President Obama Offered More Cuts To Social Security Benefits Than To The Pentagon

[Report1212]

Last edited Thu Dec 20, 2012, 10:50 AM - Edit history (1)

This is all that needs to be said about the state of how bad these deals are

--

The cuts to Social Security benefits under such a recalculation would amount to about $112 billion over ten years.

Let's put this in perspective. In the offer Obama gave to House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH), he also put $100 billion of Pentagon spending cuts on the table for the same period.

That means that Obama offered to cut a program that doesn't add a penny to the deficit -- Social Security -- by more than the single largest drain on discretionary spending, the Pentagon.

Read more: http://boldprogressives.org/president-obama-offered-more-cuts-to-social-security-benefits-than-to-the-pentagon/

Update, if you're a redditor I put it here also

http://www.reddit.com/r/politics/comments/15616u/bad_priorities_president_obama_offered_more_cuts/

[MotherPetrie]

1. I've never voted for a bigger fraud

[byeya]

34. You're not alone

[budkin]

2. Disgusting.

[woo me with science]

3. Absolutely disgusting. nt

[Report1212]

4. Then go to the link

It has a page there where you can call your Member of Congress

[Bluenorthwest]

9. My members of Congress are ethical, honest people. The problem is the President.

He's the one selling us out to his GOP friends, he is the one with a veto pen given him by the people to use. This betrayal is his and his alone and it will be his legacy and the definition of his family name for generations if he follows through on this heartless, pointless, needless attack on our most vulnerable people.

[CrispyQ]

5. I wrote to my senators & rep twice yesterday.

I'll write again today & tomorrow. Their internet forms make it a snap & if you use Chrome, it auto-fills the form. I take a few moments to write a message, then I send the same message to all three. Done in about 10 minutes.

Your voice doesn't have to be eloquent, it just has to be heard!

[fascisthunter]

6. a grotesque betrayal

[forestpath]

7. All that needs to be said about how cruel President Obama is.

[heaven05]

8. I

don't believe what you say, bold progressive says or fucking reddit says. When my President tells me I'm stabbed in the back, then I will know it from the pain I feel. I really am sick of you hair on fire Quislings.

[Coyotl]

10. THOU SHALT NO CHEAT THY ELDERS = Chained CPI = COLA

Last edited Thu Dec 20, 2012, 01:13 PM - Edit history (1)

It is just absolutely wrong and morally incomprehensible to CHEAT people living on 500-$1200 a year.

Means testing, FINE.

No cap FINE.

But to make the poorest and most vulnerable among us pay down the Bush War Deficit by cheating them out of their food is an unfathomable injustice.

[Is That All There Is]

11. You are Fixating on the Wrong number.

How can any of these jerks make promises for Ten years. Most of them will not be around. In 4 years a new President could take the country in a whole new course. Their policies and plans should be accountable to their terms. We kept hearing about how Obama inherited a mess from old Georgie Boy, now he feels it is okay to pass the buck to another President and possibly hand cuff their tenure.

[sulphurdunn]

12. If the benefit

from Social Security is reduced and FICA taxes are not reduced, where will the difference go? According to conservative math, doesn't that amount to a payroll tax increase?

[JDPriestly]

19. Yes. It does. And the money has already been given to the rich in the form of the Bush

tax cuts and in the form of defense expenditures that enrich shareholders in defense manufacturers and contractors.

[Evergreen Emerald]

13. You promised us.

I trusted you.

[Dustlawyer]

14. Almost all of our politicians are bought! The fix is in either way. Lets hope the Senate will

Block!

[plethoro]

15. Massive undeniable betrayal of a magnitude never seen seen before. I

started saying this two years ago, even before I came here. Others here have said the same. I don't know whether Obama is a DINO or not, but he is a Corporatist operating under Inverse Fascism, where instead of politicians controlling the government, corporations do. This will be far too big a task to correct by emails, letters, phone calls and text messages, even though they, too, are necessary. If we do not nip this in the bud, we will end up South Africa on steriods.

[triplepoint]

16. #4 of "The 14 Characteristics of Fascism"

"The supremacy of the military/avid militarism. Ruling elites always identified closely with the military and the industrial infrastructure that supported it. A disproportionate share of national resources was allocated to the military, even when domestic needs were acute. The military was seen as an expression of nationalism, and was used whenever possible to assert national goals, intimidate other nations, and increase the power and prestige of the ruling elite."

