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big mistake by zanzo
Apparently the White House is back handing out extremely bad political advice to Congressional Democrats to get their support for a big partisan austerity package that includes Medicare and Social Security benefits cuts. From New York Times:
White House officials acknowledge the unrest among Democrats. But they argue that Democrats will be in stronger shape politically heading into November 2012 if they help enact a credible deficit reduction deal, allowing them to mount the argument that they protected Medicare from a much more drastic overhaul by Republicans.
With official unemployment around 9 percent and the economy stagnant what people don’t care about is deficits they care about jobs. Recent polling showed that seven times as many Americans rank jobs/economy as the top issue over the deficit.
Poll after poll after poll has also repeatedly shown that Americans overwhelmingly don’t want Social Security or Medicare benefits cut to reduce the deficit.
It is mind boggling that the White House is actually trying to convince Congressional Democrats the voting in direct opposition to the will of the electorate to address an issue that voters don’t even think is the top problem facing the country right now, would be a political winner. If Congressional Democrats are stupid enough to actually buy this nonsense they deserve to lose.
All I simply recommend is that Congressional Democrats remember the last political advice the Obama administration gave before a big vote, when they promised the popularity of corporatist health care reform law would soar after it was passed.
How well exactly did that advice work out for Democrats…
39 Comments
Win the Future slogan in 2012:
Obama keeps handing out the Kool-Aid and the DINO’s keep drinking. Get a lobotomy, go to Washington. Leaves me wondering—is Obama inept, incompetent or totally corrupt.
By “soar,” I’m pretty sure they meant “hit the ground like it had been dropped from about 85,000 feet.” So on that basis, it soared like a MFer…
Or the slogan “we stab you before they shoot you”.
When are we gonna stop pretending we have a 2 party system. Dems are merely touchy feely repubs.
If you really want traditional dem values, vote Green. If not, keep kidding yourself.
Oh and as for this blog, it’s being reported that the so-called dem progressive caucus has BO’s back on this budget scam. What does that tell ya!
Every Democrat needs to look OBAMA square in the FACE and ask this simple question “Can the black man that cuts Social Security, Medicare, Medicade, get re-elected in 2012″
Every Dem should Also look OBAMA square in the FACE and ask will those hippies OBAMA PISSED OFF, come out and vote for him in 2012. (Remember the GOPers voted for BUSH and PALIN so they will vote for anything and anyone)
Obama is not winning anything without Liberals, Progressives, and Hippies
After any Democrats answers these 2 questions, they should tell OBAMA to go fuck himself. LOL
Finally all DEMS in the Senate and in the House should asked this question will a DEM that votes to kill Social Security, Medicare, Medicade ever win the chance to run for the White House? NO!
2016 is COMING!!! Dems
Maybe this is why the DEMS in the SENATE are FUMING? Someone wants to be PRESIDENT? LMAO
Huff Post Article SENATE DEMS FUME!!!
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102×4910243
Me thinks someone threw OBAMA under the BUS on this one! SHock Docrine works better at the last second.
Like RUSH says the only way OBAMA wins in 2012 is if he becomes a “MAGIC NEGRO”
Coming soon! More people jumping off the TITANTIC OBAMA
I read this too?
Me thinks? the Progressive Caucus will soon be throwing OBAMA under the BUS
Read this!
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102×4910243
Senate Dems are acting like they did not know OBAMA was seeking to kill Social Security. Senate Dems had to know OBAMA was going to CAVE, the entire DEM PARTY knew he was going to CAVE
the key to this entire store, is that this is SHOCK DOCRINE gone wrong
Shock Docrine works better when it is played seconds before the phony dead line.
Someone ruined this KABUKI game by OBAMA
A “bipartisan” plan to cut Medicare / Social Security may have been the goal from the beginning in this “good cop” / “bad cop” charade. After all, the insurance exchanges set up by Obamacare already provide the mechanics the Ryan voucher plan needs to be implemented. The Democrats already did the heavy lifting on that. Simpson-Bowles was another such “bipartisan” move.
When both parties depend on the plutocrats for campaign funds, you get plutocracy. It won’t be cured with the plutocrats intact …
Bernie Sanders tweets: On SS surplus
http://twitter.com/#!/SenatorSanders
Social Security has a $2.6 trillion surplus and hasn’t contributed 1 cent to our deficit.
