Liberals worry about Senator John Kerry's appointment to the Senate debt super-committee

[Better Believe It]

Liberals See Peril as 'Compromise Hawk' Appointed to Debt Committee
Supercommittee gives Kerry chance to shine, worrying liberals
by Alexander Bolton
August 11, 2011

Sen. John Kerry’s appointment to the debt-reduction supercommittee is his big moment to shine as a dealmaker and silence critics who have questioned his modest record of legislative accomplishments.

Kerry’s big opportunity, however, is troubling to some liberal leaders and labor union officials who worry that the senior Democrat from Massachusetts might be too eager to strike a grand bargain.

“Kerry’s got a bipartisan track record on issues big and small including building consensus on issues that had defied all consensus,” said Jodi Seth, Kerry’s spokeswoman.

“Like President Obama, Kerry is fatally attracted to the notion of a grand bargain, sacrificing cuts in Medicare and Social Security in exchange for increased revenues to reduce long term deficits. And he is simply wrong-headed about what the nation must do in order to get the economy on track,” said Robert Borosage, co-director of Campaign for America’s Future, a progressive advocacy group.

Read the full article at:

http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2011/08/11-8

or

http://thehill.com/homenews/news/176403-supercommittee-gives-kerry-chance-to-shine-worrying-liberals-


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Senator John Kerry once again supports putting "entitlement changes" on the table. BBI

Meet Your Catfood Commission, Senate Dem Edition: Murray, Kerry, Baucus
By: David Dayen
August 9, 2011

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid has chosen Sens. Patty Murray (D-WA), John Kerry (D-MA) and Max Baucus (D-MT) for the Super Congress, the bipartisan committee charged with finding at least $1.5 trillion in deficit reduction over the next 10 years. They will make up 1/4 of the 12-member committee: the other Majority and Minority Leaders in each chamber of Congress will chose the other nine.

None of the three were part of the Gang of Six, the bipartisan Senate group that devised a deficit reduction plan this year. Baucus appeared on the Bowles-Simpson Catfood Commission, but ultimately voted against the recommendations. He also was part of the Biden talks during the debt limit.

Kerry and Murray signed a letter earlier this year essentially calling for a grand bargain based on the Bowles-Simpson recommendations. Kerry was on Meet the Press this week saying this:

Senator Kerry also endorsed that goal. The United States must show the markets that it is “deadly serious about dealing with its long-term structural debt,” he said, and the way to do that is by “putting a plan on the table, $4 trillion plus, if necessary.”

http://news.firedoglake.com/2011/08/09/meet-your-catfood-commission-senate-dem-edition-murray-kerry-baucus/


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60 Senators sent this letter to President Obama on March 18, 2011 BBI

Dear President Obama:

As the Administration continues to work with Congressional leadership regarding our current budget situation, we write to inform you that we believe comprehensive deficit reduction measures are imperative and to ask you to support a broad approach to solving the problem.

As you know, a bipartisan group of Senators has been working to craft a comprehensive deficit reduction package based upon the recommendations of the Fiscal Commission. While we may not agree with every aspect of the Commission’s recommendations, we believe that its work represents an important foundation to achieve meaningful progress on our debt. The Commission’s work also underscored the scope and breadth of our nation’s long-term fiscal challenges.

Beyond FY2011 funding decisions, we urge you to engage in a broader discussion about a comprehensive deficit reduction package. Specifically, we hope that the discussion will include discretionary spending cuts, entitlement changes and tax reform.
By approaching these negotiations comprehensively, with a strong signal of support from you, we believe that we can achieve consensus on these important fiscal issues. This would send a powerful message to Americans that Washington can work together to tackle this critical issue.

Thank you for your attention to this matter.

In addition to Michael Johanns (R-Nebraska) and Michael Bennet (D-Colorado), the letter was signed by the following Senators:

Republicans:

Lamar Alexander (R–TN), Kelly Ayotte (R-NH), John Barrasso (R-WY), Roy Blunt (MO), John Boozman (R-AR), Scott Brown (R- MA), Richard Burr (R -NC), Saxby Chambliss (R-GA), Dan Coats (R-IN), Tom Coburn (R-OK), Thad Cochran (R-MS), Bob Corker (R-TN), John Cornyn (R-TX), Mike Crapo (R-ID), Mike Enzi (R-WY), Lindsay Graham (R-SC) John Hoeven (R-ND), Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-TX), Jim Inhofe (R-OK), Johnny Isakson (R-GA), Ron Johnson (R-WI), Mark Kirk (R-IL), Mike Lee (R-UT), Jerry Moran (R-KS), Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), Rob Portman (R-OH), James Risch (R-ID), Pat Roberts (R-KS), Richard Shelby (R-AL), John Thune (R-SD) and Roger Wicker (R-MS).

