In Debt Talks, Obama Is Ready to Go Beyond Beltway

[highplainsdem]

Source: NY Times

WASHINGTON — President Obama, emboldened by his decisive re-election and lessons learned over four years in office, is looking to the renewal of budget talks with Republicans this week as a second chance to take command of the nation’s policy debates and finally fulfill his promise to end gridlock in Washington, associates say.

As he prepares to meet with Congressional leaders at the White House on Friday, aides say, Mr. Obama will not simply hunker down there for weeks of closed-door negotiations as he did in mid-2011, when partisan brinkmanship over raising the nation’s debt limit damaged the economy and his political standing. He will travel beyond the Beltway at times to rally public support for a deficit-cutting accord that mixes tax increases on the wealthy with spending cuts.

On Wednesday, Mr. Obama will meet with corporate executives at the White House as he uses the nation’s fiscal problems to start rebuilding relations with business leaders. Though many of them backed Mitt Romney, scores have formed a coalition to push for a budget compromise similar to the one the president seeks. He hopes to enlist them to persuade Republicans in Congress to accept higher taxes on the assurance that he can deliver Democrats’ votes for future reductions in fast-growing entitlement programs like Medicare and Medicaid.

-snip-

And with the election campaign over, the campaign for the Obama legacy begins: Mr. Obama will keep his grass-roots organization in place to “have the president’s back,” as its members like to say, on the budget negotiations and other issues in the second term. Democrats concede that the network has not been a particularly effective legislative lobby to date. But they argue that when it was activated to pass payroll tax cuts and low-interest student loans, the pressure made a difference.

-snip-

Read more: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/11/12/us/politics/legacy-at-stake-obama-plans-broader-push-for-budget-deal.html

[Angry Dragon]

1. The payroll tax cuts are a mistake

[WorseBeforeBetter]

3. Agreed. And he and his loyal supporters...

are out of their fucking minds if they think I'm going to "have his back" with regard to cuts to SS, Medicare and Medicaid.

[Cha]

7. I'm a supporter of President Obama and I don't think he's going to ask

for that. And, I certainly wouldn't expect anyone in their right fucking mind to support it.

[Chunk]

8. I'll be right there with you when he actually does

threaten cuts to SS, Medicare and Medicaid.

[WorseBeforeBetter]

10. Hi Chunk... welcome to DU.

[tpsbmam]

13. +1. Don't care who's pushing those cuts, including any "grassroots" traitors

I will not support those cuts!

[lsewpershad]

19. +1

[nauthiz]

2. So....he's basically going to take the beltway to the people?

Yay, Dems become the smiling happy face of the Republican party. Let's give Goldman Sachs social security.

[patrice]

4. Networksof wrkr owned entrepreneur collaboratives co-operative ntwrksSmall businesses. Shop!Local!

Support artisans and local food producers.

More community gardens!

& Mass transit!

:p

[Cha]

5. Good.. Thanks, highplainsdem

[bjobotts]

6. Vote for progressive agenda, not GOP lite

Let the tax cuts expire...then next session bring up a bill for tax cuts on the middle class. No need to "cut back" or reduce needed entitlements. Just need to increase revenue. People are hurting and now is not the time to reduce needed benefits. We need another huge stimulus, only without the tax cuts.
Time to get renewable energy systems in place...to get infrastructure projects nationwide going and to improve our educational infrastructure.
More people working and paying taxes will generate more revenue to pay down our debt and stimulate the economy with increasing demand.
It's not rocket science people...but then most here know this already
So what's stopping congress from implementing?

[Cha]

9. I hope you're writing your thoughts to the White House, bjobotts.. sounds great.

What's stopping congress are the republicons.. which is what happened in 2010 when Dems stayed home. We all need to get out and Vote in 2014 to Take Back The House!

[ProudProgressiveNow]

12. +100000000000000.00

[elleng]

11. Fired up! Ready to go!

'He will travel beyond the Beltway at times to rally public support for a deficit-cutting accord that mixes tax increases on the wealthy with spending cuts.

On Wednesday, Mr. Obama will meet with corporate executives at the White House as he uses the nation’s fiscal problems to start rebuilding relations with business leaders. Though many of them backed Mitt Romney, scores have formed a coalition to push for a budget compromise similar to the one the president seeks. -snip-

And with the election campaign over, the campaign for the Obama legacy begins: Mr. Obama will keep his grass-roots organization in place to “have the president’s back,” as its members like to say, on the budget negotiations and other issues in the second term.'

[WorseBeforeBetter]

15. Fired up and fighting THIS:

"He hopes to enlist them to persuade Republicans in Congress to accept higher taxes on the assurance that he can deliver Democrats’ votes for future reductions in fast-growing entitlement programs like Medicare and Medicaid."

The honeymoon is over.

[nlkennedy]

14. Don't drop the ball

Progressives were very hard to please during Mr. Obama's first term, and by the sound of some of these comments, you're going to be just as upset with the president going forward..

Sometimes change has to come from all of us...

If we have the wherewithal to stick it out until 2016, we can always revisit policy and restructure entitlements...

A budget deal will stimulate the markets regardless of our personal opinions on medicare, SS, restructuring...

Win big now, go back later... Keep your heads up and follow the president..

[bread_and_roses]

17. Please tell me you are not serious? (n/t)

[MotherPetrie]

16. "assurance that he can deliver Democrats’ votes for future reductions in... Medicare and Medicaid"

What the fuckity fuck fuck?

So can we expect Rick Warren at the inauguration too?

[bread_and_roses]

18. And so it begins (n/t)

[drm604]

21. Let's hope that that's a total distortion of what he said, or maybe even an outright lie.

[lsewpershad]

20. When will labor

have a seat at the table?