True or False: The Obama Deficit Commission is merely political theater for a decision already made

[brentspeak]

And that decision is: cutting SS benefits, raising retirement age, possible privatization, etc. instead of simply lifting the withholding cap.

Note that it was Obama -- and only Obama -- who insisted on creating a "bipartisan" panel which, by his own and no one else's rules, allowed it to be stocked with Republicans and corporate Democrats in favor of cutting benefits, raising the retirement age, private accounts, etc.

[Robb]

1. I can't speak for the Commission

...but this poll certainly has an air of the theatrical. :rofl:

[WI_DEM]

2. Don't know about the comission, but your "poll" certainly is biased.

[brentspeak]

3. Elaborate?

[WI_DEM]

5. Oh come on, it's a push poll

And that decision is: cutting SS benefits, raising retirement age, possible privatization, etc. instead of simply lifting the withholding cap.

Note that it was Obama -- and only Obama -- who insisted on creating a "bipartisan" panel which, by his own and no one else's rules, allowed it to be stocked with Republicans and corporate Democrats in favor of cutting benefits, raising the retirement age, private accounts, etc.

[Cant trust em]

8. When I do polls, I usually post just the poll and the options in the OP.

If I want to editorialize, I do the first reply to the OP.

I think that helps keep it less skewed.

Just my two cents.

[rfranklin]

4. for those who think not--I have a bridge in NYC for sale....

All government commissions are for political theater and CYA purposes.

[Cant trust em]

9. Yup. They have more political cachet than policy value. nt

[dionysus]

6. what a steaming pile of garbage.

[harun]

17. Yep, I can smell it from here.

[DrDan]

7. final recommendations after the mid-terms speaks volumes

I dare them to release their recs prior to Nov elections.

[Cant trust em]

11. I think they're due to report back in December.

Shocking coincidence, isn't it?

[DrDan]

13. pretty well choreographed imo

[Cant trust em]

10. Evaluating Presidential Commissions - UCLA prof. Amy Zegart

Amy Zegart, an associate professor of public policy at UCLA, has analyzed every presidential commission spanning 20 years. "Commissions are really used on every topic imaginable," she says, "from Arctic research and things that you've never heard of to major public policy scandals and controversies of the day, like the current oil leak in the Gulf. "They're almost worthless in terms of policy impact, but they have tremendous political value, which is why presidents and members of Congress keep using them," Zegart says.

http://www.publicaffairs.ucla.edu/news/public-policy/evaluating-presidential-commissions-prof-amy-zegart

[SpartanDem]

12. Rasmussen would be proud of this poll

[ProSense]

14. "merely political theater for GOP/DLC-type decisions already made"

"Note that it was Obama -- and only Obama -- who insisted on creating a "bipartisan" panel which, by his own and no one else's rules, allowed it to be stocked with Republicans and corporate Democrats in favor of cutting benefits, raising the retirement age, private accounts"

Is this your way of labeling the President a "GOP/DLC-type"?

[IndianaGreen]

19. Who is the idiot that appointed a POS like Alan Simpson to chair the commission?

Zell Miller is a raging liberal compared to Simpson.

[Oregone]

15. Sounds like the health care debate

All that livid vitriol, and they pretty much took the consensus Republican/Democrat plan thats been circulated countless times in the last decade or more.

[IndianaGreen]

16. The Cat Food Commission is a big fig leave

to give cover to Republicans and Democrats that want to dismantle the last vestiges of the New Deal: Social Security.

If Bush was doing this, the entire DU community would be up in arms.

[hulka38]

18. Of course it is.

Political cover.