Kos: "White House Appears Shellshocked"

[KoKo]

Last edited Thu Apr 11, 2013, 03:14 PM - Edit history (1)

Wed Apr 10, 2013 at 02:00 PM PDT
The shocking events that everyone saw coming (except Obama)

by kos

Nobody could've predicted this, except everyone:

Release a budget with cuts to Social Security.

The base pushes back: Um, we're Democrats. We don't cut Social Security!

President Barack Obama gets defensive: But it's the Republicans' idea!

Except that the Republicans didn't include Social Security cuts in their crazy draconian budget. Why? Because only a moron would step on that third rail.

Re-read step #1.

Republicans begin 2014 campaign, charging that Democrats want to cut Social Security.


If there's any silver lining in this debacle, it's that it'll allow congressional Democrats the opportunity to distance themselves from this bumbling White House.

Unfortunately, they have to distance themselves from the party's leader, never a fun place for a politician to be. See 2006. And 2010.

What's craziest about this whole fiasco is how shellshocked the White House appears about it. It's as if they expected to be greeted with rose petals for "making the tough choices" or whatever bullshit they want to call it today.

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2013/04/10/1200781/-The-shocking-events-that-everyone-saw-coming-except-Obama

[Baitball Blogger]

1. Will we ever know what advisors are reponsible for this boneheaded idea?

[Nite Owl]

6. The origination of the idea

Isn't as important as him accepting it and thinking it was all just dandy.

[JimDandy]

74. The origination is very worrisome

though, because if he keeps using these same advisors, we get more lunacy and damage to the party for the next four years.

[FiveGoodMen]

118. He picks his advisors. The buck stops with him.

Last edited Tue Apr 16, 2013, 01:49 AM - Edit history (2)

.

[rhett o rick]

132. .

[LiberalFighter]

133. We still need to know who the knuckleheads are that are giving him piss poor advice.

And if those advisors belong to a particular group it would allow us to attack them so they have less impact.

[FiveGoodMen]

143. His real advisors are the 1%

We know what they want (everything) and that's not going to change.

Who he talks to before he does what he was going to do anyway really doesn't affect anything.

[datasuspect]

210. the 1% bankster thugs that pay him

[quakerboy]

174. Origin still matters

Anyone can make a mistake. Ive hired people who didnt work out, and caused serious issues. I had to do my best to make it right, because in the end it was my responsibility. But its still important to track the mistake back and fix the problem, whether it be to teach people to do better or find new people for those positions.

[delrem]

182. Problem with that argument is that this is the President's prime responsibility. It is his word.

[lark]

196. I don't think that's the issue in this case.

It's one thing when someone advises you to do something stupid, you do it and realize this was dumb and don't do it again. It's a totally different thing when someone takes an idea, becomes married to it and brings it up again and again and again. that's what our president is doing with the idea of cuts to SSI & medicare. He obviously approves of this idea deep down or he wouldn't keep returning to it. If he had any moral compass, this wouldn't ever rise to the surface, but we see where his priorities are. The worst part is that he campaigned AGAINST THIS BOTH TIMES!!! So he knows it's totally unpopular and part of what won him the 2nd term, but it's so personally important to him that he's willing to destroy the Democratic party and betray his promises. He's not who he pretends to be, he's the trojan horse president of the 1%.

[quakerboy]

212. It is the issue for US though

Im not going to get into the "why did Obama do this" argument. I like him, I dont think he is so personally uncaring as you portray him. But I dont have a bloody clue why he did this really, profoundly wrong and equally stupid thing.

But Obama, Love him or hate him or Meh him, will only be in office till the end of this term. Then there will be another president. And another after that.

And where will these future presidents take advice from? Granted Im still youngish, but it appears to me the behind the scenes guys cycle through. I'd like to know where its coming from so that when they get hired in the future, we know what to expect.

[FiveGoodMen]

229. Future presidents will take advice from the Koch brothers, just like now.

[Carolina]

221. Thank you!

And the buck does indeed stop with him!

[ReRe]

93. Agreed...

... How do we know that all of his advisers said don't do it, and he did it anyway? It was a pretty bold thing to do: thumb down both the left AND the right's base!

[samsingh]

206. this is like the stupid fiasco during the election when Israel was not mentioned

specifically as a best friend. Obama, see his first debate appearance, doesn't seem to care about the hopes and aspirations of so many that supported him. He seems like to dangle this type of shit out their constantly.

i'm really unhappy about this. It's time like these when i'm glad there are term limits.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

7. Probably the advisors that Obama met with this morning.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10022654791

President Barack Obama is meeting today with 15 heads of the world’s biggest banks, including Goldman Sachs Group Inc. (GS)’s Lloyd C. Blankfein and JPMorgan Chase & Co. (JPM)’s Jamie Dimon, White House officials said.

[bahrbearian]

10. Or the ones he had dinner with last night.

[carolinayellowdog]

45. red meat for Republicans

was the literal menu last night, the symbolic menu of the entire day

[Triana]

12. No doubt. And these "advisors" too (Bowles/Simpson and "Fix the Debt" crowd)

http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Fix_the_Debt%27s_Leadership

[LiberalFighter]

136. Both of them are not trustworthy.

[truedelphi]

39. Thank you tierra Y Libertad -

This nation is officially an oligarchy. We have no party that represents the people. Unless of course you mean the people that are Wells Fargo,. Citibank, Goldman Sachs, Exxon, BP, etc (Corporate People.)

Obama was smart enough to run in Fall 2008 as a progressive, claiming many of Dennis Kyucinich's platform ideas. but he quickly forgot those once elected

And then again the long nightmare - if you complained about his appointments and strategies, you were told he4 needed more time.

You were told you wanted a pony.

it is obvious to most of us thinking progressives that the man is corrupt beyond belief. And no,. that is not because he didn't offer my household la unicorn!

[emsimon33]

183. Well stated! "corrupt beyond belief"!!!!!

[maindawg]

61. there is a debt I suppose, to repay

[ReRe]

95. There IS a debt to pay....

... but it should be paid by those who ran it up. It would be like your neighbor shooting all of his windows out and then telling all of his neighbors they had to pay for replacing them. The big 3 didn't cause the debt. They had nothing to do with it! Actually, I think running up the debt was at the bottom of running up the debt in the first place...so they could wipe out the big 3 because "we just can't afford it anymore."

[sabrina 1]

160. There IS a debt, which has nothing to do with the People's Fund. The people have a surplus

in that fund. So why is it even part of these discussions?

How does SS have anything to do with the Fed Govt's debt? Answer, it doesn't.

However if SS benefits were to be raised, which they should be, it would help stimulate the economy and would not cost the Fed Govt a dime.

This whole charade is so transparent that it is highly insulting to the people. And to make it worse, we are used to Republicans insulting our intelligence, this time it is a Democrat.

