Shooting for another accomplishment, if the reporting is correct, Pres. Obama expects his “broader deal” bravery to impress Independents, while Democrats nod seriously saying, “It had to be done.” As for what Republicans will give in return, “Aides to Mr. Boehner said that no tax increases were on the table and that he had not agreed to the expiration of any tax cuts.”
As part of his pitch, Obama is proposing significant reductions in Medicare spending and for the first time is offering to tackle the rising cost of Social Security, according to people in both parties with knowledge of the proposal. The move marks a major shift for the White House and could present a direct challenge to Democratic lawmakers who have vowed to protect health and retirement benefits from the assault on government spending.
“Obviously, there will be some Democrats who don’t believe we need to do entitlement reform. But there seems to be some hunger to do something of some significance,” said a Democratic official familiar with the administration’s thinking. “These moments come along at most once a decade. And it would be a real mistake if we let it pass us by.”
Another instrument of Obamanomics that will bring a fundamental shift away from Democratic Party principles and philosophy that can never be recovered once gone.
No one can say I didn’t warn you, going back to 2007, with this tease offered recently to get the uninitiated prepared.
“With Social Security, it’s just a matter of tweaking how it currently works.” – Pres. Obama
Ah, yes, tweaking. You can almost here the applause, followed by utterances of “Pres. Obama’s so moderate.”
Confirmation from the New York Times:
The president’s renewed efforts follow what knowledgeable officials said was an overture from Mr. Boehner, who met secretly with Mr. Obama last weekend, to consider as much as $1 trillion in unspecified new revenues as part of an overhaul of tax laws in exchange for an agreement that made substantial spending cuts, including in such social programs as Medicare and Medicaid and Social Security — programs that had been off the table.
Pres. Obama’s rightward shift has set up a situation that allows him a chance to play for history. If he succeeds, with Social Security becoming part of the debt ceiling deal, can’t you already imagine Pres. Obama being hailed for doing it? The traditional media will fall over themselves to praise his seriousness. He will also have out played Paul Ryan on audacious idiocy.
In November 2008, the conservatives were gasping for air. Pres. Obama has become the wind beneath their wings.
As for the New Deal Democratic Party, say goodnight, Gracie.
Here’s what I posted over at AmericaBlog in response to this news:
***Begin copied post***
Social Security is self funding and paid up to the tune of trillions of dollars for decades in advance. Any cuts to benefits are tantamount to theft.
In 2008 on multiple blogs and on (the now defunct) Table Talk at Salon, I absolutely predicted that Obama would do these kinds of things if he became president. His intentions were there to see, right out in the open for anyone who parsed his words carefully.* The way I put it then was “It took Nixon to go to China. It will take a Democrat to cut Social Security. Obama is that Democrat.” With the benefit of hindsight, I’d edit that to add “And Obama is the Democrat who will make the Bush agenda bipartisan consensus.”
The man is a disaster for the Democratic Party. Worse, he is a disaster for America. But for Republicans? He’s a godsend.
Even though he is no liberal, Barack Obama has succeeded in discrediting liberalism…even as he seeks to continue tearing down what is left of the New Deal.
A quick question for Messrs. Sudbay and Aravosis: Do you STILL support Barack Obama? Will you STILL work for raise money for Obama? Will you STILL help in the effort to re-elect this de facto Republican? If the answer to any of those questions is yes, I’d like to know why.
Obama must go. And Democrats must be the ones to take him down. The future of the Democratic Party and liberalism depends on it. Failure to remove this president from office is not an option. Disapproval must be such that he declines to even run. We must replace the head of the party with an actual Democrat. We must.
*For the sin of parsing Obama’s words carefully, I was labeled everything from PUMA to racist. It was an astounding example of the madness of frenzied crowds.
On edit…
In answer to your wondering what the White House must be thinking, I think it’s along the line of “Suckers! We’re actually gonna pull this off, and they still think we’re on their side.”
***End copied post.)
(John Aravosis apparently took offense at the questions I directed to him and Joe Sudbay. He responded, but his response was not an answer, it was an evasion.)
What they don’t understand is that they’re ALL dead. No one’s going to reward the Democrats for being “sensible.” Rather, former Democratic voters like me will wish them so much doom for this betrayal, they’ll be utterly crushed. What we have here is a moral and political failure of unspeakable dimensions. Not. One. Democrat. of note is speaking out against it.
if obama gets his way kiss the dem aprty goodbye. a civil war unseen in decades in the party will ensue between those who wont accept what obama has done and those who will defend him no matter. war.
In a previous comment I said that the republicans were ruthless. They have no principles because they are fanatics. Fanatics believe that the end justifies the means. Even David Brooks, of all people, actually seems to finally get it. He so much as said it in his July 5th column: ” The Republican party may no longer be a normal party. ” ” The member’s of this movement have no moral decency. ” He says they are more like a ” psychological protest, ” than a governing alternative. This cannot be easy for Brooks to say.
