Quease making article - Obama agrees IN ADVANCE to endorse findings of Deficit Commission?

[Phoebe Loosinhouse]

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/04/27/obama-deficit-commission_n_553073.html

Obama Deficit Commission Weighs Politically Toxic Fixes
ANDREW TAYLOR/AP
04/27/10 05:27 PM

WASHINGTON — The co-chairman of President Barack Obama's deficit reduction commission said Tuesday that Obama would endorse its findings, including politically toxic tax increases and painful cuts to retirement benefits that the president was unwilling to propose on his own.

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Obama explicitly told reporters in the White House's Rose Garden that neither he nor commission members would say what deficit-closing options remain viable.

"We're not playing that game. I'm not going to say what's in. I'm not going to say what's out. I want this commission to be free to do its work," the president said.

This got lost in the shuffle of that week (stock market dive, etc.), at least it did for me. I think we all need to keep our beady eyes peeled on this "bi-partisan"(code word for "stand by to be screwed") Commission.

Why would President Obama agree in advance to endorse the recommendations of the Commission? That makes no sense to me. I also can't help but make the comment that he WAS willing to preemptively remove items from the healthcare debate: single payer and prescription drug negotiation, but oh well, that was then this is now.

Here is an absolutely great website I found to keep an eye on this group and their purported goals and motives as it reflects on Social Security. PLEASE read for lots of good info.

http://www.ncpssm.org/entitledtoknow/?p=1061

If We Truly Care About America’s Future We’ll Cut Social Security…Right?
By NCPSSM | April 28, 2010

This is one of the deficit hawk’s favorite frames as they continue to rachet up their campaign to balance our federal books with cuts in Social Security. Their logic, expressed repeatedly at yesterday’s Presidential Fiscal Commission and again today at Pete Peterson’s fiscal extravaganza in Washington, goes something like this:

We (meaning you—definitely not Wall Street) must sacrifice
Only courageous politicians will tell you the truth (their truth being we must cut Social Security). Conversely,
If you don’t support this truth (cutting Social Security) you’re either not being honest, courageous, or willing to sacrifice for the good of our country.

Personally I don't care about the label of the person or people doing the screwing anymore - Democrat, Republican or a bi-partisan combination of both - I am just tired of being the screwee.

Edit to add list of members of Commission:


Deficit Commission Panel
Erskine Bowles
Alan K. Simpson
Dave Cote
Andy Stern
Ann Fudge
Alice Rivlin
Sen. Kent Conrad (ND)
Sen. Max Baucus (MT)
Sen. Richard Durbin (IL)
Sen. Tom Coburn (OK)
Sen. Judd Gregg (NH)
Sen. Michael Crapo (ID)
Rep. John M. Spratt Jr. (SC)
Rep. Xavier Becerra (CA)
Rep. Jan Schakowsky (IL)
Rep. Paul Ryan (WI)
Rep. Dave Camp (MI)
Rep. Jeb Hensarling (TX)

[Name removed]

1. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[n2doc]

2. Whichever party screws with SS will be destroyed in the next election

Period. If Obama does push through a big cut in benefits to please the deficit hawks, especially together with no end to wars and military expenditures, he/his party will be slaughtered at the polls. And for good reason.

I just don't think Congress is dumb enough to go along with it. They like their jobs.

[Hannah Bell]

31. they'll finesse it by not applying it to current retirees, thus removing immediate outrage.

already recommended strategy in cato's 1983 paper, "Achieving a Leninist Strategy"

Machiavellian. Conspiracy.

[n2doc]

33. Maybe, but I hope that people don't fall for that

Divide and conquer is the only way they will pass this, I will give you that.

[Hannah Bell]

36. better start working on the counter-offensive, then.

[QC]

3. Don't worry. DU will soon be swarming with people eager and able to explain to you

why destroying Social Security is actually a pragmatically progressive thing to do.

[easilynervous]

19. lol. *sigh* I know what you mean n/t

[katandmoon]

4. Psst! To the keepers of the Big List O' Obama Accomplishments -- add fucking over Social Security

[jgraz]

15. Somehow, I think that line item will miss the cut.

They're too busy keeping track of Obama's support for Senior Corps. :eyes:

[Autumn]

5. Here is a better idea, what say we

end a couple of your wars President Obama and we will go from there.

[noise]

6. This is the MO

from The Shock Doctrine. The consequences of elite corruption were passed on to the public. When the public revolted they were treated like terrorists.

[jgraz]

7. You haters all hate the president!!!

Just thought we'd get that out of the way...

[Bluebear]

11. They never loved him to begin with!

:cry:

[dixiegrrrrl]

8. Worse yet, this is a plan from the late 1980's.

The whole idea was back then was to create a Commission which recommended the cuts,
thus keeping the Pres. ( whoever it was at the time) out of the blame.

