Pic Of The Moment: Chained CPI: Are You Sure You Want To Do That?

[EarlG]

Obama Budget Proposal Cuts Are 'Unconscionable,' Says AFL-CIO

Liberals To Obama: Not So Fast On Social Security Cuts

New Poll: Seniors Of Both Parties Revile Chained CPI

Open Letter From Eight Former Social Security Commissioners

7 Facts About Retirement in America That Should Make Obama Tremble Before Cutting SS and Medicare

The Case For Expanding Social Security, Not Cutting It

For those who want the President NOT to touch SS perhaps it is time to let the White House know

Do you want to contact your Senator or Representative re SS? A website has a number of useful tips

Link to Robert Reich's petition to President Obama

Follow @demunderground

[NYC_SKP]

1. K/R and signing every petition and calling every critter.

Fuck.

[onehandle]

2. I have doubts about 2014 to start with...

Safety net cuts would insure a loss.

Many base voters would stay home.

[quakerboy]

53. Even opening that option

has probably done serious damage to the party, and with it to our countries future.

[PETRUS]

3. Thank you. K&R

[AnotherMcIntosh]

4. What's the retirement system for a President who represents the interest of ordinary Americans?

If you factor that in, what are your chances of convincing Obama to back off his let's-cut-Social-Security-and-have-endless-wars-in-the-Middle-East policies.

When Harry Truman retired, he and his wife Bess drove back to their home in Missouri and lived modestly.



What's Obama's agenda? Do you think that he wants to do that?

[wilsonbooks]

5. Harry had many offers to sit on corporate boards for large amounts

of money. He refused them all because he saw it as a conflict of interest and demeaning to the office of the presidency.

[link:http://www.snopes.com/quotes/truman/truman.asp|

[AnotherMcIntosh]

6. We'll never see his likes again.

A President who would not sell out his country.

[wilsonbooks]

7. Sadly I believe you are right.

[JDPriestly]

25. Read this article. It tells you what Obama's retirement plan is.

No wonder Obama does not care about the rest of us in this respect.

[Autumn]

8. This post is wonderful

thank you EarlG

[MotherPetrie]

9. K&R

[KG]

10. looks like another Obama-bashing thread...

[UnrepentantLiberal]

11. Um....

[AgingAmerican]

12. Say goodbye

...to 2014

[Fuddnik]

13. Probably 2016 as well.

[midnight]

14. The way things are going, it sounds like our political offices are traded like stocks on Wall Street

[hay rick]

40. And by the same people. nt

[midnight]

41. It sure is beginning to look that way.... I don't know if you recall news coverage of Goldman Sachs

chairman Loyd Blankenfein telling the American people they were going to have to lower their expectations.... The pieces to this mystery are starting to become apparent as to why the working class will have to lower their expectations....

[Solly Mack]

15. Teehee.

[KG]

16. EarlG never loved him anyway!

[lark]

19. My guess is EarlG cares about working people

more than he does the president who would cut the ability of retired seniors to have a semi-decent standard of living.

In other words, he's not one of the cult of personality folks that frequent this board who care little for policy measures and just want to "support their man" regardless of what he does.

[JDPriestly]

27. Read this article mentioned in the OP and see what you think.

http://www.alternet.org/economy/7-chilling-facts-about-retirement-america-should-make-obama-tremble-cutting-social-security?page=0%2C3

[ReRe]

21. Young man....

... would you mind explaining why it's so funny? I fail to see the humor.

[Skittles]

47. they're running out of logic - now it's just hysteria

[ReRe]

48. That's what I gather too... ;-) n/t

[boilerbabe]

50. they claim it is us "leftwing social security concern trolls" who are hysterical and frothing.

that crowd does some serious PROJECtiNG. :O

[JDPriestly]

26. Obama deserves to be bashed for his budget proposals. They are shameful.

[SammyWinstonJack]

44. heh.

[Oilwellian]

17. Brilliant

Call me surprised, yet very encouraged. Thanks so much EarlG.

[840high]

18. k/r

[L0oniX]

20. Excellent ...and refreshing to know for sure where DU stands on this.

[ReRe]

22. K&R

Thanks EarlG. It's good to have those links all in one place to refer to.

[MarcoS]

23. There's no such thing as a third rail

for a lame duck president. Net result will be a probably very slight reduction in his speaking fees once he's out of office.

Has anyone mentioned that senators make mediocre presidents at best? Unfortunately but predictably our two-party cartel served up two of them in the last election.

[ieoeja]

29. The last two senators before Obama: LBJ and JFK. Governors? Carter, Reagan, Clinton and Bush II.

Senators as Good Presidents: 2 of 3.
Governors as Good Presidents: 1 of 4 (with 3 bad ones in a row).

[MarcoS]

33. Step back

a bit further in our history for a more accurate picture.

[JDPriestly]

24. This article deserves a prize. It is excellent.

http://www.alternet.org/economy/7-chilling-facts-about-retirement-america-should-make-obama-tremble-cutting-social-security?page=0%2C3

Means-testing Medicare would wipe out the savings of older Americans.

