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Showing Original Post only (View all)Obama Called Their Bluff: Republicans Admit They Are Too Scared to Cut Social Security [View all]
Obama Called Their Bluff: Republicans Admit They Are Too Scared to Cut Social Security
You may have missed it, but over the weekend congressional Republicans admitted that they are terrified that any Social Security cuts will lead to their defeat.
If you have been paying attention to the politics of Obamas chained CPI offer, you may have noticed that Republicans have been running away like their hairs on fire away from his proposal.
The reason why is that Republicans are afraid that the president is setting them up. Roll Call reported, The debate Waldens remarks has set off inside the GOP shows many Republicans harbor deep-seated fears about publicly supporting the entitlement cuts they supposedly back and have demanded Obama and other Democrats embrace since taking control of the House in 2011 Many GOP operatives fear Obamas embrace of chained consumer price index, a mechanism to slow the growth of Social Security benefits over time, is a trap a means of getting Republicans to support the policy on the record only to see Democrats savage them for it down the line.
The Republican strategists who suspect this are partially correct. President Obama is using Chained CPI to set up a win/win/win situation for Democrats. Republicans have to choose between raising taxes in order to get the Chained CPI, arguing for Chained CPI without the tax increase, or rejecting Chained CPI. If Republicans express any desire to cut Social Security, Democrats will savage them for it during next years election. If Republicans agree to raise taxes at all, the base of their party will erupt in rage. If Republicans split and some of them reject Chained CPI, it will never become law. (Chained CPI probably wont become law anyway, because Harry Reid and many Senate Democrats have promised to oppose any changes to Social Security.)
-snip-
Full article here: http://www.politicususa.com/obama-called-bluff-republicans-admit-scared-cut-social-security.html
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Obama Called Their Bluff: Republicans Admit They Are Too Scared to Cut Social Security [View all]
Tx4obama
Apr 2013
OP
"If Republicans express any desire to cut Social Security, Democrats will savage them for it..."
demwing
Apr 2013
#3
I think the gist of the opinion here is that new CPI is tied to a tax increase. Repubs will balk.
pinto
Apr 2013
#11
Isn't it just wonderful how Obama has brought the parties together over SS cuts.
L0oniX
Apr 2013
#32
I'm starting to have a hard time understanding who the enemy of a strong progressive society is.
Leontius
Apr 2013
#98
Oh, I just caught on about the colors of the pieces. Never noticed it before.
freshwest
Apr 2013
#51
Hey calm the hell down will ya ...it's a church and they have a right to worship as they see fit.
L0oniX
Apr 2013
#94
Thank you. Nice to see my parents' retirement income is an expendable piece in this game.
Bucky
Apr 2013
#103
You and about 44 DUers are the only people who will remember "chained whatever"
Kolesar
Apr 2013
#56
It's not just the leadership of the dem party that has caved in to the republican ideals.
loudsue
Apr 2013
#84
They ALL ought to be too scared to touch it or even SUGGEST touching it!! Including Obama.
Triana
Apr 2013
#14
If Chained CPI goes down in flames, I think *we* deserve the credit, not Obama.
reformist2
Apr 2013
#25
The outrage seemed to be the electricity that made the third rail deadly to touch
deutsey
Apr 2013
#34
We'll see there has been A LOT of bad feelings on this board for the President
DainBramaged
Apr 2013
#26
wow so many of you still dying to be "right" about how non-liberal the President is
pasto76
Apr 2013
#44
alternatively, Republicans defend SS against democratic budget that threatens cuts n t
msongs
Apr 2013
#45
"Obama wants to cut SS (a lie) and we want to destroy SS and privatize the whole thing." Choose.
tridim
Apr 2013
#104
You do realize that this article is fraudulent? Zero quotes to support its thesis.
MannyGoldstein
Apr 2013
#77
Idiotic. Assinine. Foolhardy. He has the R's defending SS. Stupid. Stupid. Stupid.
grahamhgreen
Apr 2013
#86
Utterly predictable. I feel bad for the chicken-littles playing hyper-dimensional chess...
TekGryphon
Apr 2013
#99
If that's the strategy, then he is brilliant. And such reasoning can be applied elsewhere:
AnotherMcIntosh
Apr 2013
#108