[Beacool]

62. He's just meeting his bosses.

Goldman Sachs was his greatest contributor.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

63. They used to deliver bribes in brown paper bags...now they call them campaign contributions.

[DonCoquixote]

82. If Hillary runs in 2016

think she will not take bank money, like she did before.

I can get that you hate Obama, but do not think that the progressives will be fooled come 2016. Hillary's face will be on the same dartboards as Obama's is, especially at Warren 2016 headquarters.

[ReRe]

99. I love Hillary Clinton...

...and she would be a great President...if she wasn't DLC. Now if she came out and disassociated herself with the DLC and meant it, she would have my vote. Also, we aren't worrying about 2016 yet... we've got to primary out the DLCers and vote in REAL Democrats in 2014 and get a veto-proof House and filibuster-proof Senate. First things first. 2014 before 2016!

[DonCoquixote]

107. as I have told many

If Hillary were to come out and actively dismantle the machinery she and her hubby helped build, to restore galss steagall, to resotre telecommuncations protection, to help work towards SINGLE PAYER., I would be at her HQ...I might as well ask for unicorns

[ReRe]

128. Unicorns and ponys for everyone!

We can always dream.

[antigop]

184. too late...Bill screwed things up royally....

http://www.democraticunderground.com/1017111501

[dreamnightwind]

112. +1,000,000,000,000

It is absolutely critical that this message gets through the head of all real Democrats. The party leadership has been co-opted by the third way types, they are merely the kinder face of the same people who have co-opted the Republican party.

We have a lot of hard, difficult work to do, in order to give ourselves meaningful alternatives to these "people" (quotes because they're corporations, not people).

We need to get actual Democrats on the ballot for the primaries, then work our asses off to elect them rather than the corporate Dems they will be opposing.

[zeeland]

175. Amen + 1,000,000

[Beacool]

154. There won't be a Warren 2016, not if Hillary is in the running.

As for taking bank money, unfortunately it costs so much to run a presidential campaign that it's hard for a candidate not to take their money.

[DonCoquixote]

178. I know you want Hillary

But just ponder this. Even you know that Hillary is Center-left, at best. One more centrist Democrat will kill this party, period. Like I said, if she were to abandon the mess she helped make, I would gladly support her, but you know better.

[Beacool]

181. I just don't see Warren in 2016.

It's too soon. She may be the darling of the left, but she doesn't have the name brand and popularity at the national level to mount a presidential campaign in another year and a half. She would also need to have the ability to raise about $1B, not an easy feat. She has never ran a campaign other than the one she just one four months ago. Obama had at least some legislative experience before he ran in 2008. He has done a poor job of handling Congress as it is, I don't see Warren doing better. Scolding bankers is not the same as knowing how to get Congress to do what you want them to do. Those relationships are built over time.

[disndat]

209. If DUers don't like Obama with the bankers

then will like Hillary and Bill even less. I read somewhere today that the reason why Bill and Hillary are silent about the Exxon tar sand oil spill in Arkansas is that they are very cozy with Exxon, big big contributors to the Clinton's. Also, Hillary is involved with the Keystone XL pipeline deal, or is trying to be involved.

[gateley]

87. Seeing as how some of the appointees hail from a few of these august institutions,

I think you're right on.

[LiberalFighter]

135. Most if not all of them should be thrown to the wolves.

[Baitball Blogger]

144. +1

[dixiegrrrrl]

150. Thank you for that link..I missed seeing that report.

Too much time watching the radar for the storm track.

[AgingAmerican]

9. Obama is responsible

He isn't a figurehead like Bush Jr was.

[AnotherMcIntosh]

19. I agree with your first point.

[donnasgirl]

33. Obama is responsible

He is the leader, remember the blame me motto.

[Demeter]

48. Pete Peterson and Robert Rubin the Friedmanite

aided and abetted by the Koch bros.

[Baitball Blogger]

50. Link?

[Samantha]

78. That is so so true

The figure I heard yesterday was that Peterson alone has invested one-half a billion dollars to get his hands on Social Security.

Sam

[notadmblnd]

75. Probably not, but I'll bet they're really working for the republians

SMH

[Skip Intro]

80. Obama is responsible. nt

[piratefish08]

113. the advisors on Wall Street, is my guess.

do I win a prize?

[sabrina 1]

138. I have no doubt Axelrod is one of them. That man makes me ill and he isn't the brightest

when it comes to politics. A real Third Wayer who needs to be gone from any position of power in this party.

And I'm sure Rahm 'you lefties' ideas are retarded' Emmanuel has been putting in his two cents all the way from Chicago.

There is no shortage of Third Way/Freidman/Austerity supporters in this WH.

Btw, does this president have ANY real, progressive Democrats advising him on anything?

He's got Monsanto CEOs I know but that's not exactly what we intended when we helped him win the WH.

[piratefish08]

187. the poor, helpless, powerless President.

it MUST be somebody else's fault. it just HAS to be.

[bowens43]

2. Yes, this is only one of a series of dumb ass moves by the president.

it's as if he wants his legacy to be one of utter failure

[Nite Owl]

5. Oh he's trying

And it is one thing he is succeeding at.

[Plucketeer]

32. His legacy

is going to be that he was the first black president. That's all.

[rury]

152. That is all he will be to you, Plucketeer

To millions of others President Obama will be the president who ended Don't Ask, Don't Tell and allowed gay Americans to serve their country in uniform, delivered affordable healthcare to many previously uninsured U.S. citizens, prevented the second Great Depression, and engineered the most sweeping regulations of Wall Street in decades.
And much more...
Obama is the greatest president of my lifetime, not perfect, but very GOOD!!
But I guess to many on this board he has to be perfect since he's black.
Otherwise, to you and your ilk he is the "affirmative action flunkie" that you're sorry you voted for.
I would happily vote for him again and again.
Goodnight you sorry ass whiners!!

[randome]

163. Here, here!

[jerseyjack]

166. I believe his presidency will rank with James Buchannan

[lark]

198. He will be the Democrat who destroyed his party for decades

by putting SSI up for cuts. ACA is a gift to the insurance co's and big pharma with a only few nice parts for regular folks. Biden pushed him on gay marriage or he'd have never gone there. Credit for his stance on gays in the military does not make up for his absolutely horrible performance on the economy and security. Drones in the US make us more less safe. Allowing the bankers/wall st. types who were caught in criminal acts to go free is so singularly atrocious. Going after legal marijuana growers while giving the robbers of the economy an open pass - not something I'd approve by anyone, much less a Democratic president. Putting social security on the table for cuts will cause him to be reviled in the future and could put Democrats on a losing basis for many years to come. Yeah, big thanks due there. NOT.

[Carolina]

222. excellent post, lark

and all so true. Obama is a disgrace to the party of FDR, JFK and LBJ

[Plucketeer]

199. Sure,

I have acknowledged in other threads that he's done some good things as far as civil rights go. Common sense things that cost no one and actually MAKE money for some. Great! I've got a son who's gay and I'm sure he appreciates these liberations every bit as much as I do.