It would make saving for retirement a futile exercise.

What a bizarre idea. You don't need to do the math to figure that one out.

Suffering an extremely costly illness at some point after you reach 65 is a virtual certainty. Only the very lucky die suddenly from a stroke. In fact, most of us will not be allowed (by the system, our families, etc.) to simply pass away from our first heart attack or stroke or bout with cancer.

It's very hard to let a loved one go.

Means-testing Medicare would mean that those who saved would be forced to pay every penny of their savings, sell their houses if they are so fortunate to have managed to pinch pennies and pay down a mortgage, borrow against everything they have, do without in order to pay for insurance.

Right now, Medicare is not free, but it is relatively affordable.

Insurance companies would charge enormous amounts of money to cover seniors who without fail have a myriad of pre-existing conditions.

The biggest problems in America today are joblessness, the disparity in wealth between the richest and the poorest and the deterioration of the environment.

Solve those biggest problems and the rest will take care of themselves.

Congress is doing nothing, zero, zilch about our biggest problems and focusing on doing Wall Street's bidding.

Every DUer should read that article at Alternet. I'll give you a hint. It explains why Obama is recommending the chained CPI and starting the first attack on Social Security, why Obama will attack Medicare and the kinds of pension perks Obama himself will receive when he retires.

It makes for good reading. I highly recommend that article.

[Blue_In_AK]

28. Obama is a relatively young man

who, having been elected president, will be set for life. I think he has little empathy for older, less fortunate folks.

[MarcoS]

30. Obama isn't stupid

and is perfectly aware that Chained CPI isn't viable in the Senate. He can propose all he wants, it amounts to a rubber bone thrown to Cantor and Ryan.

[JDPriestly]

37. And a slap in the face to seniors and veterans and others who rely

on government programs.

I don't think Obama is stupid at all. I think he doesn't care about seniors or veterans.

[MarcoS]

39. I think he has to appear to not care about seniors and vets

to get any budget from the Republicans. But again, if Chained CPI is viable in the Senate please do tell.

[Skittles]

51. WTF

[wordpix]

46. he should stand up for seniors & stop throwing bones he doesn't believe in, then

My 88 y.o. mom with Alzheimer's spends every last cent of her Soc. Sec. on her care. We the family support her the rest of the way b/c SS is not enough to cover everything. But it helps. Cutting it would be a real slap in the face to seniors everywhere.

The thing to do is give NO Soc. Sec. to the billionaires/multimillionaires.

[abelenkpe]

31. +1000

[kitt6]

32. Does he know that he appears

to be a masochist??

[Billy Pilgrim]

34. Is this a betrayal? I'm not convinced it is.

We know the Republicans will reject the proposed budget plan. So does Obama. He's establishing the idea that he's willing to compromise with the Republicans who would have privatized SS and Medicare long ago, and their unwillingness to meet him halfway will lend further credence to the belief held by the majority of Americans that the Republicans are a bunch of stubborn old farts who are too set in their ancient ways. That idea will help Democrats win elections in 2014 and 2016.

It's possible O is taking one for the team.

[Blue_In_AK]

35. Whatever game he's playing,

it isn't fair to keep stressing older Americans out like this.

[JDPriestly]

38. My husband's heart was racing this morning.

This is extremely stressful for seniors.

[AndyA]

52. That's exactly right!

Playing games with people's lives is not the best thing for senior citizens. They are already strapped, paying high prices for utilities, food, virtually everything. Even a small cut can mean the difference between eating and not eating, having prescription meds or not having them.

These people worked hard their whole lives, saved what they could, bought a home thinking it's value would be a safety cushion in their future. Now they've lost much of their savings and the value of their home has dropped, through no fault of their own. The President they voted for now wants to punish them more by cutting back on their SS, which is already less than it should be due to not keeping up with inflation.

But don't expect the wealthy Wall Streeters responsible for this domestic terrorism to have justice served, as that same President doesn't seem to be interested in seeing that justice is served.

America's seniors and soon-to-be-seniors have a reason to worry. This isn't a game to them, and stress isn't healthy for anyone, regardless of their age.

[jjewell]

54. Social Security has NO impact on the US debt or deficit....

Social Security is FULLY FUNDED for the next 20 years. If the earnings cap was lifted on Social Security, it would remain solvent indefinitely.

So why is Obama screwing with Social Security in the first place?

[tavalon]

36. Thank you EarlG

It's always iffy to diss our President here, but he's doing something utterly dumbass here. You don't mess with that rail, you just don't.

[WillyT]

42. Thanks EarlG !!! - K & R !!!

[FiveGoodMen]

43. Yes, he's sure.

It's been his goal all along.

[florida08]

45. thanks tweeted it

It's quite humiliating to have the first president that cuts SS be a democrat. People are organizing against it and Obama.

[idwiyo]

49. K&R

[avaistheone1]

55. Lots of great links!

Thank you.

k&r