Obama refused to speak to Democratic Caucus - Dems learn of Obama-GOP SS-cut deal thru press

[nashville_brook]

That's some cold shit served with a side of fuck you.

http://thehill.com/homenews/senate/170143-senate-democrats-fuming-over-debt-talks

Senate Democrats fuming over Obama's apparent move on Social Security
By Alexander Bolton - 07/07/11 11:42 AM ET
(ss-snip)

Democratic lawmakers said they were dismayed to read about Obama’s offer in the press rather than hearing it from the president himself. Their frustration is exacerbated by Obama’s snub of their invitation to speak to the Senate Democratic caucus Wednesday. Instead, Obama is meeting with Democratic and Republican leaders from both chambers Thursday morning.

“We would have preferred to hear it from the president instead of from the press,” said Sen. Barbara Mikulski (Md.), a senior member of the Senate Democratic conference. “We first have to go after tax earmarks.”

Mikulski said cuts to Medicare and Social Security should be a solution of last resort. She said closing tax loopholes and pulling back from Libya should be considered before entitlement cuts. She said Obama should not assume Democratic support for a deficit reduction plan that cuts entitlements.

(ss-snip)

[nsd]

1. Source?

[MineralMan]

6. Who knows.

President Obama met with Congressional leaders of both parties today. They had a long discussion of this very issue. I imagine they'll pass it along. It's hard for him to address the entire Democratic caucus while he's meeting with the Congressional leaders, I'd think.

He didn't "refuse" to do anything. He was busy being President.

[Dawgs]

19. TPM has something on it.

http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2011/07/sources-house-dems-stunned-by-white-house-proposal-read-obama-the-riot-act.php?ref=fpb

[Name removed]

24. Deleted message

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

[gateley]

59. I hate it when people call others apologists,

but I had to laugh at your post! :7 :hi:

[whistler162]

48. Fred on the corner who over heard it from a guy he

met waiting for the 9 o'clock bus who heard it from some girl he met some where.

[gateley]

56. There's a direct quote from Mikulski in the OP - that indicates

to me it's valid.

[mzmolly]

72. “We would have preferred to hear it from the president instead of from the press,”

...which doesn't sound like the President clarified what the press was floating to me.

[mzmolly]

71. Crickets....

:hi:

[Rex]

2. Stupid move that will hurt the party next year.

I guess he didn't learn from his stupid behavior in 2010. What an idiot.

[nashville_brook]

17. one stupid move after another -- but hey, he's got all the $$$ he needs from Wall Street

Who the hell needs voters anymore? That's so 2010.

[Rex]

18. IT is as IF he already has the 1 billion he needs to run again.

YA voting...so pre-2000.

[pennylane100]

3. Link?

[leveymg]

11. WaPo article first appeared last night. Here's the link:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/economy/in-debt-talks-obama-offers-social-security-cuts/2011/07/06/gIQA2sFO1H_story.html

[gateley]

60. But I don't think the WaPo article had a direct quote, nor mentioned

that he chose not to attend their meeting. This does both. Even though I'm in the Obama camp, I believe it's accurate. Don't know why people fight the facts. Conjecture, yes -- facts, no. :shrug:

[MineralMan]

4. Uh, he was sitting in a meeting with the leadership of both

parties today. I assume the Democrats were listening. I don't know what he said in that meeting, but they do. I'm sure they'll relay the information to their respective caucuses. Don't you think?

[leveymg]

8. Today's issue of The Washington Post was printed last night, MM

Most of us woke up to this shitstorm long before Obama had his sitdown with the Democratic leadership.

[MineralMan]

14. Yes. And the NYT did a long story on the meeting today.

Today is today. Yesterday was yesterday. There's fresh news.

The WaPo story was based on unnamed "sources." The White House has released nothing about the details of what is planned. You trust the Washington Post to report accurately? I don't.

[leveymg]

26. Apparently, someone at the WH leaked this. Or, are you saying it was Congressional sources?

If indeed there was no previous discussions with the Hill leadership before today's meeting, I'd be very surprised.