But your hero STILL has some of Bush's henchmen working for him. Reckon they had a "come-to-jesus" moment on Jan.20th of '09? He's worsened the surveillance over us US citizens - presides over the blowing away of kids in countries we're not even at war with. And NOW is willing to barter with the retirement insurances I'd been paying into thru all my working years.

I voted for him both times - the first time with fervor - the second time as better than the other option. I was elated with his victories, but not with his priorities - or lack thereof. I'd LOVE to see a woman in the White House - just not Billary. How's about a black woman president? Bet she'd put an end to this militaristic empire.

Your assumption that I'm sorry I voted for him is just wrong. I voted for him with my eyes wide open. I concluded he was the preferable option to Romney.

Edit to add...http://www.democraticunderground.com/1017111604

[mercymechap]

223. Thank you.

No matter how many times Obama doesn't do exactly what one person or a group of people wants him to do, he is still a hell of a lot better than any Republican candidate out there.

[sabrina 1]

227. Isn't it sad that the best thing we can say about an elected official is that 'he's better than the

Republican'? Maybe if Republicans weren't the rabid lunatics they are it wouldn't be so bad. But bank robbers are better than Republicans.

I would love to be able to say about the people we work so hard to elect 's/he's a great president/congressmenber. I can say that only about a total of five people over the past ten years. Great democrats.

[panzerfaust]

201. I disagree: His unconstitutional extensions of exec power will he his true legacy.

Not even B$ claimed the right to murder anyone, anywhere in the world, and Obama has prosecuted more administrative whistleblowers than all other presidents put together. He is bringing the B$ idea of a Unitary Executive - ie what the Greeks termed a Tyrant - to fruition.

I have never been so disappointed in a president, nor in any national politician. I did not think him our best candidate, but I had no inkling that he would prove to be so inadequate to the task of leading a representative democracy - much less that he harbored the dream of destroying it.


Buyers remorse.

[Plucketeer]

202. I'm actually reluctant

reluctant to use the sarcasm smily in/on my posts. I guess I like to assume that my fellow DUers - for the most part - are able to see mockery when it's there. Of course, there's no way I can write in tonal inflections or roll my eyes like Jon Stewart might do to make sure we "got it".

When I said his legacy would be that he was the first black president, I was, in essence, saying that was THE positive bit of his legacy - period. And even WITH that, I'm not telling the whole truth, because he HAS done a few positive things - things under the header of civil rights. Sadly, there's SO much more he could improve upon - and yet seems hell-bent to make worse. Your example(s) are only another small part of the hoodwinking we've been dealt.

[mother earth]

3. There is only one party, the party of money.

Borrowed this somewhere...appropos, don't you think?

Cornel West said first we fought against the monarchy, then slavery, today it's the oligarchy.

[rhett o rick]

134. I think your subject line is from Gore Vidal. nm

[mother earth]

218. TY, rhett o rick. :)

[rhett o rick]

219. No Problem. Stay Cool. nm

[avaistheone1]

4. Who knew?

[Liberalynn]

13. That's funny!

[avaistheone1]

18. I've been enjoying a lot of gallow's humor in the last couple days.

[rurallib]

8. I keep thinking back to Michael Moore

Believe he was on Ed's show.
Moore was talking about the Republican clown car and he said:
"Wall Street always gets who they want. Maybe this year they already have him?"

[BrotherIvan]

23. +1

Trojan Horse

[winter is coming]

11. Mr. President, if this has truly taken you by surprise, you should seriously consider

replacing your advisors.

[Liberalynn]

17. and now that you have seen the response

has been so negative, kindly withdraw the offer.

[Demeter]

49. Or resigning

Schedule an early election. Start a Fashion!

[ReRe]

102. I thought of resignation too.

+1

[City Lights]

14. Living in a bubble is hard!

Oy!

[WilliamPitt]

15. Link?

[Melinda]

21. link:

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2013/04/10/1200781/-The-shocking-events-that-everyone-saw-coming-except-Obama

(And, congrats on your new daughter )

[WilliamPitt]

24. Thanks!

P.S. You should throw that link into your OP.

[Melinda]

53. Psssst, it's KoKo's OP or I would, Pop ;-) n/t

[WilliamPitt]

56. D'oh!

[annabanana]

146. give the poor sleep deprived guy a break. . . . n/t

[Maven]

16. But it seemed like such a great idea over prime rib with Jamie Dimon

What could have gone wrong???

[HangOnKids]

44. The bling in Jamie's cuff links must have blinded him!

So hard to ignore that kind of super power!

[LiberalFighter]

139. Betcha Jamie wrote it off as a business expense.

[Peregrine Took]

58. Excellent, witty response.

Kudo's to you.

[Oilwellian]

142. LOL n/t

[randome]

20. "...this bumbling White House..."

That tells me from what viewpoint they started from.

If this mere PROPOSAL -not voted on by the Senate or the House or the House/Senate reconciliation committees- gets off the ground, it will have been a mistake, but Obama has shown he can learn from his mistakes.

All this hand-wringing is premature, IMO. We need to make our opinions known to our reps but the sky is not falling.

[HarmonyRockets]

43. Oh

Ohhhhhhhh! This is just a mere PROPOSAL.

Guys, we're not supposed to get angry or criticize politicians for proposing bad laws! Only start criticizing it after it gets off the ground. Makes so much sense.

[randome]

68. Direct your outrage at the WH and our Reps.

Too many seem to think we should just give up because, you know, Obama is evil or something.

This about the President who has been advocating for better health care, gay rights, gun control and revenue increases.

I think he made a mistake and we should let him know that. But the sky is not falling.

[HarmonyRockets]

81. Hmm

Nobody is saying we should give up. Who is saying that? What you are seeing is people displaying their anger about what Obama is proposing. It seems to me that you are a person emotionally invested in President Obama, and are therefore getting angry and feel like people are "attacking" him. This is kind of evident in your "Obama isn't evil!" line. Notice, nobody is calling him evil. There is nothing wrong with criticizing Obama and/or the Democratic Party. There is nothing wrong about getting angry at a President for proposing SS cuts. "The sky is not falling" seems to indicate that you believe people should be angry, but that people right now are getting too angry.

Ask yourself one thing: if this was a Republican president that was proposing SS cuts, would you be going around posting this exact sentiment to everyone that was getting upset? Of course not. I've been reading your posts all day now randome. I signed up to DU just a few days ago, before this chained-CPI storm really took off. Most people are understandably outraged. But a few people like you, the most ardent Obama loyalists, are up in arms not about the proposed SS cuts, but more so about people's negative reactions to the news. In other words, being supportive Obama is more important than the actual issue of whether or not we should cut benefits for the elderly. "People should be team players" you are basically saying. I'm sorry, politics should not be about defending your team, or your team leader. This isn't a game.

I'm still going to keep frequenting this board, but man it's been disappointing to see so many people out there like you. Being a progressive shouldn't be about worshiping a leader, be it President Obama or anyone else, but strictly about standing up for certain principles.

