Don't Do It, Mr. President. Don't Cut Social Security or Medicare.

[Donnachaidh]

http://smirkingchimp.com/thread/rj-eskow/35486/dont-do-it-mr-president-dont-cut-social-security-or-medicare

The President's scheduled to discuss Social Security, Medicare, and the deficit in a speech this Wednesday. Let's hope he isn't about to make a serious mistake.

White House advisors like David Plouffe are saying that the President thinks "we have to do more" to rein in entitlement spending, and there are reports which suggest that the "more" he has in mind is "less" - less for middle class and lower-income Americans, that is. They say that the President's planning to propose spending cuts for Social Security and Medicare.

Nothing's been confirmed, but it doesn't help when Mr. Plouffe's follows his remarks about "doing more" to cut entitlements by saying that these cuts would be made with a "scalpel" and not a "machete." If the President amputates the wrong limb, who cares what kind of blade he uses?

And that's exactly what benefit cuts would be: unnecessary amputations. Social Security doesn't add to the deficit, and the only way to fix Medicare is by reducing the profit motive's influence on health care costs. Could the President really be planning to cut these programs anyway?

More at the link --

[dkf]

1. Social security won't add to the deficit if you assume benefits will be cut to 80% after the surplus

Runs out.

If you assume benefits will stay the same after the surplus is gone then it does affect the deficit.

[damntexdem]

6. That is decades in the future; but can be solved by raisng the FICA cap.

Or eliminating the cap. The politics are wrong for that now; but we have a lot of time to do it.

[dkf]

10. The surplus is just another gimmick. If it was used to buy gold or something that creates earnings

Then it can be used when the time comes. But if we raise the cap, it will just be another piece of debt we owe to ourselves. Other countries have sovereign funds invested in the market. Now that could be sold to raise funds and would be a true asset.

[Tx4obama]

26. See the bold text in comment #25 n/t

[iwishiwas]

2. Obama will not fight for them-just like he did not fight for the PO

[Poboy]

12. POS

[Javaman]

3. If he touches either, anyone that still calls themselves a dem and still votes for him

is a fool.

[damntexdem]

7. Agreed.

We will be watching.

[suston96]

13. The solution to the deficit AND Social Security AND Medicare....

....is JOBS _ JOBS _ JOBS !!!!!

Get it Mr. President? You and your Republican hatchet allies are ignoring this solution because it is too hard to work on the economy - which without any help is coming back on its own, but not fast enough to resolve the deficit.

Turn your attention to the economy, Mr. President and Mr. Boehner. A little help from you two and the jobs will come - and the deficit will evaporate!.

Your goal should be the economy with an eye to breaking the Clinton-Gore record of 22 million jobs created in 8 years, and which ended with 3 years of budget surpluses and a projection of eliminating the national debt by 2012! http://clinton4.nara.gov/WH/new/html/Tue_Oct_3_113400_2000.html

Get with it, gentlemen. And get off the wrong track of CUTS -CUTS - CUTS! It's: Come on, say it with me: It's the economy, stupidos AND -

JOBS _ JOBS _ JOBS!!!!

[damntexdem]

4. If he caves on either, then I am done with the Dem Party.

Or at least with Obama. In that case, I WOULD NOT vote for him in 2012.

[liberal N proud]

5. Third rail!

[damntexdem]

8. Which shocks all who touch it.

All, including Dems.

[bahrbearian]

9. I used to like to hear his speechs, now I wish he would shut-up.

[Javaman]

14. during morons* reign of terror, anytime I would see his* face or hear his* voice...

I would change the channel or turn off the tv.

I'm at that point now with Obama.

[FiveGoodMen]

15. Same here

[Poboy]

11. He does this and it will be time to GO TO FUCKING WAR with him!

[leftstreet]

16. In 2 years we've gone from talking about Public Option to cutting Medicare

wtf happened?

[iwishiwas]

19. From Public Option OFF the table to Medicaid/Medicare/ Social Sec ON the table-

Quite an accomplishment ;(

[leftstreet]

21. I could respect politicians who campaign on "shared sacrifice" and "austerity"

I wouldn't vote for them, but hell, if a majority of people elected reps based on that at least it'd be a legitimate win

[bullwinkle428]

17. Mr. President, you must realize that no matter who you are, you will

ALWAYS be reviled by some 50% of the American public. I just don't want to see you fall into the 80-90% range.

Oh, and K&R.

[Faryn Balyncd]

29. perhaps you should turn that in to an OP

:kick:

[Marr]

18. Only a Democratic president could cut Social Security.

And so here we are. If a Republican tried the same thing, he'd never get away with it. But put a "D" after the guy's name, and he can skate right through the process by calling it 'necessary' and 'adult' and 'bipartisan'.

[RegieRocker]

20. Like hell he can!

[leftstreet]

23. OMG I wonder if that's what "Yes We Can!" actually meant

:scared:

[RegieRocker]

27. Hmmm

[suffragette]

22. He likely will call it those things, and he may be skating, but he will be skating on thin ice.

[RegieRocker]

24. If he does this I will do everything I can to cut a hole in the ice for him.

[Tx4obama]

25. Alan Colmes: Obama To Draw Sharp Distinction From Republicans On Budget

President Obama on Wednesday plans to announce budget plans very different than what we’re hearing from Republicans.

He will call for shrinking the nation’s long-term deficits by raising taxes on wealthier Americans and requiring them to pay more into Social Security, drawing a barbed contrast with a Republican plan to save money by deeply slashing Medicare, Medicaid and other domestic spending.

Obama will offer some spending cuts, including trims to the Pentagon’s budget, but his speech Wednesday is likely to provide Americans with a vivid choice between higher taxes or fewer benefits, issues that will color the national debate straight through the 2012 election…

Obama would end tax breaks for households earning more than $250,000 a year, trim Pentagon spending, lift a cap on the amount of income that is assessed for Social Security, and save on Medicare and Medicaid through alterations to healthcare delivery, administration officials said. He will speak about 1:30 p.m. Eastern time on the campus of George Washington University.

http://www.alan.com/2011/04/12/obama-to-draw-sharp-distinction-from-republicans-on-budget

[Poboy]

28. .