[MineralMan]

34. I don't think it's all that apparent. Unnamed sources can be

almost anyone they care to use. Without knowing who was the source, it could be anybody. Whenever I see that, I'm immediately suspicious of the information.

I'm sorry, but gullibility is not one of my flaws.

I want named sources or the story is questionable. As we saw today, the White House made its own official statement about that story. They said it was not accurate. An official, named source said that. For me, that trumps an anonymous blabber.

Learning to read news stories with a skeptical eye is a good skill to acquire.

[Telly Savalas]

67. Amen.

I don't have the warm fuzzies about how this round of budget negotiations will turn out, but the people who cling to statements from unnamed sources to fuel their hyperbolic tirades about what might happen are assholes, especially when the official sources have discredited the unnamed ones.

[Poll_Blind]

12. And this news broke 24 hours before. From The Hill:

Pelosi not informed in advance of Obama's broader reform plans:

House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) was not informed in advance of President Obama’s plans to include Social Security reform in the scope of the debt-ceiling talks, a House Democratic aide said Thursday.

Reports that Obama is looking for a big debt deal that would include Social Security reforms provoked anger among liberals in the House and Senate, who said they were irritated to learn of the news from the press.

The next three paragraphs go on to reiterate that Social Security is a target for these cuts and...apparently...according to White House spokesman Jay Carney, this has always been the case.

PB

[nashville_brook]

22. cuts to SS *as has always been the case* -- this is why he met IN PRIVATE with the GOP

b/c his own party won't have this shit.

[leveymg]

32. When did Obama have his meeting with Boner? Was it yesterday?

[leveymg]

30. Thnx. Can that be any clearer? "Pelosi was not informed in advance."

Source: "a House Democratic aide said Thursday."

[leveymg]

5. Keep it up, Barack. You're going to be truly reviled, particularly by those who worked hardest to .

get you elected.

[pennylane100]

7. I think that link was posted just before his meeting

with both the Dems and Repugs.

[nashville_brook]

10. no, actually -- he refused to meet with Dems

[leveymg]

21. What's the source for a "refusal to meet", or is that circumstantial?

Is there a source for a decision taken to release this through the press prior to the sit down this morning?

[nashville_brook]

23. the Democratic Caucus requested a meeting and he refused. pretty straight forward.

[leveymg]

35. Please, what is the source for that specific piece of information? Anyone?

[chill_wind]

51. Roll Call- Reid last week asked for a meeting same as Gophers did. Gophers got an answer.

Dems were kept guessing. In the end they were stood up. Some kind of superduper3dmutidimensional WH chess strategy to keep the Dem leaders looking sharp and on their feet, I'm sure.


Obama Hasn’t RSVP’d to Meeting With Senate Democrats

By Meredith Shiner
Roll Call Staff
July 5, 2011, 12:39 p.m.


Updated: 3:37 p.m.

President Barack Obama has yet to respond to a request from Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) for a Wednesday meeting with Senate Democrats, days after rejecting an invitation from Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) to meet with his Conference.

Reid said last week he was "confident" that the meeting between his Democratic Conference and Obama would happen Wednesday either on the Hill or at the White House, but so far, the administration has not confirmed there will even be a meeting, according to multiple sources.

http://www.rollcall.com/news/obama-has-yet-to-RSVP-to-meeting-with-senate-democrats-207013-1.html?pos=hln



Obama to Meet With Democrats Next Week, Reid Says

By Meredith Shiner
Roll Call Staff
June 30, 2011, 1:47 p.m.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) said he is “confident” President Barack Obama will meet with his Democratic Conference next Wednesday, even as a White House spokesman confirmed Obama had rejected a last-minute invitation from Senate Republicans to attend their Thursday lunch.


http://www.rollcall.com/news/obama_to_meet_with_democrats_next_week_reid_says-206955-1.html

[leveymg]

52. Thanks. That's the Senate side, what about the House? Anyone got that article?

[chill_wind]

53. The Hill

cites House Democratic aide they're not naming.

http://thehill.com/homenews/house/170173-pelosi-not-informed-of-obamas-broader-reform-plans

and Brian Beutler (TPM) cites multiple Senior House aides that told TPM (also not naming).

http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2011/07/sources-house-dems-stunned-by-white-house-proposal-read-obama-the-riot-act.php

[leveymg]

54. Article doesn't say that a meeting was refused, exactly, but does report secret meeting with boner.

Obama met secretly last weekend with Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) to discuss the debt talks, which could underline anxieties among some Democrats that Obama and the Speaker might work out a deal together.