[randome]

88. I probably would NOT be as calm with a Republican President.

But that's because THIS President has pushed for health care, gay rights, gun control and revenue enhancements.

He doesn't come across to me as someone who is 'out to get us', as some seem to imply.

And he is not perfect. It was likely a mistake to include Chained CPI in the budget proposal. There are plenty of remarks scattered about -not to mention about 12 threads all basically stating the same thing- that Obama has NEVER been on our side.

I disagree with that.

It's sometimes difficult to know the right measure of response when conversing with people who basically say, "He must really be working for the corporations!" or "He's really just another Republican!"

[HarmonyRockets]

94. Ugh

The idea that we should lower our voices on criticisms the more a politician has supposedly been on our side is just horrible and nonsensical. I don't care what percentage of the time Obama is "on our side." I don't care if he's 100% of the side of corporations or has been on the right side of every single issue before this one. A president's feet should be held to the fire equally with every single proposal.

Like I basically said previously, political involvement should be about healthcare itself, not about Obama. It should be about gay rights itself, not about Obama. It should be about the issue of gun control itself, not about Obama. It's about pushing those issues, not about pushing the president who may or may not be "on our side." The blind worship of some on the left of the president is sickening. We can disagree with how progressive Obama really is, but you're saying people in vocal in opposition to a person in power over a law that would hurt citizens is a bad thing, or can be a bad thing if the president is mostly a good guy? Sorry, but *beep* everything about that attitude.

People getting angry and vocalizing their opinions like this is never a bad thing. And it can never be too loud. Standing up for an institution like Social Security will alwayss be more important than standing up for a single person like Obama, I don't care how much you like him or how upset it makes you that people are yelling at him.

[randome]

97. I'm not 'upset'. And you make good points.

[dreamnightwind]

117. Great post!

Welcome to DU.

[PA Democrat]

125. Absolutely! Policies over personalities.

[socialist_n_TN]

162. Oh my goodness! Pushing for POLICIES over Team D and BHO....

is CERTAINLY going to get you in trouble with a segment of DUers.

But not me. Welcome to DU.

[raouldukelives]

168. Very well stated. I'll never understand why some people have issues with that. nt

[BuelahWitch]

190. Agree, excellent post!

Welcome to DU!

[ReRe]

110. You stay put, Harmony Rockets...

...don't you go nowhere. Welcome to DU! We need good progressives. We need people who aren't "my-way-or-the-highway" folks, i.e. Republicans.

[mercymechap]

224. Maybe you're not reading all the comments.

I'm disappointed in Obama's SS offer, and rightfully so since he campaigned against that very same thing. I worked really hard to get people to vote for him and do not agree one bit with it.

But people on this thread are throwing him under the bus, so maybe you didn't read all the comments. They may not be saying he is evil, but they are ready to disown him as a Democratic leader as if he hasn't done anything at all during the past four years. It's certainly okay to be angry at Obama for trying to pacify the Republicans by offering the one thing he promised wouldn't be touched, but is that enough reason to start discrediting him?

It's not just about being supportive of Obama, but being supportive of the Democratic platform and I'm sorry but you sound like a Republican when you accuse another Lib of worshipping Obama. It's not worshipping him when you recognize that he's done a lot of good and the fact that he obviously is wrong on this one doesn't mean we start treating him like Republicans treat him.

[Boomerproud]

65. It IS a bumbling WH and I'm constantly wondering how a "smart chessmaster" like Obama

gets consistently blindsided (so did "brilliant" Bill Clinton) while idiot Bush got EVERYTHING he ever asked for (and some things he didn't even ask for) and the average American always get hurt. It's not hand-wringing anymore-it's happens every time!

[randome]

70. First no one has been hurt.

And it's very unlikely chained CPI will get past the Senate, the House and then the House/Senate reconciliation committees.

Secondly, this 'bumbling' WH has advocated for health care, gay rights, gun control and revenue enhancements.

This was likely a mistake by the WH. Big deal. Let them know and let's move on.

[Bluenorthwest]

103. Stop revising history. The actual facts are important. This WH advocated for gay rights? Eventually.

Fact is Obama is not yet one year into his scant support of equality, he spent his first campaign and 75% of his first term shouting about Sanctity and how Christians such as himself might take the widow's mite, but they could never support marriage for gay people.He was telling everyone Rick Warren was 'America's Minister' while Warren was libeling gays right and left. Advocacy? Eventually...
It was only enormous public pressure and highly targeted high end donor pressure that finally got him to speak a few words in favor of treating others equally. What advocacy we have gotten from him we have gotten at great cost in money, time, and good will.
So what those facts show us is that it is never smart to send a quick note and move on, the people in DC need full tilt and constant pressure on any important issue.
Apathy gets you nothing. Persistence is where the payoff lies.

[cheapdate]

76. George W. Bush wanted to privatize Social Security...

He also wanted to open the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) to oil and gas drilling. He didn't get "EVERYTHING he ever asked for".

And if you recall, GWB had Republican majorities in both the house and senate for six straight years -- until the 2006 mid-terms.

But yeah, I know, if Barack Obama was a real president, a thirty-three seat Republican majority in the house wouldn't matter.

[AnotherMcIntosh]

22. Here's what some newspaper readers are seeing today:

borrowed from JHB http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1002&pid=2654511

[Marr]

25. I was awake during the campaign, so I know he's aware that Chained CPI is very unpopular and

that people don't want Social Security cuts.

So I can only assume his surprised is directed at the Republicans, who so casually spun around and smacked him with his own shit.

[Sunlei]

28. The President can always withdraw the CPI (let cons think they 'won') and get the deal signed.

[AverageJoe90]

106. I think it'll work out, as the Republicans were the ones who started this shit in the first place...

.....but can we pull ourselves together and stop the infighting? Remember PBO's been in office for his last term for just 3 months now. 3 months, fellas.

[Sunlei]

26. could you please place the link to the news story in OP, thank you.

[KoKo]

37. done...just edited. Sorry about that.

[Sunlei]

195. Thanks KoKo, like your comments just wanted to read the article.

[hrmjustin]

27. The fact that the club for growth is defending the president says it all.

My heart is broken.

[neverforget]

29. But Obama punched some hippies and emos

to prove his cred with Republicans!

[YOHABLO]

148. Who are the ''hippies" ?? could you please elaborate on that.

[AgingAmerican]

211. The 'libruls'

N/T

[ProSense]

30. Maybe Kos is

"If there's any silver lining in this debacle, it's that it'll allow congressional Democrats the opportunity to distance themselves from this bumbling White House."

...trying to set up Hillary.

How can Hillary pass up 2016?
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2013/03/12/1192602/-How-can-Hillary-pass-up-2016

Fact is, the Republican infighting is underway.

NRCC's Walden not making many friends
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10022655106

[randome]

40. And Norquist is calling chained CPI a tax increase.

What a kerfuffle!

