Ryan wants entitlement cuts, Reid says 'NO WAY'

[kpete]

Rep. Paul Ryan, chief negotiator in upcoming budget talks with the Senate for House Republicans, broke the bad news to his conference that they won't be having any Obamacare fights this round. But, he told them,

he would push instead for long-term reforms to entitlement programs in exchange for changes to sequestration spending cuts that Democrats are expected to demand.

Good luck with that, Paul. Here's Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid on that subject:


Reid: Reid: 'There's Not Going to Be a Grand Bargain'

Reid rebuked the Nevada Public Radio host when he was asked what Republicans would have to concede to get Medicare and Social Security cuts on the table.

“You keep talking about Medicare and Social Security. Get something else in your brain. Stop talking about that. That is not going to happen this time. There is not going to be a grand bargain,” Reid said. “What we need to do is have Murray and her counterpart in the House, Ryan, work together to come up with something to get out of this senseless sequestration and start the budgeting process so that we can do normal appropriation bills.”

http://blogs.rollcall.com/wgdb/reid-theres-not-going-to-be-a-grand-bargain/
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2013/10/24/1250355/-Ryan-wants-entitlement-cuts-Reid-says-no-nbsp-way

[lostincalifornia]

1. Lets start by cutting Ryan's pension and medical benefits

[Gidney N Cloyd]

7. Let's start with him refunding the SS survivors benefits that paid for his college tuition.

Lest we forget: http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2011/04/20/paul-ryan-already-benefitted-from-the-social-security-fund-he-now-wants-to-gut/

[lostincalifornia]

17. Done, I just waved my hand

[easychoice]

18. charge him 29% interest on the overdue balance.

Lets see how much he likes his kleptocratic banker buddies then.

[notadmblnd]

30. My son certainly got no benefits beyond high school.

So if Ryan got SS through college, afaic SS benefits have already been cut.

[Gidney N Cloyd]

36. IIRC, they saved up his bennies until he turned 18 (because he didn't need them)...

...then applied that nest egg to college.

[notadmblnd]

44. No, they cut benefits for children in 1981

At one time, SSA did pay benefits to eligible college students, but the law changed in 1981. Benefits stop when a child reaches age 18 unless he or she:

Is disabled; or
Attends a secondary (grade 12 or below) or elementary school full-time.

http://www.socialsecurityinsider.com/2010/01/can-you-get-social-security-childs-benefits-as-a-full-time-student/

[chelsea0011]

51. Those are entitlements I would like not to pay him. That POS!

[B Calm]

71. Great idea!

[BluegrassStateBlues]

2. Hell yeah. nt

[cui bono]

3. Thank you Reid. Keep that spine working! n/t

[Heather MC]

49. I don't believe a thing Reid says, I only believe his actions

He talks a good game. But his batting Avg is hit or miss

[Phlem]

63. yep.

-p

[grasswire]

4. In the words of a famous American naval figure:

NUTS!

[gelsdorf]

12. Actually General McCauliffe said this during the Battle of the Bulge nt

[grasswire]

34. oh thank you

U.S. Army.

The sentiment stands.

[JoePhilly]

5. Good job Harry ... make the GOP step forward with their "offer" ... then smack that too.

The Dems need to DARE the GOP to start an argument on this point.

[indepat]

6. Ryan's colors on social security and Medicare were well known when the electorate

rapturously returned this 'effin' 'effer of the old, frail, and poor to office last November. Now they've given this 'effin' 'effer the opportunity to 'eff them all over again. Yeah, Rep. Ryan, 'effin' 'effer of the old, frail, and poor.

[rhett o rick]

8. Democrats need to introduce bills to raise the SS cap and lower the Medicare age.

Go on the offensive.

[MANative]

13. Heartily agree! n/t

[PragmaticLiberal]

29. Out of curiosity, what age are you proposing that the Medicare age be lowered to?

[bravenak]

31. It should be 50.

That's what I think.

[rhett o rick]

40. 55 over ten years. nm

[Warren Stupidity]

45. 0.

[MannyGoldstein]

47. I say 0.

Better yet, -9 months.

[dchill]

70. +1

WWJD?

[NuttyFluffers]

55. day of birth. mom gets prenatal, naturally.

medicare for all. it's the only way to be sure.

[SMC22307]

57. 50, since there's so much age discrimination in the work place. (n/t)

[1StrongBlackMan]

73. I say …

Drop the eligibility age for medicare to 18, the age of majority.