Reference Link:
http://www.secularhumanism.org/index.php?section=library&page=britt_23_2

[allinthegame]

17. All Kinds of Taxes

are going up...why NOT raise FICA to get everyone to stop complaining about Social Security....that would be a tax WORTH paying

[JDPriestly]

20. Obama just LOWERED, yes, lowered the FICA taxes -- also known as payroll taxes.

Obama is simply a liar. When he lowered payroll, or FICA taxes, he told us Social Security was in fine shape. Now, suddenly, he wants to cut Social Security. He's got some 'splainin' to do, and he needs to do it now. Because he either lied then or he is lying now.

[bvar22]

31. "Payroll Taxes" is the Republican Framing....like "Death Tax".

Democrats call this by its proper name, "FICA Deductions" or "FICA Contributions".

The reduction in FICA contributions,

Popularizing the term "Payroll Tax",

And calling it a "Holiday" (Weeeee!)


.....was the 1st round of stealth attacks on Social Security
by the Democratic Party Leadership.

[INdemo]

18. Obama is a fraud...typical lying Chicago politician..

He sold us out on the healthcare bill telling us how great it was and how great he is and now its just the same ol' shit. I should have just stayed home on election day..Republican/Democrat..Obama is more aligned with the Republicans that Democrats he is just a better bullshitter that most.
What can we expect when the national right to work law is debated? We will lose and again Obama will hand us more of his Republican bullshit.

[JDPriestly]

21. Let's get Progressives to run for Congress in 2014.

Where you live. I take it you are in Indiana. Join your local Democratic Club. Bring your friends and persuade a progressive to run. Even if they don't have a chance to win, get someone to stand up and explain the progressive view -- and work to try to get that person as many votes as possible. That is how Californians do it. Indiana was always conservative, but it used to be more progressive than it is.

We need to fill Congress with as many Progressives as we can in 2014. Cuts to Social Security will change the minds of a lot of Republican and DINO voters. We need to turn this set-back into and opportunity for Progressives.

[leftstreet]

24. By your reasoning, maybe the GOPers will go left

You're right, these 'deals' will probably change the minds of many Republicans. But they aren't going to vote for Democrats.

Maybe they'll have better luck than we've had in demanding their party reps go left

[INdemo]

43. Obama is more in line with Repukes than Demo rats

There maybe a few progressives left, Liz Warren being the newest added to the list but Obama is not one of them.

[bvar22]

32. We DID that in Arkansas in 2010.

The Grass Roots and Organized LABOR had a popular Democratic challenger, Lt Governor Bill Halter, Pro-LABOR and Pro-Healthcare, proven Election Winner,
with an up and running political machine,
set to replace the virulently Anti-LABOR, Anti-HealthCare Blue Dog Blanche Lincoln.

Halter was ahead in the polls, had national UNION backing and the support of the activists and Grass Roots.
It looked like a Done Deal......until (guess What Happened)
.
.
.
.
The White House stepped in with funding (DSCC) and an Oval Office Endorsement of the woman
who was campaigning as the one who stopped the Big Government Take Over of Health Care.
That Oval Office Endorsement played Round-the-Clock on Arkansas TV.

But THAT was not enough. The White House sent the Old Dog back to Arkansas to carry water for the Wicked Witch of Arkansas. He stumped around the state, raising money and rallies for Lincoln, who eventuially managed to squeak by in the Democratic Primary with the help of the White House.

Adding insult to injury, an "unidentified White House Spokesman" later ridiculed Organized LABOR for "wasting 10 Million Dollars" by supporting a Pro-LABOR candidate in a Democratic Primary.

The Progressives did everything RIGHT in Arkansas to put Good Progressive Democrats into Congress,
but our BIGGEST enemy was NOT The Republicans.
It WAS the Obama White House.

Also SEE: Colorado Democratic Primary, 2010
.............Pennsylvania Democratic Primary, 2010

[byeya]

35. And, the tradition among Democratic presidents has been to not get involved in primaries.

So Obama props up a WalMart lover at the expense of a candidate who'd be an advocate for WalMart workers.

[bvar22]

38. As an Arkansas resident and Grass Roots activist,

I am STILL furious about the White House intervention in the Arkansas Democratic Primary,
and I get mad all over again when I see that Pollyanna Bullshit Excuse about "just elect more Progressives to Congress".

"What happened in this race also gives the lie to the insufferable excuse we’ve been hearing for the last 18 months from countless Obama defenders: namely, if the Senate doesn’t have 60 votes to pass good legislation, it’s not Obama’s fault because he has no leverage over these conservative Senators. It was always obvious what an absurd joke that claim was; the very idea of The Impotent, Helpless President, presiding over a vast government and party apparatus, was laughable. But now, in light of Arkansas, nobody should ever be willing to utter that again with a straight face. Back when Lincoln was threatening to filibuster health care if it included a public option, the White House could obviously have said to her: if you don’t support a public option, not only will we not support your re-election bid, but we’ll support a primary challenger against you. Obama’s support for Lincoln did not merely help; it was arguably decisive, as The Washington Post documented today.

http://www.salon.com/2010/06/10/lincoln_6/

If Arkansas was an anomaly, I could overlook it as a mistake,
but it is not.
This same pattern has been evident across the nation in Democratic Primaries over the years, but especially in 2010 where the White House actually campaigned for a Republican (Specter) in the Pennsylvania Democratic Primary.
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=160&topic_id=14207

The VERY LAST THING the Democratic Party establishment wants is Progressives/Liberals in Congress!