So long as the hierarchical Parties have decided that they are, or should be, two of our three branches of government, and thus have basically been allowed to erase the lines between the nominal Executive and Legislative Branches with the concurrence of every legislator who refuses to fight the ceding of their (equal) power to (unequal) Party bosses, this undemocratic, secretive “deal”-making pattern will continue to repeat itself. In our Constitutional system of government, as opposed to the Party system that’s been allowed to replace it, ideas and proposals to solve our problems would be “on the floor” – of the House and Senate, in public – rather than simply “on the table” in the backrooms of the White House, Blair House, or the Capitol.
The national media’s indifference to the lack of public process in Congress helps explain why Harry Reid can say on the Senate floor, without fear of repercussion, as he did about three hours ago, that the “Chamber of Commerce” and “Moody’s” met (with some Senators) at 9:00 a.m. this morning “right behind us” (meaning somewhere just off the Senate floor, apparently), to purportedly justify the complete lack of Senate floor action on any meaningful debt limit or budget-related measure this week.
After canceling their week-long holiday recess, the Senate has taken exactly two votes this week (both procedural, each passing by more than 70 votes), and the pending business remains a throwaway “Sense of the Senate” bill (a “Nonsense of the Senate” bill Ron Johnson rightly called it today, in some excellent remarks on the floor condemning the lack of serious Senate engagement on a budget or other related measures).
And that will be it for the cancelled Senate recess, because at 10:30 a.m. on Thursday, 7/7, Harry Reid announced to the Senate that “There’ll be no more roll call votes this week.” The next vote – on the motion to proceed to Reid’s Nonsense Resolution – won’t be held until 5:30 p.m. on Monday. Meanwhile, despite Kent Conrad having finally prepared, and privately presented to Senate Democrats (apparently to a warm welcome), a budget for the federal government (which, by law, should have been reported out of committee by April 15th, but wasn’t), there are apparently no plans to reveal its contents to the public, or to the rest of the Senate, or to present it to the Senate Budget Committee for its consideration…
But what apparently does meet with the President’s (and thus Harry Reid’s, and thus, in turn, the Democratic caucus’s) approval, is that the Senate Finance Committee meet today to endorse the “free-trade” agreements the Executive Branch has negotiated with South Korea, Columbia, and Panama. Despite obvious flaws in those agreements in the eyes of those, like me, who believe that we need to stop exporting American jobs, and lower our current account deficit. [For example, as Senator Casey of PA pointed out, while speaking on the floor against those agreements on behalf of his state's manufacturers, per "Annex 6(a)" of the South Korea agreement, products from South Korea consisting of just 35% South Korean content - even though 65% of a product's content comes from, say, China - may lawfully be labeled "Made in Korea" and thus enter the United States duty-free. Sounds more like a back-door "China free-trade agreement" to me.]
That’s exactly why I wont vote for any incumbent. They have all failed us miserably.
A House GOPer threatens IMPEACHMENT if 14th Amendment is invoked.
That must mean it is a good idea.
It also means that Obama just crawled under the table and won’t come out until the storm has passed.
Here is a “draft” that should be posted in the form of a Diary.
However, here goes:
______________
The Native American/Chicano Construct’s of a National Security and Defense Schematic
In this med-century, America’s “racial and ethnics” will become heavily engaged in crafting a “new” National Security and Defense Schematic (NSDS), that changes forever, how we will treat our family members, friends and neighbors, and even to include both Canada and the Latin America Region, collectively.
To wit, given our current fiscal debate, “looking to the future” cannot be left to the prognostications of the “elderly white guys” in the Senate or at the White House, and regardless of the political affiliation of the Occupant in the Oval Office. Otherwise, we continue and as we see today, is another example, in which our governmental officials are stating quite emphatically that terrorists will medically insert explosives into these affected bodies in order to continue their political disgust and dislike of America, and yet having a terrorist of the future, willing to attack our Indigenous Hemisphere, writ large, is not likely to happen, since our Indigenous People have NOT yet been “invited” to participate in America’s War on Terrorism.
And how will this “take” place?
Take, for example, establishing a Hemispheric Alliance for National Security and Defense, and where all the nations in this Hemisphere participate, will become the long-term approach to addressing the disaffected citizens, both in this Hemisphere and outside of this Hemisphere as to our future role in reinforcing Democracy, without having “vested interests” such as the Military Industrial Complex demanding of our Elected and Appointed Officials, to spend far more monies than the taxpayers and voters are willing to “authorize” and done at the ballot box. Consequently, the United States can substantially reduce today’s ongoing expenditure of $1.3 trillion on our National Security and Defense Schematic to a more reasoned amount not to exceed $600 billion annually. Conversely, we will be “saving” over $700 billion annually, and which into today’s context, cannot be permitted to occur, otherwise the MOTU will rescind their sizable campaign donations to these “elderly white guys.” As such, these “cheap” votes must continue to take place.
