President Obama's risky 'goodwill' gambit

[damnedifIknow]

“I think it’s terrible policy, and I also think it’s a terrible negotiation strategy,” said former Massachusetts Rep. Barney Frank, a cranky but reliable Obama loyalist on the Hill during the president’s first term.

“Social Security and Medicare are the two most successful anti-poverty programs in American history,” said Frank — noting that Obama is basically saying that the elderly, living on a fixed income of about $25,000 “are living too rich.”

“It’s outrageous,” he told POLITICO.

'A senior Democratic strategist close to the White House said Obama “didn’t have to put the chained CPI in the budget” but chose to do so as a “gesture of goodwill” to Senate Republicans, who have emerged as a recent bargaining partner."

"Hickey and other liberal stalwarts aren’t sure whether this is a serious proposal or political posturing by the White House to show Republicans that the president is serious and committed to grand bargain talks. Either way — they’re unhappy about the administration playing games with a program that is one of the cornerstones of the Democratic Party’s identity."

http://www.politico.com/story/2013/04/medicare-entitlements-obama-budget-muddle-chained-cpi-89844.html

[Lasher]

1. I don't think it's a gambit at all.

I think he wants to do it.

[damnedifIknow]

3. I don't care for this at all

"A senior Democratic strategist close to the White House said Obama “didn’t have to put the chained CPI in the budget” but chose to do so as a “gesture of goodwill” to Senate Republicans, who have emerged as a recent bargaining partner."

[Doctor_J]

7. He has from day one been more friendly to the Repukes than to those who voted for him

he's frankly done almost nothing for us.

[gateley]

8. He's done a lot for us -- but not some stuff we were counting on him to do.

[ForgoTheConsequence]

2. I think its nice to see.

Among all the chaos and fighting in the senate that Republicans and Democrats can come together on something like fucking the American poor and elderly in the ass. Heartwarming really.

[bemildred]

5. +1. nt

[unrepentant progress]

10. +1000

[cbrer]

12. + Another

This doesn't bode well for our future. The Plutocracy is preparing to go into high gear.

[Bluenorthwest]

4. Anyone who votes for this gets my eternal opposition

for they are Republicans and I am not. Biden says he might run, don't bother Joe, you are a benefit cutter. I'd not vote for Joe for love nor money if they do this, and he's always sucked in Primaries so he will be easy to defeat.

[gateley]

9. Do you think Biden is for this? Biden has to walk the WH talk -- who knows

what he really thinks about this? If you believe everything a politician says, especially one tasked with speaking for the WH, I don't see how you can determine what his/her personal feelings are, or what she/he would do if they were in the POTUS shoes.

But go ahead and throw Joe under the bus.

[enough]

6. The idea of using this as a goodwill gambit is outrageous, whether he's

in earnest or just playing politics. To put this out there as a proposal from a Democratic president gives it legitimacy and undermines any attempt to redress the imbalance between the rich and the rest of us. The idea that the poor must give back something so the wealthy can keep getting richer is obscene.

[blkmusclmachine]

11. There is no "goodwill" in Obama's Grand Betrayal, er, "Bargain."

Fooled ya!

[Bill USA]

13. recommended.