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10022653859

[A Simple Game]

57. I see that if we can't defend, now we divert. n/t

[OldDem2012]

31. Just curious, but does Kos have any direct quotes from anyone in the White House....

....stating that they're actually "shellshocked", or is this a supposition on the part of Kos?

[Spitfire of ATJ]

34. But,....but,...but,....Tweety LOVES this deal!!!

[madfloridian]

35. Here's a link to the Kos post.

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2013/04/10/1200781/-The-shocking-events-that-everyone-saw-coming-except-Obama

[Katashi_itto]

36. Maybe the President should get treatment for his co-dependency problem.

That need to make the Republicans Really, Really like him, at the expense of the rest of us.

[brutus smith]

90. Olive branch

How many times does it take for him to learn? Every time he reaches out with the Olive branch the Repubs grab it and hit him over the head with it.

[FiveGoodMen]

141. "How many times does it take for him to learn?"

He's reading from a script.

If the director tells the actor to read his line again, it doesn't mean the actor is a slow learner.

It's just how these shows are staged.

[smirkymonkey]

157. Touche!

And welcome to DU!

[MsPithy]

38. Obama can not seem to understand this one simple fact.

You can not bargain with the other side when their only goal is to end you.

There is only one way to deal with that. It is Nuclear War. You must mercilessly beat them and keep beating them with every weapon in your arsenal until you get 100% of what you want.

Obama does not have the stomach or the backbone for this kind of fight.

[mercymechap]

41. That seems to be an issue with most Democrats -

we try to accommodate others and end up hurting ourselves. I've seen that in even more trivial matters. We need someone without a soul (like a Republican) to do our bidding for us.

[magellan]

47. It doesn't require being soulless

It requires being able to learn the lesson the FIRST time and not being so naive that you let them keep doing it to you.

Or it requires being who you've told everyone you are in the first place.

We've watched the Repubs pull the football away from the Dems many times over the years. And we've watched Obama fall over himself reaching out to the Repubs again and again. At this juncture I don't believe it's naivete; it's cover.

[wilsonbooks]

167. No

“Given the choice between a Republican and someone who acts like a Republican, people will vote for the real Republican all the time”
- President Harry S. Truman

We just need to have Democrats who will fight for Democratic principles and not weasly republicans masquerading as Democrats.

[mercymechap]

225. But that's just it.

You're not going to find Democrats that will fight tooth and nail for Democratic principles like Republicans fight for theirs. I've seen Republicans stick together even when they know they are wrong, but Democrats will turn on each other if they don't agree on something and don't care that they are disagreeing with another Democrat.

Someone said it was because we think for ourselves, and that's true. So many DU members here on this very thread are ready to give up on Obama because of the SS, ready to forget all the other stuff he has done for the party. I don't think we have to go along with him, I've already voiced my opinion to my leaders and to Obama himself that offering cuts to SS was not what he campaigned for. But, I'm not ready to completely give up on him either, because anyway you slice it, he's a hell of a lot better than Romney would have been. Romney would have offered to privatize SS by now.

[duffyduff]

42. He does understand.

It's just that most people haven't figured out what he really is about.

Take a look at his horrible education policies, and they say it all about what he is truly about.

[ReRe]

115. Bingo!

^^^^^^^^^^^^
+1,000,000,000,000

[Citizen Seattle]

145. Thank you n/t

[smirkymonkey]

161. +1000

Sad, but true.

[azalia]

46. Is KOS truely correct on this, I have not heard of any cuts?

I think Obama is doing a good job. I am more concerned when he is going to end the war and close Guantanamo Bay which he promised and I have no doubt he will do.

[forestpath]

51. They MUST be stunned if they're blaming REPUBLICANS instead of just insulting liberals.

[Peregrine Took]

59. SO true. They love to "kick the hippies" don't they?

Only thing is the hippies are always right - no matter how old they are.

[forestpath]

60. A-FUCKING-MEN!

[ReRe]

116. Damn right!

And we've got a bunch of 'em!

[closeupready]

52. Really STUPID strategic move. STUPID!

I'm just ... wow, the amateurs ...

Actually, Krugman said it best, there are no grown-ups in DC today.

K&R

[truebrit71]

54. This is just about the dumbest thing he's done yet..until he approves Keystone of course...

...when again "the left" will be told to sit down and STFU and listen to the "serious" people...

After his first term I knew he was no progressive, and I knew that he was the lesser of two evils in 2012, but he really is turning out to be the moderate republican he said he was....

[Ghost in the Machine]

66. "After his first term I knew he was no progressive, and I knew that he was the lesser of two evils."

After his first term I knew he was no progressive, and I knew that he was the lesser of two evils in 2012

I pegged him as a Corporatist Hack before his first election. I can't find the old DU and search for it, but I posted it in a few threads...

Ghost

[DaveT]

55. We were headed for a shot at taking back the House in 2014

Forget that idea. Now we will probably lose the Senate.

This will be a reprise of 2010 -- a massive repudiation of the Obama Administration.


A lot could happen to change that gloomy prospect. But there is nothing in the history of this President to suggest that he will do anything different than what he has been doing -- trying to change our political culture from confrontrational to collaborative; trying to push the idea of "balance" between what liberals supposedly want and what conservatives supposedly want.

Nobody other than the hacks who make up the Washington Punditocracy agree with his quixotic quest for balance. It is plainly absurd on every practical level.

I saw this coming and I submit that everybody should have seen it coming from how he frames the question of fiscal policy. He wants to trade benefit cuts for tax increases. The problem is that liberals do not really care about making taxes go up. We would of course prefer that the tax burder be shifted from the less well off to the more affluent, but that is our normal predispostion regardless of whether the Federal Budget is balanced or deeply in debt. What liberals care about is that we maintain Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid. Meanwhile, the people who fund the GOP (and therefore control the GOP) do not really want to cut benefits -- they just don't want their taxes to go up.

So liberals are supposedly going to counteance benefit cuts if they will buy a tax increase from the GOP and conservatives are supposed to tell their campaign contributors that ther taxes will have to go up in order to buy benefit cuts. But nobody wants either end of this idiotic trade that Obama seems to think will put his face on Mount Rushmore.

He fancies himself the "realist" who understands that "both sides" need to "sacrifce" in order to solve the budget problem. His idea of a Grand Bargain is to make "both sides" eat their broccoli and take their cod liver oil.


Pushing this preposterous and utterly unwanted crap is bad public policy and worse politics. We made a massive mistake in electing this man President. He has done some very good things along the way, and he is facing more strenuous opposition than most of us expected. But his basic approach to the key issue of our time -- entitlements for baby boomers -- is morally wrong and politically suicidal for the Democratic Party.

It will be very difficult to undo the damage he is doing to our country and our party.

[yourout]

165. Amen......at this point he is doing more harm then good.

[Dawson Leery]

172. Congressional Dems need to distance themselves from this nonsense.

[AsahinaKimi]

64. okay now that the White House appears shellshocked....