And how will this $600 billion be allocated, and done in a reasonable manner?
Take, for example, we can spend upwards of $350 billion on Pentagon-related efforts (excluding intelligence-gathering) and where Canada pledges, as does the nation-states in the Latin America Region, a minimal 3% of the respective GDPs and which will consist of a collective good will investment. Thus, the monies will be “overseen” via this newly-established Alliance Board consisting of Vice Presidents and Deputy Prime Ministers from within this Indigenous Hemisphere, will determine when and how many Brown People will serve on America’s aircraft carriers while wearing their respective nations’ military uniforms, as well as how many American soldiers will serve on their fishing boats to insure that the seafood industry, does not deplete food supplies for future generations of people in this Indigenous Hemisphere.
And as to the remaining $250 billion, this amount can be used globally, without having to incur the historical burden for being the “super power” that is insistent in settling the squabbles found in the regions where oil is produced and sold to foreign nations. Consequently, our Elected and Appointed Officials are forced to describe in considerable detail “our national interest” beyond the usual propaganda and mantra that terrorists will deliver themselves onto our shores as the newest version of the old-fashioned medical doctor delivering chocolates to the ‘needy’ patients.
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Jaango
Article should read
Congressional Democrats try to Tempt Progressives Into Political Suicide.
Or have I missed which “progressive” Democrat is running against Obama? Keith Ellison (my Congressman) and chair of Progressive Caucus or Senator Feinstein or Congressman Dennis Kucinich or Congresswoman Barbara Lee?
NOPE. None of them. They are ALL supporting the Kabuki Theatre of the absurd.
Wake up. You are all getting played.
If President Obama and the Democrats cut Social Security and Medicare to satisfy the Fascist republicans, then the Democrat party is dead just like the traditional Republicans.
The children and grandchildren that family members on SS and Medicare will vote in mass against politicians that commit such an inhuman act.
Then the radical extremist so-called republicans will take over the Presidency and the Senate on 01-20-2013. Then, these Fascists will start a further dismantling of American Democracy.
Pack your bags and be willing to move to a country that still cares for it’s people. Some choices are New Zealand, Australia, Costa Rica, Brazil, Canada, and some European countries.
Somehow that visual just cracked me up, tragicly true as it is.
Democrats electing right wing legislation. It’s a win win for Republicans. Dems take all the heat for bad elite serving legislation and Republicans gain control and finish us off.
Voting Dem or Republican is voting for the same controlling elite. These two factions only dicker and fight over policy but the both strive to serve the same elite that own them. Like two kids trying to gain daddy’s favor. They use different tactics but their goals are the same. They genuinely are in competition for power and money but that competition is personal and does not apply to outcomes which are the same.
WORD! I don’t know about Canada cause Harper and the conservatives are in power there.
Immigrating to Canada is very difficult.
It worked out brilliantly Jon, the fascist corporatist sect are now firmly in control of perhaps the most vital service any living being can and will eventually need. Big win for the FC party.
It also means that Obama just crawled under the table and won’t come out until the storm has passed.
No surprise there. Obama is an alumnus of the Senate Democrats, the most timorous species in the animal kingdom. Before starting is present job, he had four years’ experience cowering under his desk in the fetal position every time a Republican raised his or her voice.
Cut Social Security?!?! Ah….they already have. What you get is based on what you payed in…..COMPOUNDED.The payroll deduction was halved.
Mr. Obama, as ever, is recommending that those who call themselves Democrats commit political seppuku. Imagine a Democratic president, on an issue that has defined his party for 85 years. putting his party to the right of the GOP. Republicans will skewer Obama and any Democrat who takes his advice, all while luxuriating in both the outcome and the political gift Obama has made them. Mr. Obama is as foolish, as destructive of Main Street America, and as driven in his goals as his predecessor.
“We Suck Less.” That’ll convince all those disillusioned voters to come out next November and vote for Obama.
too late to edit: s/b tragically not “tragicly”
textynn wrote: Democrats electing right wing legislation. It’s a win win for Republicans. Dems take all the heat for bad elite serving legislation and Republicans gain control and finish us off.
