discussions between liberals about better messaging silly, but they continue to have them and blame secondary media tools like fox. they keep evaluating obama and the dems in a talk radio vacuum because it hurts their ears to listen to it, while it has been kicking their political ass for 20 years, since reagan killed the fairness doctrine.

[certainot]

51. PS there is NO organized response to the right's best political tool, what do you expect?

[Enthusiast]

53. I agree.

I'm in favor of reinstating the fairness doctrine. I'm in favor of breaking up any and all media monopolies. Now, how can we do it?

[certainot]

59. imo catch 22- legislative fixes can't work as long as that giant megaphone can scream "free speech!"

and the republicans will vote lock step with limbaugh

IMO it needs to start with protests at local stations and shaming/calling and boycotting local sponsors. many are there mainly for the loud megaphone and don't have ideological connections- most i've spoken with will not defend limbaugh's racism and global warming denial. i've convinced a few to switch to progressive radio (there is in my area), although that's not what i was asking for. there are owners who are dems but made business decisions or are going with loudest stations and i'll bet will find alternatives.

just heard whole foods ad during hannity! that's absurd- they and their ad cos need to know it's not right.

and there are many universities that give these stations and their racism and science denial community cred by broadcasting sports there, against their missions statements

[AlbertCat]

67. and blame secondary media tools like fox.

Fox News is not "secondary". It's primo!


And it's not just the "Liberals suck" message. It's the "we're broke and must give up everything or else" crap. People see it in their own lives and think it's true of the country as a whole. America is flush with money. There's plenty. There's no need to cut one more thing.... except the Defense budget.

[certainot]

72. i'd disagree on fox- it can't do the repetition and has smaller audience

i see it as visual whipped cream on talk radio 's lie turd pie- visual reinforcement.

it's harder to lie when you're looking into a camera, and they still have to pretend to be balanced.

[jeff47]

69. He should ignore the fake crisis.

Congress has passed two contradictory laws. One says "Spend X". The other says "Don't spend more than Y".

Spending X requires spending more than Y. So adhering to the debt limit actually violates the law. But so does spending the money Congress appropriated in the last budget. Basically, Obama can pick which one he wants to break. In previous situations where two laws were in conflict, the executive branch picked one to enforce. If Congress wants to do anything about it, they'll have to pass a new budget or raise the debt ceiling to resolve the conflict.

This doesn't even get to the 14th amendment, which would seem to indicate the debt limit itself is unconstitutional.

[fasttense]

70. It's not what he should do it's what we should do.

We need a hunger march on DC. We need to get in their faces and scream out what we want, what we need, what we expect from all our taxes.

If we could get 1% of the 30 million people who are out of jobs, out of luck, out of hope, march on DC for a week, The powers that be would be so afraid of us they would start doing some things to help us.

They can only rule us if we let them.

[certainot]

73. don't need to go to DC- go to your local RW radio station and picket, call their sponsors & ask WTF?

those are teabag headquarters and there's one near everyone.

limbaugh this morn on 600 stations was cheerleading the teabaggers to hold the line. and yesterday on sean hannity, who's saying the same, i heard an ad for whole foods!

teabaggers are dittoheads. we wouldn't be in this mess if the left had been protesting those stations long ago.

[defendandprotect]

78. We're in a Depression -- and I'd guess we've been in one for quite some time -- !!!

At least since last August when indeed an article appeared on Yahoo where

Obama was referring to the economic situation as a "Depression."

Unfortunately, before I got it posted here, "Depression" was scrubbed and replaced

with "Recession."

[Vanje]

82. ++++++++!

Its depression where I live.

[Beacool]

64. I'm sorry.

It's so hard to eat nutritious, fresh foods when one is on a tight budget.

I'm sure that you don't need my advice, but I try to stock up on anything that can be frozen or has a long shelf life. I visit PA regularly and my friends and I go to an Amish discount food place. You have to check the dates because some items may have expired, but I have gotten some great buys at that place. Do you have a similar store in your community?

If you have freezer space, this is a great time to buy cheap fruit and corn. I usually freeze enough blueberries to last me through winter (I use them in pancakes and smoothies). Ditto for strawberries and peaches.

I wish you the best!!!