What are they going to do about it? My suggestion, leave SS alone!

[randome]

67. No, no, you're supposed to stomp your feet and give up!

The sky is falling! He has ALWAYS been against us!

WE ARE DOOMED!

Or, we could talk to the WH and our Reps and tell them, "No way."

[AsahinaKimi]

69. I have a long way to go

before I qualify for SSI. I want it around when I get to that age.

[sabrina 1]

185. Well if that is how YOU feel, maybe YOU should call the WH et al rather than acting

like we are DOOMED.

We are no only NOT doomed, we are now in a far better position to proceed with the goal of cleaning out our party of the imposters who have infiltrated it pretending to be Democrats.

We were told, eg, that he was just 'baiting' the republicans, that we need to wait until he ACTUALLY put the cuts to SS in the budget. Well, here we are, and as usual the Professional Left was correct.

Call the WH?? Lol, has Obama addressed the tens of thousands of people who did just that yet? Has he mentioned the huge petitions sent to him opposing this disastrous policy? Any acknowledgement from him of the tens, maybe hundreds of thousands of people who have emailed him?

Please, we know better. We have been told we are not needed in this party. But too bad, we're not going anywhere, what we are now free to do is to begin the long-delayed, while we 'hoped' for 'change', much needed process of taking control of this party out of the hands of the infiltrators, imposters and Corporate shills.

This final revelation, that we have a Democratic President willing to sell out SS to the enemy, a fund he has no right to touch btw, has freed us finally, ended the destructive 'let's wait and see' policy and made it possible to start on the long road back to when the Democratic Party actually stood by its stated ideals.

The sky fell a long time ago. We are now about to pick up the pieces and restore this party to its roots.

[KoKo]

191. 2.5 Million Petition Signatures were presented to the WH..

as of yesterday morning according to Amy Goodman, "Democracy Now."

[sabrina 1]

200. Did anyone acknowledge those millions of people who signed the petition?

[randome]

193. Keep holding their feet to the fire. No one wants to change that.

I have no idea why this foolish item was put into the budget. But it has NO chance of happening so I don't understand the level of outrage.

Outrage? Yes. But without the vitriol of saying that 'He's always been against us' and 'There is no difference between the parties.' That kind of hyperbole serves no purpose, IMO.

Another poster on this thread says Obama is 'corrupt beyond belief'. More hyperbole.

Obama is not perfect but he has pushed for health care for pre-existing conditions, contraception, gay rights, gun control and equitable taxation.

There is a clear difference between the parties.

I agree with you that we should express our disappointment with the idea of chained CPI. But that's about the level of 'outrage' it deserves, IMO.

And then we move on.

[mercymechap]

226. Amen to that!

Sometimes I wonder if some of the members here at DU are actually Republicans masquerading as Democrats.

[sendero]

73. Yea I mean..

... WHO KNEW that Social Security was the third rail of politics?


The thing that totally "gets" me is that he chose SS to mess with. There is some kind of message in that and the one I am thinking of is not very nice.

SS is totally solvent. People have been paying 7.2% (15.4 if you count the employer share and you might as well) of their earnings for decades into this plan often against their will. Again SS is solvent for the forseeable future.

So if you are hell-bent on offering "entitlement reform", why pick SS? Medicare is a much better and frankly fairer target.

i guess that is not what the masters of the universe, i.e. the presidential puppeteers, wanted.

[santamargarita]

71. Rose petals. We should embrace him for sticking...

a knife in our back!

[Blue Owl]

72. Has anything with the word "chained" in its title EVER been good?

I mean, really!?!

[JimDandy]

85. Best of thread! n/ t

[ReRe]

122. Does anyone know who came up with that term? "chained-cpi"

... A gimmick is what it was. So the old folks wouldn't know what was being discussed. The old "a-rose-by-any-other-name-smells-as-sweet" switcheroo.

[Hoyt]

77. I guess Obama thought people weren't so short-sighted.

After all, he’s improved Medicare prescription drug benefit substantially; expanded preventive Medicare services with no deductible or copayments (cancer screenings, wellness visits, personalized prevention plans); greatly expanded Medicaid for states smart enough to take it (which will help seniors); increased the Medicare tax on businesses and high income individuals to improve Medicare; put greater emphasis on quality of care and outcomes; taken actions which will help stabilize the annual increases in Medicare premiums; did not raise SS or Medicare age; etc. Not to mention his budget proposal includes jobs and technology training funding, etc., which will also benefit all of us.

But yep, there's a slim chance that no good President is going to reduce my SS a little bit – unless of course, I’m on the lower end of the scale, on SSI, or benefit from other protections in the budget proposal. Obama sure is a menace to seniors.

[jeff47]

86. Here's a hint

The fact that there are "protections" at all means this is a terrible idea. And those protections demolish the VSP's argument for doing it.

[Hoyt]

89. Here's another hint, look at the big picture, as well as the budget proposals for jobs, unemployment

benefits, etc. If we don't get legislation passed soon on jobs, unemployment extention, increased tax revenues, you will quickly come to view the Chained-CPI as the good ole days because things will get a lot worse.

[jeff47]

98. The big picture is that Social Security doesn't cause deficits

Social Security funds deficits.

So why, exactly, do we need to cut Social Security for jobs, unemployment benefits and the like?

And could you name the Republicans lining up behind this proposal, agreeing to pass those "jobs, unemployment benefits, etc." bills thanks to chained CPI?

There is absolutely no positive from this proposal. It would cause people to literally die. Republicans will never let it pass, and will run against it in 2014. Hard. Democrats will never let it pass and will have to desperately run away from it in 2014. And the VSPs will continue to write editorials claiming Obama has not shown enough "leadership". Oh, and it won't close the funding gap those VSPs are worried about in 30 years....btw, that gap goes away if you assume the economy grows the same rate over those 30 years as the previous 100.

This proposal has no upside.

[Hoyt]

109. It's called politics, and borrowing to repay the SS trust fund does contribute to debt.

Any Democrat who votes for the GOP, or sits home in 2014, is an idiot if they think Paul Ryan would even waste his time proposing something as minor as CCPI

Our economy has no chance of growing like it did from the 50s - 90s, conditions are different. If I were you, I'd do everything I can to make those three poor youngsters who face a bleak future and will be paying for your social security benefits, happy and prosperous.

In any event, bashing Obama does us no good.

[jeff47]

111. If it's just politics, then that makes the proposal even worse.

Because again, there is no upside.

Any Democrat who votes for the GOP, or sits home in 2014, is an idiot if they think Paul Ryan would even waste his time proposing something as minor as CCPI

Yet in all of Ryan's awful budgets, he busts his ass to not cut Social Security for current seniors. Meaning if you're a senior deciding on which party to vote for, you're more inclined to vote for Ryan's ideas than Obama's after this proposal.

Our economy has no chance of growing like it did from the 50s - 90s, conditions are different.

Yeah, they used to say the same thing in the 70's and 80's. Then the 90's happened.