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I always wondered what it felt like to be one of Custer’s men at Little Big Horn. I think I have a pretty good grasp on that now.
I love that picture that goes with this article. Picture says 1,000 words, and all that…
It sucks being a Cassandra. You see the bad shit coming ahead of time, and the sheep call you names ’cause of it, but you’re proven right in the end.
I wonder if the Daily Kos brigade and the rest of the Obamabot brigade are choking on their diatribes against us for standing opposed to that corporate piece of shit health care bill, while telling us we were heartless closet Republicans who wanted 45,000 people to drop dead, health care costs to keep rising, and if the health care bill wasn’t passed Democrats would lose the House.
Or for standing opposed to the Bush Tax Cut Deal, because we said Obama would just take out the meager “stimulative” effects out of the hides of the middle class and poor during the upcoming debt ceiling hostage-taking occasion.
How did that work out, fellas? Obama saw Paul Ryan’s Medicare cuts and raised him Social Security, though. Even I didn’t see that level of cravenness and political malpractice coming.
…
this stupid, so the only other option has to be that this is what Obama wants, because Obama believes in deficit reduction at the expense of everything else.
He is a Reagan Democrat…and he will kill off what’s left of the New Deal.
Holy F-ing Christ on a Pogo Stick. They think that
will garner something other than sardonic laughter and disgust? My mind has been blown. We cut Medicare less!!???
How could anyone think that a ridiculous and pathetic splitting of hairs could come up for air for more than a millisecond before being buried beneath millions of dollars in attack ads? Oh My God.
Seconded and now they want an employer payroll tax cut as well. The damage is already started.
Jon is so right about that. Which means they will be wiped out again in 2012. I could care less. They will lose without a dime of my money or a minute of my phone-banking or door-knocking time. They will go down in a flaming wreck.
But then what? Do we just stock up on wholesale bins of popcorn? Do we just sit back for two-four years and LOAO while the plutocrats sell off our national assets, like they are trying to do to Greece and the UK? They won’t be able to tax us cuz we won’t have no wages to pay taxes from, just like in Greece.
That argument will rise slower than the proverbial lead balloon. This gambit is likely to lose Mr. Obama his re-election. Couldn’t happen to a more deserving guy.
Mr. Obama has become Charlie Brown’s evil twin. He luxuriates in scoring an own goal in the World Cup Final, in giving away a game-losing safety in the Super Bowl, in losing in the final at Wimbledon owing to a series of double faults. This is, of course, the Mr. Obama who thought that aiding only creditors in getting out of a creditor-induced depression was peachy keen, too.
Not even the alternative of losing the presidency to Sarah Palin or Michelle Bachmann will get the base out to vote for Barack Obama.
Obama doesn’t need the Demos to win by voting. They will win by vote counting, so he gets his cake and…..
I vote “all of the above”.
Agree: that is bad advice. (1) Democrats are inept when it comes to explaining shades of gray (they can barely explain issues that are starkly black and white. (2) The average voter (make that VOTER) feels punished enough for something he/she had no control over. (3) With so many people out of work and so much emergency assistance drying up or overwhelmed, a Social Security check often is being stretched to cover more than the covered individual or couple, and any decrease in that amount means some families have to choose who gets to eat. Meanwhile, coporations and their executives continue to pay lower taxes than most wage earners…if they pay any taxes at all.
Democrats will never convince VOTERS that cutting Social Security was necessary. But, it will be entertaining to watch, particularly for any third party candidates.
Mitt Romney
must be licking his chops? right about now!!
Obama sealed his faith for 2012…Wonder how many more dems he will take down with him?
The Peabody Award goes out to the Holy Grail Of lying. The man who looks like he should care.Mister Smiling Face Himself. The Bary Bond of lying . Excuse me, Its been brought to my attention that The President could not be here to accept this award. The reason given, is that he along with most of the progressive in his party practicing their next “crouching tiger hidden dragon” moves.
Bingo. Political suicide would be not doing what your big campaign donors want. What happened to Dem congresscritters that opposed Obama in the past? They all eventually caved, didn’t they? So exactly how many “political suicides” can they commit? You seem to be concerned about the political suicide of those who by your own rationale are already dead? The only poll they care about is the poll of their campaign coffers. “How well exactly did that advice work out for Democrats”… I’m guessing it will work out quite well for them when the corporate cash comes rolling into their campaign coffers.
There’s still that small matter of votes, which is one reason GOP voter suppression tactics have gone full bore. I expect the Democrats will join them.