I don't care that much about START. I do care about a dem President

[cali]

announcing Social Security cuts in a State of the Union address. I think it frickin' appalling.

[SidDithers]

1. I must have missed the SOTU...nt

Sid

[Marr]

5. Can I assume that means you won't be making excuses for it afterwards?

[emulatorloo]

6. What if your crystal ball is broken?

[Autumn]

2. I really don't think he would do that,

if he were to do that, then he might as well announce during the State of the Union that he would be switching political parties. No one would be that stupid.

[Lasher]

32. That's the way I felt about extending the Bush tax cuts.

I still can't believe he did it. This guy is full of surprises.

You have an interesting concept there about him switching parties. That would be great, it would clear the way for us to nominate an actual Democrat to run against him in 2012.

[bullwinkle428]

3. He needs to read Ike's letter to Edgar over and over again.

[Little Star]

4. Is he going to do that? I wouldn't think so.

[Tatiana]

7. It's beyond appalling. Not even Bush could get away with privatization of SS.

Only a charismatic Dem president such as the one we currently have could ever get away with such a thing.

It's like we are basically telling our elders and elderly to go f*ck themselves.

It's outrageous and I'm inclined to believe it's true.

[cali]

10. I didn't say anything about privatizing it.

What I've read is that he'll announce cuts- still appalling but not as appalling as privatization.

[Tatiana]

16. My point was that both represent substantial changes to a program many people have paid into.

I don't think anyone else could get away with making such changes to social security.

[emulatorloo]

8. Can we just make up stuff now?

[JoePhilly]

14. I heard Obama plans to invade Iran for Valentines day and will tell us during the SOTU!!!

[AtomicKitten]

28. OMG he's going to bomb pirates on the moon.

[JoePhilly]

29. I think he already bombed the moon!!!

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/10/06/nasa-lcross-mission-to-bo_n_311038.html

[AtomicKitten]

30. Two of the most interesting stories at the beginning of his presidency.

that and this http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/30183355/ns/politics-white_house/

[JoePhilly]

33. Yeah, but that one took like 5 days. According to the right, that's way too long.

And he was supposed to be on TV every day acting tough.

[peace13]

9. The voices in my head tell me that Obama is going to have a great SOTU address.

They tell me that folks in the crowd will still yell lier and that some folks won't like a thing he has to say. His skin will still be black and that will irritate many who watch.

[MadMaddie]

11. Have you read the State of the Union? No

Then it is just speculation at this point. This is what the Republicans do, we should not be seeing this kind of stuff here.

Speculation, Speculation, Speculation!! Sources: Questionable!

[JoePhilly]

13. My sense is that some on DU will "hear" the death of Social Security ...

no matter what Obama says.

And so on the day after, the new predictions will appear.

[MadMaddie]

23. You are absolutely correct! So predictable.

[Pathwalker]

12. Got a link?

Or are you privy to the contents of the speech?

[cali]

17. .....

http://dyn.politico.com/printstory.cfm?uuid=EB5E9565-C4A8-7E36-747EADB1F4AAB099

[lamp_shade]

18. Kuttner?

Oh, Cali...

[emulatorloo]

19. That's not a speech transcript.

That's an OP-ED Rant in POLITICO (of all places)

[mmonk]

15. We'll see.

If he does, yes it will be appalling (or depressing). It's sad, but nothing surprises me anymore. so if it happens, I won't be totally shocked. My opinion if he does go there, it will be nuanced so the average clueless person won't figure it out or be convinced nothing can be done.

[bigwillq]

20. It would be appalling.

If true. I hope not.
Maybe this is Obama's way to draw a record number of viewers to tune into the SOTU! :P ;) :)

[Arkana]

21. What's it like in the future? Are there flying cars?

[NNN0LHI]

22. I care a damn lot about the possibility of my grandsons living in a world of more nukes

If you have a problem with SS and Medicare go talk to your neighbors driving imported cars. The workers who built those imported cars don't pay weekly withheld taxes to fund our social programs like SS and Medicare. The workers who built those cars are paying to fund their own social programs for their own citizens in their own county.

See why our social programs are going broke?

Don

[Statistical]

24. Forget Social Security cuts I hate the fact that Obama is going to announce ...

concentration camps for homosexuals in the State of the Union address. I mean imagine the nerve of that guy.

If you are going to just make up bullshit up you might as well go big.

[TheKentuckian]

25. I think the likelihood of cuts is way, way higher.

Orders of magnitude higher.

[Statistical]

26. The OP wasn't indicating claims of likelihood, or opinion but rather stating a "fact". n/t

[karynnj]

27. I assume that most of us care more about Social Security - but there is NO reason to trade off the

two issues. There is no logical connection between them where one makes the other harder to get. In fact, it is likely that this treaty allows us to spend less, not more, on the military. If so, it is a small drop in the bucket.

Given that there is no connection, I question why you connect them. The fact is that failing to pass it would have a negative impact on Obama's influence internationally. I think that is important and I think everyone who has worked on this over the last year or two - in the administration and in the Senate. It now looks like they will be rewarded by the solid, good work on the hearings and getting all the former Republican leaders to recommend it.

Now this will not be a huge celebration - it is not healthcare, tax cuts or an issue with the emotion behind it that either the Dream ACt or DADT have. Why take what little credit people here are willing to give it away?

[Liberal_Stalwart71]

31. They both are equally important for me! n/t