Reply #9: Thanks for posting this

[karynnj]

There is at least one thread where it is desperately needed. It is sad when some of the best pundits ignore the pain the automatic cuts will cause. ( http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=433&topic_id=820252&mesg_id=820252 )

Had the Republicans not stupidly insisted on making the Bush tax cuts permanent (which could wait another day even for Norquist fans) and presented plans that were totally unreasonable, they could have created a wedge between the middle class interests and the interests of the poor.

I guess when things get tough personally, the ability to care for those with less diminishes. I also think many here are forgetting things like the Pell grants and other things that help them.

What is clear to me is that Kerry stayed true to the values he has always expressed and willing to do what he did on the energy bill - to go outside his personal comfort zone and seriously look at cuts that he would never ever have wanted to make. As he said, he was willing to take political hits. It had to be hard having organizations that supported him all his career protesting outside his Boston office. What is equally clear is that there was no one on the Republican side willing to do the same. This makes it more annoying that the media focused so much on the Toomey plan - which I hope becomes the albatross it should be around Toomey's neck when he runs for re-election.