Biden warns GOP on debt ceiling talks,Obama administration won't let the middle class "carry

[cal04]

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2011/06/25/national/a174938D95.DTL

Vice President Joe Biden says the Obama administration won't let the middle class "carry the whole burden" to break a deadlock over the national debt limit.

Biden says there has been great progress in talks with Republicans on a deficit-reduction agreement. But he says Democrats won't agree to cuts in programs benefiting the middle class.

Biden has led discussions on a deficit-reduction plan but Republicans pulled out of this week. That prompted President Barack Obama to take control of the negotiations.

The sides disagree over taxes. Democrats say a deficit-reduction agreement must include tax increases or eliminate tax breaks for big companies and wealthy individuals. Republicans want huge cuts in government spending and insist on no tax increases.

[vroomvroom]

1. Republicans are Happy now that Obama is part of the talks

so the only real question now is "how much" in cuts the middle class will burden: Most or All.

[indepat]

6. Not aIl: I was thinking only 95%-98%

:patriot:

[LetTimmySmoke]

18. That's my fear.

That Obama will come into the negotiations and fuck it all up. I hope I'm wrong, but I fear I'm right.

[calimary]

2. For whatever it's worth, I'm glad there's a headline like this.

Even if it really means little - it's nice to see that OUR side is doing the warning for a change, rather than being warned by some frickin' republi-CON Sore-Loserman bullies.

[Enthusiast]

10. "Biden warns"

:rofl:

[annabanana]

3. Apparently he doesn't have much problem wtih screwing that part

of the middle class that works for the federal government. Reports are that the federal civilian workforce pension funds (you know, the money that kept the Gov't from defaulting a few weeks ago) could be on the chopping block...

[Autumn]

4. I hope it's not a bend over poor and elderly move.

I'm not optimistic though.

[Doctor Hurt]

7. when they say "middle class" they mean the poor as well

because people don't, in general, like to be called "poor".

[Autumn]

8. Not hardly, but a nice stretch there. n/t

[Name removed]

11. Deleted message

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[Autumn]

12. It's quite a stretch for you to

say that the politicians like to call the poor middle class so they don't hurt the feeling of the poor. There is quite a bit difference in the income levels. In fact that's down right ridiculous. :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: Like that makes the poor feel better.

[Doctor Hurt]

15. again, little rofl symbols

are not an argument.

It's an established fact that the Democratic party has been using the "middle class" as a codeword for its base at least since the Clinton Administration. Yet the base hasn't changed that much.

I frequently work with inner city youth, as a tutor in a variety of subjects, as well as helping my wife, who is a teacher in an inner city school. These students are very, very poor. If you ask them, though, if they think of themselves as poor, they do not. They think they are middle class. I have worked with hundreds of these kids over the years. Not one ever thought of themselves as poor.

[Name removed]

14. Deleted message

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[CTyankee]

19. republicans have so long equated "poor" with "criminal class" that it IS

a label poor people shun if at all possible...how can you blame them? They have hard enough lives and then to not only get screwed but defamed is horrible.

[creeksneakers2]

5. Obama could stop

Requesting even more for the military than the GOP House authorized. That would save $8 billion right there.

[Enthusiast]

9. "whole"

But I suspect he is willing to let us carry far more than our fair share.

Do you ever feel like you are being set up? I feel exactly like I did leading up to the betrayal on not allowing the Bush tax cuts to expire. I was right then and I am right now. Just a prediction.

When we outspend the entire combined world on the military industrial complex why are they even discussing "entitlement" cuts? When the wealthy are paying less in taxes than at any time in memory why are we even discussing "entitlements" at all?

[juajen]

13. Afuckingmen!

[Autumn]

16. The poor and the middle class will carry

the biggest part of the burden. That is their idea of "shared sacrifice". Very good question, with all the wars we are in and Bush and Obamas tax breaks for the wealthy we should not be discussing "entitlements" at all.

[sad sally]

17. Yep. They're the ones who give their loved ones to fight the wars

because they have a patriotic pride and because they can't afford a higher education without serving in the military; they're the ones who pitch in and help their neighbors when the tornadoes and floods have devastated towns; they're the ones who reach in their almost empty pockets to fill up the collection plates; they're the ones with hopes and dreams they know will most likely will go unfilled. They want to believe in the latest political candidate's promise of change from the last one - just this once, let the words have real meaning...