House liberals demand meeting with Obama on Chained CPI

[DonViejo]

Source: WaPo

Top House progressives are demanding a sit down meeting with President Obama to underscore their opposition to any Social Security benefits cuts as part of a Grand Bargain — a sign that the left has no intention of allowing any cuts to go forward without a major fight.

The demand is being made in a letter that is set to be mailed to the President tomorrow, and was sent my way by a source. It is signed by Congressional Progressive Caucus co-chairs Keith Ellison and Raul Grijalva, along with Dem Reps. Jan Schakowsky, John Conyers, and Donna Edwards, and Senator Bernie Sanders. It says:

,We write to request a meeting with you to discuss the inclusion of chained CPI in your recent budget proposal.

We appreciate your ongoing efforts to negotiated with Congressional Republicans in a serious, thoughtful manner, despite their unwillingness to consider a balanced approach. We also appreciate the many positive proposals in your budget, including much-needed additional revenue and the call for universal preschool. However, at a time when many Americans are struggling, cutting Social Security benefits would take money directly out of the pockets of American seniors and slow our economic recovery…a majority of Democrats in the House of Representatives and many Democratic Senators have expressed their vigorous opposition to cuts to earned benefit programs. (...)

,

-snip-

Read more: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/plum-line/wp/2013/04/24/house-liberals-demand-meeting-with-obama-on-chained-cpi/

[Brigid]

1. They should not have to *demand* a meeting.

If Obama has a case to make about how chained CPI can help save Social Security -- not that it needs saving -- then let him make his case to them and to the American people. He has not.

[DonViejo]

3. I don't think they demanded to meet with him...

Last edited Wed Apr 24, 2013, 06:32 PM - Edit history (1)

WaPo headline writer was being creative. Nowhere in the letter sent to the Prez, and published by the Post, does the word "demand" appear. In fact, they wrote, "We look forward to meeting with you at your earliest convenience."

[grahamhgreen]

40. In fact, the should have been consulted beforehand, in fact, Obama should

have presented the progressive budget, the one that works, instead of his corporatist screed.

[truedelphi]

2. A big K & R for Don Viehjo and for

Brigid.

Do we have a Democrat in the Oval Office or not??????

[Bully Taw]

8. sometimes n/t

[Octafish]

23. Election Season.

Every four years.

[SammyWinstonJack]

42. ...

[allan01]

4. re:House liberals demand meeting with Obama on Chained CPI

negotiate with republicans ? hell no.

[Bernardo de La Paz]

5. Starting to see "Liberals" in headlines; not such a dirty word these Obama days. nt

[Nite Owl]

6. I'm glad that they are not letting go of this

How come they have to ask for a meeting in the first place? I guess there isn't even a remote chance of dinner for the progressives, only the DLCers actually mean something to him.

[DonViejo]

7. Are these folks DLC'ers?...

Obama Discusses Budget, Other Issues With Female Senators

At a dinner on Tuesday at the White House with all female Senators, President Obama discussed the budget, the economy, immigration reform, gun control and other issues, according to a White House official.

"The President enjoyed continuing his discussion with the Senators about a wide range of items on the agenda, including working together to find common ground on budget issues and new initiatives to grow our economy, create jobs, and strengthen the middle class," a White House official said of the dinner, according to a pool report. "The President discussed our continued focus on passing commonsense immigration reform that will strengthen our national security and our economy. The group also discussed a number of other priorities, including passing measures to reduce gun violence and expanding educational opportunities for all our children. The President also reiterated his commitment to ensuring all resources remain available as a part of the ongoing investigation into the explosions in Boston last week and commended law enforcement efforts."

http://livewire.talkingpointsmemo.com/entry/obama-discusses-budget-other-issues-with-female-senators

----------------------

Any member of the House and Senate has to ask for a meeting if they want to meet with the President. And the President also asks for a meeting when he wants to meet with one, or more, of them.

[Doctor_J]

9. yeah you would think he'd talk to them

Before offering up the best domestic program in history. Obama views dems in about the same way that limpballs does.

[DonViejo]

10. Nothing like a little rhetoric, eh, Doc? nt

[FiveGoodMen]

12. An accurate assessment, I would have said.

[Doctor_J]

15. in the end the real dems will shut up and go along

Like they did with tax cuts and insurance mandates. Keystone xl will be next. They must be truly discouraged having to fight battles like this.