Obama is the worst President at the worst time. He is almost akin to a trojan horse. I’ve given up trying to understand what or who he is; but he must go. Whatever the consequences, he must go; and democrat’s must form a new party to replace what they have lost. I’ve heard all the arguments against a new party, but were not talking about fringe groups here. Were talking about all the major groups that make up the present party. If they all move, the democrat’s are no more.
For the time being, getting rid of pouty lipped, deer caught in the headlights Obama, will do. If I never hear the words ” Let me be clear, ” again, it will be enough for me.
see what obama said via twitter on the recession. he now claims he didnt grasp how bad it would be despite saying in 08 campaign it was the worst sicne depression!
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2011/07/07/992003/-Obama:-I-Didnt-Realize-the-Magnitude-of-the-Recession?via=siderecent
This Pres is begging for a strong primary challange from the left. he certainly does not deserve re-election based on his performance.
I have never regretted or been more remoseful at the election of a Democrat in all my life.
Yet I am not surprised by this, no one should be. If this is true, on this site about a week or so ago Art posted that Sen Schumer appeared to be the “protector: of Medicare , medicaid and Soc Sec”. My reponse then was that if that were true then we were in trouble if Schumer was the protector. I had opined that if Schumer was out infront of an issue it means the end game was already known, that Schumer was positioning himself as the hero who defended the programs and won, or the battle weary defender who lost but put up a good fight. Either way he would reap political benefits for the fight. Again if the reports are true we the people are screwed.
If the Dems in DC go along with this “grand bargin” then one has to question the reason for the existence of the Democratic Party. The current Democratic Party,- moderate wing of the Republican Party. Ted Kennedy, who endorsed Candidiate/Pres Obama, must be turning in his grave
the end of america as we know it, for the corporation by the corporation. the result of billion dollar campaigns. the policies offered by d’s/r’s are the ones the big monied interests want. soon there will be only the wealthy and non-wealthy
then to victors go the spoils.
If they actually do this shit I am done with the democratic party. I will say screw it and from that point on be in it for just what I can get and screw everybody else. I WILL change my registration from Dem to repug and work HARD for them so I can get some of the crumbs. From the bushco crime family years the crumbs seem pretty health dollar wise and NOBODY goes to jail. May as well live out my golden years in comfort and screw the rest. Hell, that’s what Obama’s doing.
My head is going to explode. This mockery of a president swoops in at the 11th hour, after refusing to lead, refusing to provide input as to the future of America (beyond platitudes that mean absolutely nothing), after refusing to do squat — and NOW he wants “big and bold.” That is ALL he cares about. That he’s perceived as having accomplished something “historic.” God, he is absolutely pathetic. There have been TWO groups (hmmm — 3, maybe?) meeting for months trying to do something meaningful. The bipartisan commission had careful, considered recommendations. He ignored them.
You can’t do something “big” like this is two effing weeks. You can’t! There are ways to shore up Social Security (since it IS broke, since we’ve raided it for years) — increasing the salary at which earnings are taxed for SS comes immediately to mind), there are ways to do all kinds of things. But it takes longer than two weeks.
God he is a horrible, horrible president. I’m proud I wrote in Hillary.
Hey all.
Who knows, we may be saved by Republicans if they won’t swallow the tax deal.
Be ready for the loyalists & zombie voters to hail Obama as the hero is debt reduction, the New Anti-Democrat foundation.
Obama continues revealing his Right leanings. I continue my third party mantra — the two party front for the oligarchy marches on, cheered by much of the media, and given cover by “lesser of two evils” framing.
,
It’s a nice idea, Joyce, but money interests won’t allow it. People who agree w you must attack Electoral College aspect. You can’t win on “third party” mantra, otherwise it would have happened by now.
You could say the same about the electoral college mantra. I’ve heard that it needs to be changed ever since the 1960s. Going from electoral college to a popular vote would have changed one election in the last forty years.
Third parties have grown and ebbed at various times in our history. Their real effect isn’t to grow into a new big party, but to turn an election one way or the other.
History, my butt. He thinks he is going to be rewarded for doing this??? I don’t see how Obama gets reelected offering up S.S. and Medicare (look at NY-26 just a few weeks ago). I know I won’t vote for him if he goes through with this betrayal, and I’m a lifelong moderate-liberal Democrat. There’s no way Social Security should even be part of the discussion. This isn’t leadership, in my opinion. He holds no core Democratic values and deserves to be primaried, if anyone has the guts to do so. What a mess this has come to be.
Relax folks. Just remember most of you said all of these very same things you are repeating now when he caved on the Bush tax cuts.
So its: here we go again. Didn’t we KNOW this was coming?
If you didn’t shame on you?
It’s what “progressives” do. Wait until he screws you, then you bitch.
Why not try cutting him off at the pass next time?
Will someone here notify me when I no longer have to support the President just because he says he is a Democrat.
It’s disgusting.