:hug:

[DollyM]

74. I bought a Ramen cook book . . .

18 cents a bag and it goes a long way. You can thow any kind of meat or not into, add a can of diced Italian tomatoes and any bits of veges you have left over and it makes a great meal! I remember eating ramen noodles in college and thinking the day would come would I would never have to eat another. Here we are starting over again except this time we are in our 50's and there are no jobs and no hope of things getting better. Just trying to get by and make that food dollar stretch as far as possible.

[Vinca]

13. Grocery prices have gone totally crazy. Things will be $2 more in a week's time.

A couple of weeks ago I stumbled upon an item we use that is fairly expensive and I think the store had undermarked it by $5. Rather than be the good little samaritan and point out what seemed to be an error, I bought as much as I could afford to.

[emilyg]

17. My nightly treat - grapes went

from 1.49 to 2.98.

[Knight Hawk]

29. Coffee

What is with the price of coffee?I am sorry but I have to get mine at Walmart.It is $2.00 a can cheaper than our Publix.Also a small bag of walnuts just went up from $2.50 to $2.89.We are being straved out.The Repubs luv to 'drain the swamp".

[DeSwiss]

15. K&R

"Revolutions are only fought by those whose ribs are easily counted." ~Claymoremind

[emilyg]

16. knr

[Solomon]

18. But it most certainly is an "eat your peas" moment for the rich

and the republicans.

[grahamhgreen]

19. Let's hope so!

[EFerrari]

20. How? There are no taxes increases on the rich under consideration

that I know of.

[Vanje]

42. That is

Fucked!

[Myrina]

60. Peas with Champagne and Caviar, perhaps ...

n/t

[desertrat777]

21. Presentiments of the French Revolution

Years ago, I read in a history text that the French Revolution began spontaneously when a woman walked down a Paris street with her dying child, crying out, "My child is dying! My child is dying!" That was the random event that tipped the scale, and the revolution began all by itself.

There are those of our political representatives, responsible for the proper management of our country and for the welfare of all its citizens, who appear to be emulating the attitude of the ruling royal elite of France at the time. "They don't have bread? Let them eat cake!" That must have caused some chuckles in the royal palace at the time, no? But it is not funny. It is the attitude of a Parasite.

And now, in our beloved country, there are those calloused ones among us who would rather money be spent on tax cuts for the rich and on incessant wars and global destruction - which end up funneling money to the said fat cats - than on providing the bare necessities for the sick, the poor, the elderly, the unemployed, the uneducated, and so on. Many of our elected political representatives would rather be sycophants of the fat cats than conduct the job requirements of their elected office. This is an abomination. It is not funny.

Another comment: tax breaks for corporations do not increase the demand for products and services from the customer base. The demand for products and services from the customer base is what determines how many employees a business hires, not how much taxes that business pays on its profits. This illustrates that the ultra rich are clearly not the "job creators," but that the people in the middle class are the job creators, as they are - or used to be - the ones with disposable income to buy said products and services. Oops.

[Oasis_]

35. So you're saying

That corporations do not pass on the cost of their taxes directly to the consumer in the form of higher prices?

Oasis

[Vanje]

43. and when corporations are more profitable than they've been in decades.....

because of stripped down regulations, and tax cuts........they share that profit with consumers.
Its that Trickle down, Baby!
Feel that ever-loving Trickle Down!

Thats why the American poor and middle class are doing so great right now! While corporations rack up all time world record profits.

[Enthusiast]

54. And you are here to tell us they do?

Are you here specifically to promote the right wing ideology?

[Oasis_]

63. Absolutely not

Although I'm somewhat fiscally "moderate" it's very clear the social contract between the American citizen and the large multi-national corporation has been completely discarded.

I don't know what the answer is, to be honest, or if one even exists. It's a fact that businesses pass along their tax liability to consumers.

When large companies like GE "play nice" with the government they receive all sorts of freebies and breaks--more often than not at the expense of their competitors--and definitely at the expense of the Treasury.

I would lower the Corporate tax to something in the high teens to keep us globally competitive but discard nearly all of the credits and loopholes.

To me it's sickening to see Jeffrey Immelt, the head of a company that's the poster child for ruthless outsourcing, union busting and political manipulation, on his high horse demanding other corporations hire when GE paid ZERO corporate tax and is one of the worst abusers of our tax system.

Oasis

[Zookeeper]

57. Probably, because heaven forbid they should pay their....

execs (who outsource Americans jobs and stash their money in offshore accounts) less money.

