"President offers to cut social security" as part of "Compromise"

[elehhhhna]

WTF? JUst on tv news now - "more on the Today show".

WTF OBAMA?

[montanacowboy]

1. No one should be surprised

he will do it and he will OK the Keystone XL

[forestpath]

2. Like a hostage situation where both sides want to

get rid of the innocent hostages.

[IDemo]

6. While blaming the hostages for the standoff

[forestpath]

14. Exactly.

[Glitterati]

3. Morning Smoe can't contain themselves!

Joe is absolutely thrilled with Obama today! "Now, that's a budget!" he says.

The Democratic party should be put on notice - anyone who votes for this abomination gets primaried. 2014. No if ands or buts. Cut Social Security/Medicare and you are GONE!

[The Link]

4. Morning Joe is all over it.

Giving kudos to the President for proposing a real budget.

[MotherPetrie]

5. We've known this was coming despite all the denial and wishful thinking and fantasies that

It was actually Obama who was trying to protect SS from the Repugs. Nope. Do you get it now, apologists? THIS IS WHAT OBAMA WANTS.

NOBODY is making him do this.

Please do NOT spin it as strategy. Unless you really think playing political football with millions of people's sole income is any more decent than outright calling for cutting it.

[byeya]

7. It's like a sick joke. Going against the will of the people after pledging not to. Social Security

is all many have between a life with a bit of dignity and living in a box under an overpass.
One party, two names...

[deutsey]

9. And it has jack shit to do with the "deficit crisis" that doesn't even exist

[byeya]

16. Yes! There indeed is no deficit crisis and even if there were, Social Security could not be a part

of it.
The deficit as a % of the economy is rapidly shrinking.

[deutsey]

8. Can't I'm surprised at all

Profoundly disappointed and pissed the hell off, yes.

But no surprise here.

[Le Taz Hot]

10. So where are all the blue boxes

explaining to us poor, stupid plebes about how this is NOT happening, or if it is happening how it's 14-dimentional chess and we're just too ignorant to understand it because we don't know all that Our Exalted One knows? And don't forget the 17 Non sequitur links that nobody reads.

[Nite Owl]

11. What a cold and cruel

thing to do to people who are retired and can no longer work.
He's outright stealing our money, it has nothing to do with the deficit.
The New Deal is dead.

[Comrade_McKenzie]

12. Only if tax rates go up, which won't happen. nt

[Nite Owl]

15. Oh he'll

give in, no tax increases for the wealthiest and corporations because the GOP will stick to their word. Seniors are the sacrificial lambs.

Many dems in Congress will be talked into voting for this and any chance of winning the election will cease.

Say hello to the new Senate leader McConnell.

[HiPointDem]

17. and president jeb bush. and the overrunning of the state legislatures by fundies, and years of

shit.

[MotherPetrie]

20. Yup. The Repugs will make hay of this, all right.

[HiPointDem]

13. the death of the democratic party.

[madokie]

18. Here is what the President is said to have said thats in my morning paper

http://www.tulsaworld.com/article.aspx/Obamas_budget_to_spare_Medicaid_from_deep_cuts/20130405_13_A9_CUTLIN465211

Please read this

[MotherPetrie]

19. What does it have to do with cutting SS?

[madokie]

21. Its the same thing I'm reading that's being said about medicare

Been reading this for months and each and every time the president is supposedly caving it turns out not to be so.
Its Obama bashing clear and simple. The president is not a dictator and can not just make a law, any law. That's congresses job, his is to sign or veto

[MotherPetrie]

23. But we now KNOW Obama is proposing cutting SS. That is not bashing Obama. It's stating a fact.

[deutsey]

29. +1

[HiPointDem]

25. it's *his* proposal.

[bullwinkle428]

22. The 2014 elections are going to be a bloodbath for the Democratic party.

[GoCubsGo]

24. Good thing the republicans refuse to compromise with him.

I don't see them changing here, either.

[iandhr]

26. This is not going to happen

if you read the New York Times article

is budget documents will emphasize that he would support the cost-of-living change, as well as other reductions that Republicans have called for in the popular programs for older Americans, only if Republicans agree to additional taxes on the wealthy and infrastructure investments that the president called for in last year’s offer to Mr. Boehner.


Since the GOP will not agree to any tax increases this won't happen.

[HiPointDem]

27. and before he wasn't even proposing them.

[UnrepentantLiberal]

28. "The truth of the matter is

that my policies are so mainstream that if I had set the same policies that I had back in the 1980s, I would be considered a moderate Republican." - President Barack Obama

[Dyedinthewoolliberal]

30. I would like to remind everyone

no budget passes without consent of the Congress. That is where the pressure point lies. On a regular basis, remind your elected Federal officials that you OPPOSE any cuts in that area, that they have to come up with a different solution. Keep it up and don't them off the hook. The budget belongs to Congress, not the President.

[CBHagman]

31. Bingo.

People are expending a lot of energy behaving as though A) something has already passed and B) it is in effect now. I've been seeing this for months on DU and Facebook as well.

This is the time to be on the phone with your reps and senators, writing letters to the editor, influencing public opinion.

However, many people don't actually know how the system works, and some in the media encourage the headline-as-content approach. Better to follow someone like Ezra Klein, who will at least explain things.