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jsr

(7,712 posts)
Sun Apr 14, 2013, 09:04 AM Apr 2013

Dems fear Obama Social Security cut will haunt them in 2014 races

http://thehill.com/homenews/house/293703-dems-fear-obamas-social-security-cut-will-haunt-them-in-2014

Dems fear Obama Social Security cut will haunt them in 2014 races
By Mike Lillis - 04/14/13 06:00 AM ET

A growing number of House Democrats are concerned that President Obama's proposal to cut Social Security benefits will haunt the party at the polls in 2014.

Although Democrats have long-championed the retirement program, they say Obama's plan to reduce payments for future beneficiaries through a chained consumer price index (CPI) has weakened their stance and opened the door for Republicans to vilify the president.

The leader of the campaign arm for House Republicans, Rep. Greg Walden (Ore.), on Wednesday called Obama’s plan a "shocking attack on seniors."

Rep. Chris Van Hollen (Md.), the former head of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, said Walden's comments foreshadow a line of attack the GOP will use on the campaign trail next year. It's a reason, he added, for Democrats to worry.

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Dems fear Obama Social Security cut will haunt them in 2014 races (Original Post) jsr Apr 2013 OP
Maybe the proposal was designed to accomplish that very thing Vinnie From Indy Apr 2013 #1
Not to mention the beneficiaries... which will be haunted forever, talk about forward thinking, WOW! usGovOwesUs3Trillion Apr 2013 #2
There is one POSSIBLE silver lining to this........ socialist_n_TN Apr 2013 #3
Seems like this ProSense Apr 2013 #6
Could chain CPI ProSense Apr 2013 #4
Certainly, there are damage control measures, hopefully effective ones, that... Tom Rinaldo Apr 2013 #8
Frankly ProSense Apr 2013 #9
Does this mean they are "Emo progs"? AgingAmerican Apr 2013 #5
They should be worried. 99Forever Apr 2013 #7
Well, they could stand up and denounce the President BlueStreak Apr 2013 #10

Vinnie From Indy

(10,820 posts)
1. Maybe the proposal was designed to accomplish that very thing
Sun Apr 14, 2013, 09:09 AM
Apr 2013

Divided government and obstruction might just fit the 1%'ers agenda nicely.

socialist_n_TN

(11,481 posts)
3. There is one POSSIBLE silver lining to this........
Sun Apr 14, 2013, 11:52 AM
Apr 2013

But it would require Dems to take a more militant and left populist line. IOW, run AWAY from Obama and his neo-liberal policies in all areas, INCLUDING this Social Security cut. This would inspire, not only the base, but also the 50% or so of registered voters who don't vote because they don't think that anybody in DC actually represents them. More participation equals more Democratic voters. But it probably won't happen.

ProSense

(116,464 posts)
6. Seems like this
Sun Apr 14, 2013, 12:38 PM
Apr 2013

"But it would require Dems to take a more militant and left populist line. IOW, run AWAY from Obama and his neo-liberal policies in all areas, INCLUDING this Social Security cut. This would inspire, not only the base, but also the 50% or so of registered voters who don't vote because they don't think that anybody in DC actually represents them. More participation equals more Democratic voters. But it probably won't happen."

...would require "chess."

ProSense

(116,464 posts)
4. Could chain CPI
Sun Apr 14, 2013, 12:01 PM
Apr 2013

become more toxic than it currently is?

The leader of the campaign arm for House Republicans, Rep. Greg Walden (Ore.), on Wednesday called Obama’s plan a "shocking attack on seniors."

Rep. Chris Van Hollen (Md.), the former head of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, said Walden's comments foreshadow a line of attack the GOP will use on the campaign trail next year. It's a reason, he added, for Democrats to worry.

<...>

"I don't underestimate the degree to which they'll be disingenuous," Rep. Mark Takano (Calif.), a freshman Democrat who has emerged as one of the loudest critics of Social Security benefit cuts, said Friday. "It harkens back to the charge that $700 billion was taken from Medicare and put into ObamaCare, and [they] told all the seniors it was a [benefit] cut. That was very deceptive, [and] this is another instance of that."

Rep. Alan Grayson (D-Fla.), another staunch defender of Social Security, echoed that charge Friday.

"I never underestimate Republican hypocrisy," he said.

Not all Democrats fear Obama's chained CPI proposal will be a liability for the party during the midterms. Rep. Keith Ellison (D-Minn.), head of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, argued that the president proposed the change, so any political fallout should be directed at him...Rep. Ted Deutch (D-Fla.), another fierce critic of chained CPI, offered another reason he thinks GOP attacks on Obama's budget won’t stick: Republicans, he said, have crusaded for similar entitlement cuts for too long to reverse course convincingly.

I love this!



Tom Rinaldo

(22,911 posts)
8. Certainly, there are damage control measures, hopefully effective ones, that...
Sun Apr 14, 2013, 12:45 PM
Apr 2013

...Democratic candidates in 2014 can embrace. But "damage control" is always an admission that the likelihood of damage, if not actual damage itself, has increased. Democrats are wise to take this danger seriously and to put as much distance between the Chained CPI and themselves as possible heading into the mid term elections.

ProSense

(116,464 posts)
9. Frankly
Sun Apr 14, 2013, 12:49 PM
Apr 2013

"Certainly, there are damage control measures, hopefully effective ones, that..."

...I don't see this as "damage control." Like Ellison said, this is the President's proposal. They never supported it.

No one is going to hold their representatives accountable for a policy they never supported. It will be a policy suggested by the President and rejected by Congress.

Also, Republicans have no credibility on the issue. The 2010 formula is unlikely to work again.

99Forever

(14,524 posts)
7. They should be worried.
Sun Apr 14, 2013, 12:42 PM
Apr 2013

This will haunt them and likely kill any chance at gains in the House and even open the possibility of losing the Senate.

It's called reality.

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