Tell Congress: Stop the Catfood Commission!

[Donnachaidh]

http://uspoverty.change.org/petitions/view/tell_congress_stop_the_catfood_commission


Targeting: The U.S. Senate and The U.S. House of Representatives
Started by: AlterNet

Right-Wing "Deficit Hawks" and their enablers are on a march to destroy the social safety net we built for our seniors and retirees. Shockingly, some of the most notorious advocates are actually in charge of the presidential commission that will soon determine the future of Social Security and Medicare. We need to stop them in their tracks! Join us in calling on Congress to Stop the Catfood Commission.

The National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform has been dubbed by progressives the "Catfood Commission" because its goal appears to be cutting benefits so drastically that retirees will only be able to afford to eat pet food. It's hard to tell exactly what the commission is planning because its meetings are closed to the public and the press. Based on past statements and the background of its members the proposals are likely to include raising the retirement age to 70, turning large portions of Social Security over to Wall Street, and cutting Medicare benefits.

The commission's co-chairman Alan Simpson, a former Republican senator from Wyoming, has stated he believes the founders of the Social Security program never expected anyone to actually live to 65 and collect. "People just died," he has said. "Social Security was never retirement." Erskine Bowles, the other co-chairman, negotiated a secret but ultimately unsuccessful deal between Bill Clinton and Newt Gingrich to cut Social Security benefits. Any chances that the commission would make cuts to the US defense budget in its pursuit of fiscal responsibility seem slim owing to the fact that the CEO of Honeywell, a major defense contractor, is a member of the panel.

We can't sit back and count on a Democratic-controlled Congress to protect our social safety net. Just a day before the July 4th holiday weekend, the House of Representatives passed a measure that would guarantee an up-or-down vote on the Catfood Commission's recommendations in the current session of Congress if they pass the Senate. With this measure House Speaker Nancy Pelosi relinquished her power to prevent the vote from coming to the floor.

Your representatives need to hear from you NOW. Let's stop the Catfood Commission from raiding the Social Security trust fund and slashing medical benefits for current and future retirees.

Petition at the link ---

[kenny blankenship]

1. I recommended this - but it doesn't show because we have ppl here who want to cut Soc Sec.

[Name removed]

2. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[sabrina 1]

12. Just rec'd it also.

It's sad to think that this fight, which we thought was beaten back when Bush tried it, is very much alive under a Democratic Administration.

I have already called Congress, and will do so again. They need to stand up now and condemn the lies that are being told in order to privatize Social Security.

There will be no excuse for any Democrat who does not take a position on this right now. And that includes the President. However, even if he goes along with it, Congress does not have to.

They can take a stand for the people, which they did not do on HC. But if they don't, they can rest assured they will be in trouble in November. If they side with Republicans on this, people will see no difference between them and Alan Simpson.

It is winning issue for any politician to protect SS, all polls show this to be the case.

[LWolf]

3. k&r

[griffi94]

4. post recced

petition signed.

[dajoki]

5. We can thank...

Monica Lewinski for the Bowles-Gingrich plan falling apart.

K&R

[kenny blankenship]

6. Lord, send us another dumpy big mouthed horny intern, we pray you in Jesus' name!

[daleanime]

9. The Lord works in Mysterious Ways...

:evilgrin:

[Donnachaidh]

10. oh please -- it's ALL Monica's fault?

Yeah, she put a gun to Clinton's head and told him to whip it out, right? :sarcasm:

Takes two to tango - forget that adage?

[kenny blankenship]

13. No but it's really funny that you say that.

Because, actually, I've always put all the blame on Bill. Assigning any portion of blame for Monica has never seemed worth a minute's thought to me.

But this is beginning to stray far away from the important matter of stopping the Catfood Commission before it unleashes its attack on Social Security in the open. It takes two to do that, too. So let's not.

[Donnachaidh]

15. So no comment about your vicious comments, just a backpedal?

You put the blame on Bill, but call Monica a fat sloppy horny intern?

Guess the offensive label is okay and still stands then? Call the victim names, but get a pass because you also acknowledge that Clinton helped? NO repulsive namecalling for him, though?

[kenny blankenship]

16. Phjhbbt!

I've gotten into plenty of trouble here at DU for putting the blame for Monicagate squarely on Bill Clinton's irresponsibility. I'm not your dog, I don't jump through hoops to please you. No backpedals for you.

[leftstreet]

7. K&R

[daleanime]

8. If they were really serious about the deficit....

they have two wars to stop, and a military budget to trim. :banghead:

[bluethruandthru]

11. They don't care at all about the deficit!!

There was no national angst about the deficit when little george was financing two wars on the country's credit card (which is still continuing)and slashing taxes for rich people.
This is all about controlling the serfs (us). There isn't one person on the Catfood Commission that will actually NEED Social Security when they retire...but they get to make the decisions about it for those of us who DO need it.

This will continue ...along with the dismantling of the public school system, the crushing of our labor unions, the outsourcing of our jobs,the giveaways to insurance companies, banks and wall street, etc...until we as a people take to the streets and say "That's Enough".
I doubt that will ever happen though because of the continued disinformation/propaganda campaign by the media.

Geez, I sound like a conspiracy theorist...but it's all so obvious where we're heading.

[daleanime]

14. It's not a 'conspiracy theory'...

when it's really happening.:banghead:

[bluethruandthru]

17. That would be great on a bumper sticker! n/t