Who is responsible for this "downgrade"

[Dawson Leery]

Poll question: Who is responsible for this "downgrade"

http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2011/08/kerry-slams-tea-party-downgrade.php?ref=fpb

[AtomicKitten]

1. John Kerry pegged it on MtP: It's a Teabagger Downgrade.

[vi5]

2. I think S&P are idiots, but I don't see how...

Any of this is necessarily them doing the tea party bidding especially when the report itself blatantly and cleary said part of the reason is that it becomes more and more clear that there is no way that any taxes on anyone are going to be raised.

I think they're sloppy, and I think they're not a particularly bright financial institution. But it's hard to see how any report that had that line it it blatantly calling out republicans on taxes and revenue can be seen as completely doing the right wing bidding.

[Dawson Leery]

3. S & P are also discussing cutting Medicare benefits.

Yes, they have made issue that revenue MUST be raised, but why again do we see them single out Medicare for cuts?
Why not the military budget?

[vi5]

5. I thought they did mention defense as well...

I could be wrong but I thought I saw that mentioned as well.

And while it's still a load of horse shit, I thought they mentioned Medicare needing to be "reformed" which as much of a load of horse shit as it is, is still the same thing that most Democratic leaders are saying as well.

[Igel]

8. Because it's large.

Last year Medicare was $453 billion. DOD, $664 billion. DOD > Medicare. But if you include Medicaid, at $290 billion, then DOD < Medicare/Medicaid combined.

People only expect DOD spending to decrease as we drawdown in Iraq and Afghanistan. In fact, Reid's plan was phoney because it claimed these already expected savings as somehow the result of his plan's cost-cutting.

But Medicare/Medicare are projected to just keep on growing hand over fist for the next two decades. The HCRA goal was to reduce, not eliminate, this growth. The HCRA assumptions have *already* been violated in a few different respects. It's unclear how many of the HCRA assumptions are actually going to come to pass.

Ah, I guess it's worth noting that these "cuts" are the fictive cuts that cause the most wailing and gnashing of teeth in DC. They're usually not reductions in benefits; they're reductions in the projected increase of future benefits.

[dkf]

4. George Bush.

[Fire1]

6. Pretty much. n/t

[politicasista]

7. According to some (not all)

of Obama supporters on Twitter, Kerry/McCain. The Senator can never catch a break with anyone it seems.

[Tx4obama]

9. The Republican Teaparty. n/t