This strategy goes back to a larger Wall Street effort to get rid of Social Security. A 1983 Cato Institute Journal document, “Achieving a Leninist Strategy” by Stuart Butler of Cato and Peter Germanis of Heritage lays it out for us. The document is still available at Cato, and select quotes are available at Plotting Privatization? from Z Magazine. …

http://www.cato.org/pubs/journal/cj3n2/cj3n2-11.pdf

[amborin]

16. "we must ....divide this coalition" and cast doubt "on the picture of reality" it presents

to the public.....

scary call for commencing massive propaganda campaign and its associated message discipline

[Hannah Bell]

32. +100. everyone should read that, lays out the strategy for the next 30 years.

the ruling class has a long-term time horizon, & they just keep plugging away, & their heirs after them.

meanwhile, the working class is brainwashed, disorganized, & punch-drunk.

[emulatorloo]

9. "co-chairman said Tuesday that Obama would endorse its findings" That's a PREDICTION

by the co-chairman.

Not an "agreement in advance"

AP writers don't write that well.

[Lasher]

10. Well at least the Senate rejected their scheme to fast track it.

I have been around a long time. I have voted in every single primary and general election since I was first eligible, except when I was serving in the Army in Korea and somebody stole my absentee ballot. I have never once voted for a Republican.

If Obama keeps this shit up I will vote against him.

[glitch]

12. If there is no third party candidate write in someone.

You'll only hate yourself if you vote Republican.

[Lasher]

14. I don't think you understand.

If it comes to that I would cast my vote with a deliberate intention of defeating his re-election bid. I'm not talking about some purely symbolic gesture. If he keeps this shit up I would vote for Charles Manson if he had the best chance of defeating Obama.

[glitch]

18. Ah hardball. Understandable but that is why IMO they will put up Jeb/*

From the neo-con perspective it's win/win.

*Palin or Baby Dick (Cheney spawn, but I am hoping Baby Dick will catch on)

[Lasher]

21. I guess. I haven't thought about that much.

Pee Wee Herman, whoever. I feel no hostility toward you and I am not being impulsive.

I just voted for my incumbent House rep in the West Virginia primary. Before the general election comes around I will seek his personal assurance that he will vote against all legislation that contains any manner of cuts to Social Security, Medicare, or Medicaid. Neither of my Senators is up for re-election this year.

[glitch]

22. I hear you. FWIW I think the Fed govt has been captured and it won't matter who we vote for.

What with the electronic vote counting and all. I just don't want you to personally have the karmic insult of having voted for a Bush. :hi:

IMO best bet for the gathering storm is to work locally to make our communities as self-sufficient as possible.

[Name removed]

13. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[glitch]

20. It's cover.

And quite weaselly. Welcome to DU!

[ultracase24]

17. K & R

Of course he will. And they will find they need to cut Social Security and a few other programs critical to helping people. Yet Im sure military spending and money for prisons and welfare for corporations will all stay. Wow, how progressive this is :eyes:

[Phoebe Loosinhouse]

23. Are there any names on that commission I should feel good about?

I see quite a number to feel bad about.

Who's gonna stand up for Joe and Mary Shit Citizen opposed to the looting/privatizing/social safety net gutting/transferring wealth upward/corporate dollar entrenching/ crony capitalistist/we own your elections/multi-gazillion-dollar media manipulating free speechifying mafia?

Andy Stern?

One dangled invitation to the Bohemian Grove multinational A-list ingroup lovefest and he's toast. That seems to be what happens to almost everyone who starts life being on the peoples side. It's like the underground site where they get the scars on the neck in the original Invaders From Mars.

[Phoebe Loosinhouse]

24. Who feels good about this commissionin the first place? Isn't this what Congress is supposed to do?

[dixiegrrrrl]

26. It's called "co=opting". Used to be a known tactic

back in the day ( 60s, 70's)
when anti-establishment organizer became too effective, the system offered them a job,
then eventually moved them down to the level of janitor or something.

(I knew I was effective when our county system offered me a job if I would only shut up about poor people's rights.)

[blindpig]

35. That's why compromise is not an option.

Tom Hayden, Rennie Davis, so many more.

Kill Capitalism

[blindpig]

34. misplaced n/t

[Phoebe Loosinhouse]

25. kick to alert for our upcoming screwing.

[Mari333]

27. 70 million babyboomers retiring will show up at the polls , angry

I will be one of them. dont fuck with social security.

end the military empire, then we can talk.

[tnlefty]

28. + a million...

better shut down these wars and curb military spending first, among other things.

[Mari333]

29. that would be nice, too....agreed

[Hannah Bell]

30. the "deficit commission" serves the same function as most commissions - take the heat

off the pols for a unpopular choice the politician HAS ALREADY DECIDED TO MAKE.

Look at the personnel on the commission & its financial backers & you already know what they're going to do.

george bush II -- or maybe George Bush V, since the policy line from reagan to the present seems to be an unbroken ribbon of neo-liberal shit.

[amborin]

37. blame it on the "commission" (which i selected and whose agenda & decisions i outlined & approved)