Democrats:
John Kerry (D-MA), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Ron Wyden (D-OR), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Joseph Lieberman (ID-CT), Kay Hagan (D-NC), Mark Begich (D-AK), Thomas Carper (D-DE), Mark Udall (D- CO), Mark Pryor (D-AR), Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), Jon Tester (D-MT), Christopher Coons (D-DE), Ben Nelson (D-NE), Claire McCaskill (D-MO), Bill Nelson (D-FL), Joe Manchin (D-WV), Benjamin Cardin (D-MD), Al Franken (D-MN), Mary Landrieu (D-LA) , Kent Conrad (D-ND) , Mark Warner (D-VA), Richard Durbin (D-IL), Tom Harkin (D-IA), Herb Kohl (D-WI), Patty Murray (D-WA), Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), Jeff Bingaman (D-NM), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Tom Udall (D-NM) and Sherrod Brown (D-OH).

http://digbysblog.blogspot.com/2011/03/gearing-up-for-grand-bargain.html

[FSogol]

1. Bullshit. People trying to divide the Democrats keep promoting this meme.

:puke:

[JoePhilly]

2. +1000

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

5. People trying to divide the Democrats are the ones who "compromise" with Republicans.

[DonCoquixote]

3. I voted Kerry in 2004

And as one of the true war heroes of Vietnam, and one of the true consistent liberal voices, I will say this, if I had my druthers, this would have been his second term, as he was more qualified than EITHER of the Clintons or Obama. But no, we dems bought into Garry T's "herman Munster" line, and we swooned for Howard dean when he did his Yee-haw!

[emulatorloo]

4. Despicable Disinformation Campaign. The Swiftboating Continues.

[Better Believe It]

8. Do you have any evidence that the Campaign for America’s Future is a far right swiftboating outfit?

[EFerrari]

14. Letter to Senator Kerry on Social Security Comments, Dean Baker

Written by Dean Baker
Wednesday, 10 August 2011 13:25
AddThis
The Honorable John Kerry
218 Russell Senate Office Building
United States Senate
Washington, DC 20510

Dear Senator Kerry:

In a recent interview you said that our nation's problem is one of "long-term debt." You described this debt as "...the structural debt of Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid measured against the demographics of our nation. That then juxtaposed to the lack of jobs and job creation and growth."

In reality, this is not the case. Social Security does not contribute to the debt in either the short-term or long-term. Under the law, Social Security can only spend money that was raised through the designated Social Security tax or from interest on the bonds purchased with this money. The latest projections from the Congressional Budget Office show that the program can pay full benefits through the year 2038 and slightly more than 80 percent of scheduled benefits in subsequent years.

However, this projected gap can only be made up by additional funding approved by Congress. If there are no legislated changes and this projection proves accurate, then less than the full benefit will be paid, and therefore Social Security will not be contributing to the deficit even in the years after it is first projected to face a shortfall.

While it is true that the lack of jobs and jobs creation is significantly impeding the growth of our economy, Social Security is not. And as the discussion over Social Security continues in Congress, I hope you and your staff will have the opportunity to further review the design and finances of the program. If you would like any additional background on the program, I would be happy to assist you.

http://www.cepr.net/index.php/blogs/social-security-monitor/letter-to-senator-kerry-on-social-security-comments

[Better Believe It]

15. Thanks for the post. I'm glad Baker wrote that letter.

[EFerrari]

17. Borosage was on Amy's show today.

The bipartisan "super committee" tasked with finding a way out of the U.S. debt crisis has been established, but what can we expect? On Thursday, House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi named the final three members to the 12-person panel, split evenly between Democrats and Republicans. They will have until November 3 to recommend a plan to cut $1.5 trillion from the deficit over 10 years. We speak with Robert Borosage, founder and president of the Institute for America’s Future and co-director of its sister organization, the Campaign for America’s Future. Borosage says the committee’s authority is unique in Congress, with "powers are quite extraordinary."

http://www.democracynow.org/2011/8/12/bipartisan_super_committee_turns_to_cutting

[uppityperson]

6. unrec for swiftboating

[Better Believe It]

9. Do you believe Robert Borosage, co-director of Campaign for America’s Future, is a swiftboater?

[Better Believe It]

7. John Kerry: "The real problem is the long-term debt of Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid"

Kerry inflamed those anxieties over the weekend during an interview with NBC’s “Meet the Press.” He spoke favorably of a grand bargain that President Obama and House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) had tried to reach, noting it would have included “a mix of reductions and, and reforms in Social Security.

Kerry alarmed liberals by repeating the standard argument of Washington’s deficit hawks.

"The real problem for our country is not the short-term debt. We can deal with that. It's the long-term debt. It's the structural debt of Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid measured against the demographics of our nation,” Kerry said.

http://thehill.com/homenews/news/176403-supercommittee-gives-kerry-chance-to-shine-worrying-liberals

If Senator Kerry was misquoted I'm sure his p.r. people will correct that.

Please post the correction if one is released.

[JI7]

10. not this liberal, tired of fucking assholes trying to act like they speak for everyone

speak for your own fucking self.

[Better Believe It]

11. So would you support cuts in so-called "entitlement" programs if Senator Kerry voted for cuts?

[Proud Public Servant]

12. I have no problem with Kerry per se

It's just that the Democratic contribution to the Gang of 12 are all Washington establishment figures (sure, Bacerra's a Progressive Caucus member, but he's spent 20 years on the Hill). The GOP at least tossed in Toomey as a newcomer who could posture against Washington and appeal to the Tea Party. We couldn't have done the same? Frankin, maybe, or Keith Ellison? As it stands, the Gang of 12 "battleground" will be defined as the area between Washington Establishment Wisdom and Teabagging; actual progressive ideas won't even be in the room, it seems.

[Rex]

13. He can redeem himself for the 2004 fiasco imo.

I believe he is a very good choice for the panel...even though I think the super duper panel of 12 is a very bad bad idea.

[FLAprogressive]

16. No matter what the GOP will have you believe, Kerry is not one of us. At best he is a limousine

liberal in the mold of $chumer. He is not afraid to whore out when necessary.