[1StrongBlackMan]

72. I completely agree …

I suspect that this is in the strategic hopper … wait for the modern gop to firm up their strategy by announcing that their plan to use SS, Medicare and Medicaid cuts as leverage to remove the sequester cuts; then, once in the budget negotiations, counter with putting raising the cap and lowering the buy in age.

But I would suggest that the Democrats wait on introducing the bills (i.e., legislation) in Congress until January 2014 … as that is when they will get maximum exposure (as we approach the next shut-down fight, January 15th and the next debt ceiling fight February 7th, and the "official" start of campaign season) … and make the counter-offensive MUCH more comprehensive, to include: a Jobs Bill (the President’s previous Proposal would be great), a change in the treatment of non-earned income (versus earned income), along with raising the cap and lowering eligibility age.

These are all things Democrats can campaign on, further exposing the difference between the Democratic agenda and that of the modern gop.

BTW … I think we have found common ground! I knew it would happen if we stuck around long enough!

[rhett o rick]

74. I hope we can find more common ground in the near future.

[99th_Monkey]

75. Abso-fucking-lutely!! And the sooner the better

So the austerity buzzards circling over the Social Security funds
never get to start picking the bones of my children's future clean.

[Tx4obama]

9. K&R n/t

[libdem4life]

10. How about a Democratic Pledge. No SS or Medicare Cuts. None. Now we may proceed with

"conversations" for funding, starting with our War Budget, FICA increases, raising caps, etc. I'll never forget that last moment as PBO stepped off the stage through the door as he turned and said..."No." No. It's all the Tantrum Caucus understands.

[Cali_Democrat]

11. Reid: "Get something else in your brain"

[steve2470]

14. You said it Harry !! nt

[Flatpicker]

15. "Get something else in your brain"

There's not much room in there for new information.

[CTyankee]

26. Yeah, I was about to say, "what brain?"

[marble falls]

16. I really hated Reid until the President as elected. He's certainly has done a lot of the heavy....

fighting for the President. I love the guy now!

[pa28]

19. Reid is the guy who threw the chained CPI proposal into the fireplace last year.

Go get 'em Harry.

[ybbor]

20. This just in...

Harry Reid has grown a spine!

[IrishAyes]

60. UPDATE: after donning glasses, electorate finally realize HARRY ALWAYS HAD A SPINE

Tardy congratulations reveal previous blindness. News at 11.

[ReRe]

21. No "Grand Bargain"

K&R

... That turkey flew off into the wild blue yonder about a month ago, Paul Ryan, when you little girls were tea-partying. Can you say "New Awakening?" Hey Paul, I could have sworn I seen you on TV today at some pumpkin festival up in New England. Was that you in that giant pumpkin shell rowing down that river??? Grand bargain, my butt. Grand trainwreck is what you guys have up your sleeves. Here's some dunce hats.
Hand them out to your girlfriend tea-partiers.

[ailsagirl]

22. I'm so glad DU has a dunce smilie!!

[ReRe]

37. Comes in real handy more and more these days ;-) n/t

[KauaiK]

23. I would love to see the new Pope slap down Ryan....

[Abq_Sarah]

41. Just out of curiosity

Why would he?

[Recursion]

58. Because he's said cutting social programs is sinful (nt)

[ajk2821]

62. Because I think Paul Ryan should be slapped by lots of people

But that is just me.

[KauaiK]

69. Because

the new Pope isn't about pomp and circumstance; gilt, gold and wealth or secrecy. He is about taking care of the "flock"; not amassing wealth. He just suspended a bishop in Germany for his lavish spending and over-the-top life style.

[Liberalynn]

68. I was thinking the same thing

[DallasNE]

24. Another Misleading Headline

The sub-head is accurate but the headline is completely misleading because it was not Ryan but a Nevada Public Radio host that Reid knocked down. Reid is exactly right, the recent legislation spells out starting the budgeting process so normal appropriation bills can be passed rather than endless continuing resolutions. Here the NPR host appears to attempt to undermine the compromise law extending the debt ceiling and for what reason?

[tularetom]

27. Yet another example of why I don't give a rats ass if NPR gets defunded

[kpete]

28. DallasNE

tried to fix it for you
added some text for clarity,

peace, kp

[IDemo]

25. "Get something else in your brain."

It would be nice if Democratic leaders would just offer that up as a reply to much of the con agenda.

[bravenak]

32. The changes to the sequester spending cuts that he wants are for the military.

They will be going onto effect soon and they don't wasn't that.
I say let them make as many dumb ass offers as they want to. Then smack that shit right down!