100-year baseline is plenty accurate. After all, it includes both the 50's and the great depression. It's definitely not 300% off.

In any event, bashing Obama does us no good.

Holding hands around the campfire singing 'kumbaya' doesn't do us any good either.

[shawn703]

79. You can't blame his advisors for this one

This is on par with the last administration believing we'd be greeted as liberators once we invade Iraq. The guy at the top is expected to have enough common sense to say no to obviously bad ideas.

[randome]

83. I agree with the advisors remark.

And I think it was a mistake to include Chained CPI in the proposal. But it has almost no chance of getting through all the committees. And instead of some proclaiming that Obama is now our enemy, we should let the WH and our Reps know we insist on 'Hands off!' Social Security.

And move on.

[immoderate]

140. That would require democracy...

We don't have that.

--imm

[The Green Manalishi]

180. No one on this thread is proclaiming him 'The Enemy'

It's more like getting pissed at a roommate for stealing your stuff. You don't want to kill them, and they are still an order of magnitude better than the last one, who was a true psychopath (apologies to psychopaths everywhere), but still it's a serious slap that is called for, something to leave a mark.
No matter how benign and brilliant the strategy, you really don't want to see granny's rent money on the craps table.

[randome]

194. I agree. He needs to be called out on this.

But some are saying Obama is 'corrupt beyond belief'. Or 'I give up.' Or "There is no difference between the parties."

That's the hyperbole that does nothing to advance the discussion.

[The Green Manalishi]

220. Well, neither extreme does any good

the 'President Obama can do no wrong' (hint - look for anyone saying that chained CPI is anything other than disgusting) and the folks who just don't want to admit that not only is he wrong on this but he is as unbelievably wrong as Reagan or Bush could have been - both tactically and morally.

It's especially repugnant because he is young and wealthy. He will never miss a meal, worry about health care, wonder if his kids are going to be able to go to college, and yet he is screwing the weakest, the vulnerable, the people who have no way to go out and make a few speeches for $20K if they need some spare change. It is beyond mere' wrong', there is something seriously amiss here.

[Marrah_G]

84. I'm sure this is just one of his ninja-like kung-fu 10 dimension chess moves

In a minute you will have a chorus of fans screaming about a President Romney and how you just don't understand the Prez like THEY do!

[John2]

91. The President has this bizarre idea

about some mythical middle in this country that wins elections. There is no such thing. There is the Right and Left that both demonize each other. There are a very small percentage of Americans that don't care too much about the social issues but care very much about material wealth. They play both sides of the Political spectrum. The have the largest voices in Congress and they also influence institutions like the media and banking. They want tax Policies that benefit them.

When the President talks about the radical left in his Party, he needs to pay careful attention on the radical ideas they are espousing. The radical ideas are the Safety net. Those are not radical ideas, but popular programs wanted by the majority of Americans. When pundits in the media call Bernie Sanders part of the crazy Left, Sanders have a constituency and those talking heads do not. They are just espousing the corporate agenda and the people employing them. Sanders was able to send a petition signed by two million Americans to the President and those pundits sent nothing. Guess who represents the people. He needs to stop listening to these pundits. They didn't elect him to anything. Mark my words, somebody is going to pay in 2014. The Democrats in the firing line need to counsel their President. Don't listen to the same idiots that advised you in the first Debate. Listen to the voters, because they are not as stupid as you think or radical. The Republicans and Media think you are dumb though. Just ignore the Beltway media period.

[MrSlayer]

92. He looks like the bumbling amateur he's been accused of being all along.

What a disappointment. It's unbelievable how foolish this White House is. They've blown so many opportunities with this center right approach to everything, this catering and kowtowing to Republican ideas, that his legacy will consist of being chumped repeatedly by the right and hating his base.

It's really sad when you think of what could have been. So many great, not just good, things could have been done if this party had stuck together and went to its FDR roots in 2009 instead of insisting on being Reaganites. When things are as bad as they were back then you take the necessary steps and you roll right over the people that caused the problems. You don't do everything you can to incorporate their ideas.

I'm sick. We're going to rolled again in the midterms next year because of this absolute idiocy. I can't believe they're this stupid. We're never going to get out of this hole now. Teabagger nation is what we're going to be.

It doesn't even matter that this will never be enacted. Obama's offering it up is the same as doing it in the minds of the people that live in zombie land.

This rope a dope is dope a dope.

[smirkymonkey]

164. +1000

I am sick to finally admit that I agree with you. Not that I don't usually agree with you, just that I am so disappointed in Obama.

[lib2DaBone]

96. It's discouraging...what did we get in return?

When he gave away single payer.. we received NOTHING in return?

Obama sent 33,000 more troops to Afghanistan, signed NDAA when he said he wouldn't.... and gave himself the power to kill innocents via drones.

Now he is going to throw Senior Citizens under the bus and get nothing in return? I don't get it?

If he would bring troops home from just one war.. that would cut more money than anything he has done.

Close Gitmo. How many billions a month is that costing us?

None of this makes sense.

[dreamnightwind]

124. It makes total sense

if you don't assume that his goals are the same as ours. Just saying.

[wilsonbooks]

169. Judge the actions not the speeches and it is so clear.

by the fruit of the tree you will know them.

[Autumn]

100. Is there anyone in that White House that can think a logical thought?

Stupid move and they deserve every bit of flack they get for it.

[Blue Idaho]

101. Rule Number One - Do Not Fuck With Social Security.

Apparently this is a lesson ALL politicians need to learn - including second term Presidents working on their legacy.

[Rider3]

189. Exactly. Why don't they get this point?

[AverageJoe90]

104. Most of this is right, except for one thing:

The Republicans have been wanting to destroy Social Security long before PBO tried the "rope-a-dope" move; after all, they're the ones who started this whole "Social Security is exacerbating the deficit" bullshit.

And it doesn't help that we've got Professional Left talking points being splattered all over the fucking place as if Obama was some sort of Republican covert agent or whatever.....I mean, honestly, if I wanted to hear Obama bashing, I'd just take a trip over to UnFree Republic or World Nuts Daily......

[dreamnightwind]

127. Correct about the Repubs

So, put yourself in the shoes of the people behind the scenes who are driving the agenda of cutting and/or privatizing Social Security. Bush certainly tried to do it, but the people were dead set against it.

The people running the large corporations that want money to go to them and not to the little people are intelligent, they make long-term plans, and most importantly, their plans can be implemented because they have massive financial resources with which to execute them.

If Bush couldn't get it done, what to do? Find a Democrat who will do it. The leverage is completely different when the attack comes from within our own party. It's very difficult to get people to mobilize against their own. The privatizers and oligarchs are well aware of this. They are the ones calling the shots, there needs to be no pretense about it.

[me b zola]

105. This is no bumbling

...and these putzes in congress have played their role. Really? Who the fuck do they think they are fooling?