"In 1950, the ratio of the average executive's paycheck to the average worker's paycheck was about 30 to 1. Since the year 2000, that ratio has exploded to between 300 to 500 to one."

http://finance.yahoo.com/tech-ticker/the-u.s.-middle-class-is-being-wiped-out-here%27s-the-stats-to-prove-it-520657.html?tickers=^DJI%2C^GSPC%2CSPY%2CMCD%2CWMT%2CXRT%2CDIA

They should all take a long walk off a short pier.

[bvar22]

22. There IS a solution.

Our neighbors to the South have given us a Blue Print.

"The worst enemy of humanity is U.S. capitalism. That is what provokes uprisings like our own, a rebellion against a system, against a neoliberal model, which is the representation of a savage capitalism. If the entire world doesn't acknowledge this reality, that nation states are not providing even minimally for health, education and nourishment, then each day the most fundamental human rights are being violated."
----Bolivian Reform President Evo Morales

[TheKentuckian]

23. Peas are good, filling, and pretty good for you. Less money and waiting longer

for Medicare isn't. Nor is artificially increasing a labor pool with diminishing need for workers which will reduce wages all around.

It takes a lot of callous gall to even let such thoughts cross the mind, it is pretty much disgusting to speak such a sentiment, and it is damn near psychotic and evil to push such nutty ideas.

Further, it is the height of insulting for some comfortable for life and no worries about his children elitist asshole to be telling those who have born the brunt to "eat their peas".

What fucking "peas" does he have to eat?

[MissDeeds]

24. K&R

"More that 5 million American seniors face the threat of hunger and 1 million a year go hungry". That is so very, very wrong. Why does this country victimize the neediest and most vulnerable, and why is it tolerated?

[Mimosa]

48. Why do people in Europe not go hungry but people in USA go without food and medical care? n/t

[Enthusiast]

55. Believe me, the fascists are

out to correct that little oversight in Europe.

[Fearless]

26. K&R!

[Glimmer of Hope]

27. Feed the Grandmas!

[bertman]

30. Proud REC. nt

[shanti]

31. bob had it right

jah bunny wailer, one of the other wailers, had it right too.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VX51vkZfJOE

[valerief]

33. I think he meant to call it a "drink our pee" moment, since our water is polluted

and there's no food for anyone without money.

[sarcasmo]

36. It's not just Grandma, our house will be screwed as well. I will be choosing between

food for us and medicine for my wife.

[OwnedByFerrets]

37. No truer words ever spoken

Now is not the time, nor will there ever be a time, to cut social programs to provide tax breaks for the rich and money for pointless wars

[midnight]

39. Michelle Obama should lecture these ninny's about the importance of good nutrition...

[Myrina]

61. Michelle Obama should kick her husband's ass daily ...

... until he remembers who he was before he got elected. Community Organizer? Working with the poor? Remember that guy?

[larwdem]

44. and it wont affect todays

senors. I ask what about me. 46 in america

[kestrel91316]

45. Grandma, hell. I wish I could afford peas.

[Enthusiast]

52. Kicked and recommended!

"Mr. Obama, it's not an "eat our peas" moment- it's about Grandma having anything to eat, at all."

Yes, Mr. Obama, why the condescending comment about peas? Why did you insult your supporters once again?

[orbitalman]

58. K & R x 1000

[Beacool]

62. K&R

I'm liking this man more by the day. Sen. Sanders is correct.

It's a disgrace that people who survived the Great Depression, WWII and a myriad of other difficulties are now going hungry at an age where they shouldn't have to worry about their basic needs.

Where I live the meals are delivered daily. They are hot and nutritious. My 93 year old neighbor gets them every day. She can afford to pay for them and she does, but other people get them for free. In FL my friend's father gets a big box weekly with 2 frozen meals per each day of the week. The box also has bread, juice, fruit and milk. He also can afford to pay for the food, but others in his community cannot and do not pay.

The meals on wheels programs are a relatively cheap way of keeping seniors who are fairly healthy at home. Many do not need to be in a nursing home, they just can't cook much at their advanced age (or they forget to eat).

:-)

[AlbertCat]

66. When are Exxon and Boeing going to eat their peas????

Can you say: Mandatory Minimum Corporate Tax?

[woo me with science]

68. Kicked and Recommended.

This is about real human beings.

This is about corruption of what Democrats have always stood for.

[defendandprotect]

77. If that has to be explained to Obama ... should he really be president ... ????