[yurbud]

45. "Progressive? You mean the insurance company? How much did you donate to my campaign?"

[hay rick]

11. Chained cpi will be Obama's Iraq.

The Republican convention in 2012 was notable for completely ignoring the existence of the most recent Republican president, George W. Bush. They didn't want to be associated with his catastrophic legacy: Iraq, the housing bubble, the bank bailouts, and the great recession.

If Obama includes chained cpi in a grand bargain, it will replace PPACA as the signature accomplishment of his presidency. I don't think he wants to build a library around that.

[FiveGoodMen]

13. Bush hasn't even gotten a slap on the wrist over Iraq.

He should be behind bars, but nothing whatsoever has happened to him as a result of lying us into that war.

[hay rick]

14. Stop holding your breath.

Or is that Holder-ing your breath?

[FiveGoodMen]

16. Oh, I have.

I'm just saying that "Obama's Iraq" probably won't phase him, either.

[Psephos]

28. Put him in a cell next to Corzine.

With a bunch of other Wall Street banksters, too.

[L0oniX]

18. Well ...wait for full ACA to kick in ...then we will see.

At this point I'm expecting to be fucked by ACA as well as CPI.

[hay rick]

21. Dueling catastrophes?

Surely one of the signature accomplishments of his presidency was his hasty removal of the public option from the menu of health care reform options. I hope the ACA mandates don't work out as badly as some are predicting.

[L0oniX]

32. I think he is going to be known for a lot more than ACA and CPI...

http://www.democracynow.org/appearances/jeremy_scahill

[grantcart]

37. lol

[bigtree]

38. payroll holiday was his Waterloo

[grantcart]

39. Supplemental support for lower income SS recepients was his Auschwitz.

[L0oniX]

17. "liberals"??? ...whatever ...so now the interests of the elderly are liberal interests. pffft

[Brigid]

19. Don't forget . . .

Republicans have always hated Social Security -- and Medicare. This is something of a new phenomenon among some Democrats.

[L0oniX]

20. Calling them "Democrates" is liberal.

[Carolina]

22. Sad that they have to

request a meeting while the repukes and Wall Street types were invited to the White House for dinner just before the tragedy in Boston!

[forestpath]

26. +1000

[UnrepentantLiberal]

24. Go Congressional Progressive Caucus!

[forestpath]

25. K&R

[MotherPetrie]

27. Good for them. Wonder which minion will be delegated to meet with 'em instead.

[MannyGoldstein]

29. UPDATE: Obama responds to Congressional Progressive Caucus

[AnotherMcIntosh]

33. Fooled ya.

[blkmusclmachine]

30. They'll have to get in line behind the GOP groups invited.

Have a seat, this might take a while.

[truebluegreen]

31. Good for them.

But I don't want them to express their misgivings, or send a sternly-worded letter, I want them TO VOTE NO.

That is all.

ETA: OK, if they make a big stink, that's good too.

[JoePhilly]

34. They "Demand" a meeting? Hilarious.

The letter REQUESTS a meeting ... and it does so in a rather polite and deferential manner.

But Sargent screams that they "DEMAND" a meeting.

Sargent must be losing his mind. Or more likely, he's losing EYEBALLS.

So he needs a false headline to attract some outraged eyes.

[Alva Goldbook]

35. If social security needs more revenue....

....then all you have to do is INCREASE THE FICA CAP. If we just got rid of the FICA cap, social security would be solvent FOREVER. You could probably cut FICA taxes in half if we did so, and not effect the solvency of social security.

[yurbud]

43. or apply to investment income and you could lower it as well.

[WillyT]

36. K & R !!!

[John2]

41. The Progressive wing have

my total support. This is our War. We should put our line in the sand and leave it there. Take notes from the Lincoln documentary on passing the 13th amendment. I got to finally watch it, and was very impressed with Lincoln and Thadeus Stephens. The President needs to place pressure on the right and not the progressives. The Progressives have the moral ground in this fight.

[AtomicKitten]

44. "We write to request a meeting ..."

OP should have read the piece posted and they would realize the hyperbolic title "house liberals demand ..." is no more than red meat sensationalism.

[midnight]

46. K&R