However, House Democratic leaders are not worried about being left out, insisted aides, who said Pelosi is in constant contact with Obama.

Pelosi last month demanded that she have a seat at the table in talks on the debt ceiling, and legislation is likely to need significant support from Democrats to move through the House.

The former Speaker was among the bipartisan leaders from both chambers meeting with Obama at the White House Thursday morning. The Treasury Department has said the current $14.3 trillion debt limit leaves the government enough room to pay its obligations through Aug. 2.
Source:
http://thehill.com/homenews/house/170173-pelosi-not-informed-of-obamas-broader-reform-plans

[chill_wind]

55. I have no idea what Pelosi's aides are up to on the House side. It's pretty evident

what happened on the Senate side to Reid's request.

[leveymg]

57. A new summary: met Boner Sun., Reid & McConnell Mon, w/ Pelosi and 3 others (bipart) next Fri.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/2chambers/post/pelosi-obama-to-hold-white-house-meeting-on-friday/2011/07/07/gIQAlf6U2H_blog.html

This may give us some idea of the pecking order in the Obama-GOP Washington.

[Bluebear]

68. Yup.

[nashville_brook]

70. good summation (pecking order)

[rhett o rick]

73. So what's your point? Everything is peachy? nm

[pennylane100]

27. Er, Nancy just came out of the meeting.

http://blogs.wsj.com/washwire/2011/07/07/budget-talks-pelosi-to-return-to-the-white-house-friday/

[nashville_brook]

46. this is not about Pelosi, it's about the Caucus learning of the OBAMA-GOP deal to cut SS in the NYTs

instead of thru requested meetings that would have afforded us the opportunity to negotiate on par with the GOP -- instead, we get a deal that's all Obama+GOP.

[polichick]

9. Let him run as a Republican - he'd be happier.

[bemildred]

13. Piffle. nt

[Dawgs]

15. "Fool me once, shame on you.."

They should know better by now.

[saras]

16. Cuts to SS are the equivalent of turning to piracy ala Somalia, they're WAY beyond "last resort"

[Poll_Blind]

20. They played the same game last December. Obama administration apparently likes calling the...

...shots then frog-marching the congressional Democrats in the direction they want.

Classy.

PB

[leveymg]

36. Won't work this time. They'll all be out of jobs next year if they touch SS.

[nashville_brook]

45. amen to that.

[KoKo]

74. I remember both Nancy and Reid complaing about the HCR bill and the President

not meeting with them or canceling meetings...something like that.

[femrap]

25. When did he do that before?

Oh....it was the 'we won't tax the rich' decision behind closed doors w/ the repugnants.

O says he wants the Congress to stay and work...the Senate does so and then he ignores them.

His actions are creepy....like he is some kind of ........ well, don't want to be banned for stating the Truth.

[cascadiance]

31. Yep, and a LOT we learned from that... Or did we?...

Now the right calls these tax cuts the Obama tax cuts...

And the Republicans don't have to own not passing unemployment extensions on their watch either.

AND of course we all know how much fuel not getting any revenue adds to the Republicans holding us hostage fire now!

And I'm an unemployed person too saying this!

[ProSense]

28. The news organizations

are simply making shit up now. From the OP:

<...>

Senate Budget Committee Chairman Kent Conrad (D-N.D.) said, “Social Security money should not be diverted to solving other problems.”

Conrad has long argued that Social Security reform should be kept separate from a deficit-reduction package.

But Conrad said he would consider reforms to reduce Social Security costs as long as the savings were dedicated to extending the solvency of the program.