[Nite Owl]

33. Thank you Harry!!!

Can't you just see it they try another shutdown and have to argue "we want to cut your SS and Medicare benefits!"

That will really play well.

[OmahaBlueDog]

35. "No" is not the correct answer. Here is how Reid should negotiate.

Ryan: We want entitlement cuts.

Reid: We want the top median tax rates raised on earnings in excess of $10M raised to 55%


Ryan: No, you don't understand. We want entitlement cuts. And tax reform. We want a flat 20% income tax. It's a fair tax.


Reid: Oh, you want a fair tax? A flat, fair tax? OK, we'll support a national flat 5% property tax on all holdings -- corporate and personal -- in excess of $750,000 -- including stock, real property, bonds, cash, boats, and aircraft.

Every time Ryan proposes something, Reid should just come back with a counter. When we do this again in January, I want Reid to hand the House a balanced budget at pre-sequestration levels -- balanced by higher taxes on the top 10% and an end to a whole slew of energy tax breaks.

[Rex]

38. NOPE, now comes the time for them to answer for the sequester.

TIME TO DESTROY THE GOP! Once and for all!

[MoreGOPoop]

39. Hey, Ryan-

Tuck your tail between your legs and go tell Chuck and
Davey that We, the mean ol' People, aren't giving up
another freakin' thing. Oh, and eff you.

[Oilwellian]

42. I hope he's sincere, because...

a lot of his Democratic colleagues are throwing out trial balloons on Chained CPI, yet again, plus Obama put it in his 2014 Budget proposal. When collecting video clips of every single Democratic leader voicing support for Chained CPI, Reid was the only one I couldn't find a clip on. I also found it very curious when he recently showed the newspaper clipping he's been carrying in his wallet for many years, and it had to do with Republicans being wrong about Medicare. So not only is Reid battling with Republicans on this issue, the Democratic leadership would also like to make these cuts. I've often wondered if this is why he won't change the Senate filibuster rules. I'm very encouraged to see him say publicly, there will be no Grand Bargain. I gave up hope long ago with the Third Way leadership of our party, but damn if Harry didn't just instill a little bit of hope in my thoughts.

[toby jo]

43. "normal appropriation bills"

I don't see any room in that statement for drama on the rightie's part, Reid.

[kelly1mm]

46. Sequester part II coming 1/15/2014 IMO. nt

[B Calm]

48. I think Ryan will be voted out of office

in the next election!

[grantcart]

50. What have the aliens done with Harry Reid?

I hope they treat him well while his cyber replacement carries out his Senate duties!

[shireen]

52. i hate the word "entitlement"

SS and medicare were earned by the people who get them. It was taken out of their paychecks for years.

As for other so-called "entitlements," I'd rather think of them as social safety nets, the kind of thing a civilized society does to help people get back on their feet, or find their bearings for a new normal if they have a disability.

I'm so sick of the selfishness in Republicans.

[gopiscrap]

53. stay stron Reid

[Jester Messiah]

54. Good. The more Reid stands his grounds, the worse it is for Repubs in 2014.

They can either fold and be primaried, or they can try to fight, risk more shutdown/default drama, and just generally demonstrate their unfitness to govern. Either way, they're boned.

[NuttyFluffers]

56. it's a start. keep hammering so more vocally support Reid.

make that 3rd rail crackle with menace!

[Arkana]

59. Harry Reid continues to surprise me.

Maybe he's a better wartime leader for Senate Dems than I thought. I was so afraid he was going to lose his seat in 2010 and that pissant suckup Chuck Schumer was going to take over...

[Major Hogwash]

61. They owe us $24 BILLION DOLLARS!!

Ryan had better figure out a way to get that money back to us, or he is going to wind up on the unemployment line next year!!

[Erose999]

64. Eddie Munster wants his hairdo back. Paul Ryan says: no way

[woo me with science]

65. Promising to limit the most severe assaults is not enough.

Last time, we were expected to cheer a vicious austerity plan and be grateful because it did not slash SS and Medicare.

Bragging about limiting assaults is not enough. It is time for Democrats to fight to raise the cap. It's time for loud, vocal advocacy of actual liberal solutions to inequality, including taxing the rich and ending obscene corporate profits, starvation employee wages, and corporate welfare.

[blkmusclmachine]

66. Whatever, President Reid.

[jmowreader]

67. I got a grand bargain for them

Do what is right for the country as a whole, rather than you and your tea bagging sycophants, and we won't primary your sorry asses en masse.

[RKP5637]

76. The sooner these fucked up republicans are out of office across the country the

better a place the US will be.