[INdemo]

39. Been there dont that

In Indiana a progressive movement would be for a Republican to claim to be a Democrat run as a Republican lite..Being a Democrat in Indiana is like being a member of the IRA..I believe in the cause but keep my mouth shut for out if fear and well being of my family, children and grandchilden..Real progressives in Indiana just dont exist.

[whathehell]

42. Clinton was something of a fraud as well....It really has little to do with Chicago. n/t

Clinton brought us NAFTA, the end of "Welfare as we know it" and allowed the Banksters

to do away with Glass Steagal. There are very few REAL Democrats left.

[UnrepentantLiberal]

22. He said it himself,

he's a Republican. We voted for a Republican.

[whathehell]

25. He said that "in the 1980's" he would have been a moderate republican. I think he's one now.

We got fooled --- Again.

Fuck him for his lying, bullshit betrayal, but what do you expect

from a guy whose over-indulgent family paid about 30K in today's

dollars YEARLY to send him to a private ELEMENTARY/Middle school?

I've worked for him, donated to him, and voted for him, but I never

completely trusted him, as he started showing these repuke-leaning signs early.

Whatever happened to the REAL Democratic Party?

[UnrepentantLiberal]

27. It doesn't exist anymore.

It's been thoroughly corrupted. We now have two Republican Parties.

[whathehell]

28. Who do you think brought it to an end?...We have some "real" dems

like Grayson and Elizabeth Warner, but no party to back them up.

I am so pissed. A friend of mine, an activist in this area, tried to get funding for a local

guy, a progressive, with good attributes. He was the ONLY democrat in the district and he

DID win the primary -- and the party leaders in the states said "No..and we won't give money

to any OTHER progressive you bring to us".

That's where it's at....I'm an old timer (63) so I actually remember REAL democrats...I'd be

interested in your opinion and any others on the "blue-dogging" of the party....This really

sucks....Do you think this is why Howard Dean was not only subverted in '04, but totally

LEFT out of Obama's regime?

[UnrepentantLiberal]

30. It's all because of the money.

Wall Street will only give money to blue dogs. Of course Obama could have done a Teddy Roosevelt and not stayed bought, but like Clinton, he's fiscal conservative.

[byeya]

36. The real Democratic Party was the party of John L Lewis, W&V Reuther and their union members and Big

Money works 24 hours a day, every day, while union members lost the spirit of solidarity.

The % of unionization among retail workers has dropped to 4.9% and real wages for these workers has fallen 30%(in real terms) since 1973.

[whathehell]

41. The real Democratic party office holders were FDR and John F. Kennedy.

and even Jimmy Carter, maligned as he is.

I'm heartily disgusted.

[durablend]

23. As others will surely comment

CLEARLY you're LYING to us...our savior Obama would NEVER do that! All these pants on fire libruls in this place worried about tossing Granny in the street 5 years down the road (when she'll probably be dead by then anyway) make me SICK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[toby jo]

26. It'll take protests as big as 'Occupy' against the pentagon to get them

to pull the plug on those bastards.

We've got to articulate the waste in a simple way - short, sassy and sweet. Make it household.

[Savannahmann]

29. Easy enough to understand

I mean, it's hard to get a good photo op at the Social Security office. Or at the Old Folks home. But it is easy to get a photograph making you look all Patriotic and Macho standing next to a tank, or a jet fighter, or a big old ship. Remember how we laughed when W landed on the Aircraft Carrier? But the sheeple lapped it up, how manly our moron looked.

[jsr]

33. Social Security benefits should never be equated to war spending.

[kooljerk666]

37. Tavis Smiley & Cornell West were right......................

if i post what they said, DNC & third way will flag it, but fuck them here it is...........

BTW the one black guy I showed this to laughed his ass off & agreed with West & Smiley.

[Peaceful Protester]

40. Guns vs Butter

RE: Iraq, Afghanistan, Benghazi, etc...

Thanks Republicans,

Your ill-conceived War on Terror has been a smashing success!!

Merry Cliff-mas Everyone!

PS: Dear Santa, instead of the popular G.I. Joe Military Industrial Complex building set, I'd like PEACE.