“We just don’t know from press reports, they’ve been too abbreviated to know how it’s been handled in these discussions,” Conrad said.

Pelosi and others in the Democratic leadership met with the President yesterday. Pelosi was at the meeting today and will meet with the President tomorrow.

The notion that the President is going to hold meetings with the entire Democratic caucus during these few days of negotiations is preposterous.

[nashville_brook]

33. Sorry "ProSense" -- but you only get to "hear it from the press" for the first time once

a meeting afterward is moot -- and, actually even more humiliating to the Dem Caucus.

[ProSense]

37. If I had to

choose between the Hill's characterization of how Dems feel and the statements by Dems, I'll choose their statements:

Van Hollen: Dems will not support a budget 'on the back of Social Security beneficiaries'

Progressive Caucus supports restructuring, not benefit cuts

I mean, even in the OP article, Kent Conrad is questioning the reports for lack of details.

[sabrina 1]

78. Don't they have phones at the WH? Why is everyones

still guessing about this? He could direct one of his aides to pick up the phone and talk to members of his own party to straighten out any misunderstandings, but apparently he only calls Republicans when they get upset.

Maybe if the Caucus had pretended to be Republicans they might have received some answers. It's ludicrous that people still cannot answer a simple question.

[Bluebear]

76. Oh, is she still here?

:)

[Wind Dancer]

29. I guess we're getting the "change"

Obama promised during the campaign. Bu$h couldn't even pull this off yet an elected Dem will destroy the few remaining New Deal policies. It's simply disgusting.

Please...... don't even start about whether I'd be happier with a GOP in office - that's not the point here.

[polichick]

38. Is it against the rules to suggest that the prez has engaged in assholery?

[nashville_brook]

41. only if you say you won't vote for those engaged in said assholery

:evilgrin:

[polichick]

43. Oh, good. :)

[Bluebear]

63. :)

[chill_wind]

39. Yep. Even the Gophers at least merited an "I decline to attend" response.

The Senate Dems? Kept on ice.

http://www.rollcall.com/news/obama-has-yet-to-RSVP-to-meeting-with-senate-democrats-207013-1.html?pos=hln

[tnlefty]

40. "That's some cold shit served with a side of fuck you",

sounds about right. :mad:

[nashville_brook]

61. looks like we're going to have Republican in the White House regardless of who wins in 2012

[amborin]

42. secret meeting with Bohner, too, which WH denied

[QC]

64. It's just more of that fearsome chess, that's all. n/t

[sad sally]

65. Why the secret meetings? Guess his era of openess ended, or did it ever start?

January 21, 2009

Promising "a new era of openness in our country," President Obama signed executive orders Wednesday relating to ethics guidelines for staff members of his administration.

"Transparency and the rule of law will be the touchstones of this presidency," Obama said.

[KoKo]

75. Didn't he play golf with Boner couple weekends ago to "work out a deal?"

How many meetings does he need to have with him...and why now secret?

[N7Shepard]

44. Sanders should fillibuster this

[nashville_brook]

47. one can only hope -- btw, Bernie's twitter feed is one of the best out there.

everyone should give it a follow.

[CakeGrrl]

49. Sounds like some of the same reaction to the WaPo flamebait.

And Dems everywhere are jumping at it.

Mission accomplished, MSM!

[nashville_brook]

50. b/c there's nothing about cutting SS that should upset any of you guys

[gateley]

58. But to be fair, Mikulski is quoted (which indicates to me it's

legit) and Obama has been known to just present a fait accompli previously.

I love the guy, I support him, but he needs to learn from past experiences.

And, it makes me sad he chose not to speak at their gathering. He needs their support, and this isn't the way to get it. It's almost as though he's not affiliated with the Democratic Party any more. :(

[EFerrari]

77. The WaPo flamebait that Obama confirmed today?

That flamebait?

[brooklynite]

62. So, we know what the "deal" was, right?

[peace4ever]

66. they are getting the nader treatment

[ClarkUSA]

69. Tell us the details of this "deal". I'm sure you know exactly what was "cut", right?

I mean, since you thought to put that in your OP headline and all.