[Zen Democrat]

108. I think they wanted to triangulate. Clinton probably told Obama to do it.

And if rejected by the Republicans, which it will be, then the Democrats could possibly pull in some moderate Republicans to vote Dem in the 2014 Congressionals. I think that may have been the plan, but I don't think Washington realizes that the country continues to move left, and they are the last to know, as usual.

[KoKo]

119. If his advice is that bad...then I fear for the next over 4 1/2 Years!

Agree...and for the few Repugs they'd get they'd have Democrats voting Third Party in disgust. And there WILL BE Third Party Candidates. We had them in the last election. They didn't get but a small slice of the vote...but Angry Dems will go SOMEWHERE...and it's to the Third Party...because they will feel their VOTE DOESN'T COUNT in the Dem Party anymore and they would NEVER vote REPUG.

So might be some Big Changes coming up if Obama doesn't get his footing moving forward to support those who voted for him for a Second Term!

[Autumn]

130. Could have been any of Obamas good friends, Dimon, Summers, good old Timmy,

or his friend Rham. It will be interesting when books come out by the insiders of this administration. You sure are right about Washington being the last to know. They all seem to be clueless.

[Beacool]

155. So, it's always either Bush's fault or Clinton's fault.

Apparently it's never Obama's fault. Why is he even in office then?

[SwampG8r]

215. lol you made me laugh nt

[FiveGoodMen]

120. The key word is 'appears'

They're not that stupid.

Evil, yes.

Stupid, no.

(Huh...just like with the Bushies!)

[TransitJohn]

121. Kos never really loved him....he's a new Jane Hamsher

[FlyByNight]

123. "Because only a moron would step on that third rail."

Did the administration honestly think they weren't going to get blowback over this? Are they that naive? Stupid? Sociopathic? Well, at least President Obama now looks like the "reasonable adult" to the Beltway Set. Good for him.

As if taking the House and maintaining the Senate majority wasn't difficult enough. Good luck to the Dems for the '14 midterms. Looks like they're going to need it.

Unfuckingbelievable.

[FiveGoodMen]

147. Just for the sake of argument...

Suppose your future prospects are tied to pleasing some rich, powerful people and you're never really going to need another job anyway.

Then, what do you care how this affects a particular political party?

[dflprincess]

170. Or why would you care how it affects the people that voted for you

and have paid for these "entitlements" all their working lives... You don't need those suckers anymore.

[xchrom]

126. du rec. nt

[Rex]

129. How can it be they are so willfullingly out of touch

with the rest of us? Oh I know why, just cannot fathom that it is true.

[AAO]

131. A true boneheaded move. And I would know. n/t

[YOHABLO]

149. Just another politician out of touch with not only his base .. but the majority of ..

people in this country who are apposed to cuts .. he needs to be talking about the cap on FICA and how much money we're being screwed out of by banks and corporations. He is a very naive person IMO. He needs to go back to academia where he belongs.

[davidwparker]

151. He's still trying to be Lincoln when he should have been like FDR. n/t

[carolinayellowdog]

171. Blanche? n/t

[myrna minx]

153. K&R. *Sigh*

[Bonobo]

156. But wait, I thought he was rope-a-doping in the 11th dimension? nt

[Beacool]

158. This says it all.

1. Release a budget with cuts to Social Security.

2. The base pushes back: Um, we're Democrats. We don't cut Social Security!

3. President Barack Obama gets defensive: But it's the Republicans' idea!

4. Except that the Republicans didn't include Social Security cuts in their crazy draconian budget. Why? Because only a moron would step on that third rail.

[jsr]

159. Best executive summary ever.

[Douglas Carpenter]

173. "Show courage and leadership in entitlement reform" - Almost every media pundit has been telling him

that. Virtually every media pundit has been saying that only the far left is against cutting Social Security and Medicare benefits. Perhaps the White House mistook those clowns on the Sunday morning infotainment talk shows for being the voice of the people.

[winter is coming]

176. What on Earth is courageous about ripping off the poor and elderly?

You want to show some stones? Tell the rich it's time to pony up.

[Douglas Carpenter]

179. I'm sure those mainstream media pundits just cannot understand why the poor and elderly don't sell

off some of their stock or cash in some of their bonds - if they need more money. Hey, that's what everyone they know would do.

[woo me with science]

217. [phone]

No shit.

[Herlong]

177. You should check on your team of rivals.

Oh sorry. I forgot, that whole team of rivals was just bull while you leave the people who voted for you out in the cold.

[Sherman A1]

186. Just emailed the White House

to express my concern. I urge all to do the same.

[Doctor_J]

188. Can we PLEASE stop the 12D chess bullshit now?

The viable choices are now

1. Obama wants to cut SS (complicit)
2. He honestly didn't see this coming (incompetent)

[randome]

192. 3. A mistake to propose this.

Big deal since it has no chance of happening.

We need to make our voices heard and move on.

[blkmusclmachine]

197. IM in a PEACH of a mood.

That's mavericky!

[Crowman1979]

203. I would say this problem is party-wide, not just the president.

We need to vote anyone who compromises our lives for the sake of bi-partisanship.

[kentuck]

204. Sad but true.

The Party has been in decline since Mondale or before.

[locks]

205. Thanks for this post

I put this in another post but I think it belongs here too. One of Obama's answer to the complaint that his budget proposal will hurt seniors is: We make up the cuts in Social Security to protect really poor seniors by giving them a "bonus." Most seniors, especially women, myself included, get about $1000 a month and do not qualify for Medicaid. This means that persons over 76 will get a slight increase each year over 10 years to age 86 to make up for the SS they have lost. But don't worry, if you live to 95 your SS will increase. Will it cover home care, hearing aids, dental care, eye care, all meds. No, but you will get Medicare....oh, wait Medicare doesn't cover those either.

[Duer 157099]

207. The thing about a Messiah complex

is that it usually ends up very badly for the purported Messiah.

Wonder if that is what has happened here?

[Marr]

208. They live in a bubble of 1%ers and their media pundits. /nt

[FiveGoodMen]

214. I think they can see outside their bubble.

I also think they know which side of their bread has the butter.

[Courtesy Flush]

213. The "tough choices" always seem to target the weak.

Seems like taking on Wall Street would be the true tough choice.

[TeamPooka]

216. K&R!

[Samantha]

228. I think at this precise moment, the truth is indiscernable (to us)

When I read that Roll Call article yesterday, my bs alarm went off. Someone planted that article, probably a Democrat. Really, when would a Republican admit to being afraid of anything, meaning their public posturing has always been the opposite. Beat their chests, do the Tarzan yell. That is who they are.

When I read that Washington Post article, it seemed like more of a response to the Roll Call article. It was a PR payback. That was probably planted by a Republican.

This is a war to end the PR campaign, not the Chained CPI battle.

I am going to disregard both until someone steps out, shows his or her face, and makes a statement looking into the camera. Steny Hoyer does not count. He is a lap dog (and unfortunately my representative). I knew from the beginning he would fold.

Just my opinion.

Sam