Obama puts Democrats in bind with Social Security concession

[brentspeak]

This discussion thread was locked as off-topic by Rhiannon12866 (a host of the Latest Breaking News forum).

Source: Reuters

President Barack Obama has put Democrats in Congress in a tough spot politically after he conceded to Republican demands in the "fiscal cliff" negotiations that the government use a lower inflation index for calculating federal benefits.

Although Obama was open to changing the index during last year's budget fight with Republicans, Democrats and progressives who helped re-elect Obama in November hoped new leverage gained from the win would prevent a repeat of that concession and had been warning the White House not to do so.

Their hopes were dashed Monday night when the White House's latest offer in the budget talks included moving to the lower inflation index, which takes into account changes in consumer buying habits.

snip

That has put Democrats in a quandary because the White House is essentially asking them to avoid the year-end fiscal cliff of spending cuts and tax hikes by, in part, reducing federal retirement benefits for tens of millions of Americans.

Read more: http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/12/19/us-usa-fiscal-socialsecurity-idUSBRE8BI00420121219

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Reader responses:

texoman wrote:
President Obama I’m beginning to believe you are an Idiot! I’ve been a Democrat since 1965. I worked to get you elected two times, but hear me! You know that Social Security is NOT the problem! Leave it ALONE! Seventy-six percent of the poled citizens agree with me!

Dec 18, 2012 7:43pm EST

Abulafiah wrote:
Social Security is not the problem, and Obama has no need to concede anything.

Dec 18, 2012 10:49pm EST

[Skittles]

1. GO OVER THE CLIFF

[FreeBC]

6. The cliff is not a good deal

The cliff goes against the economic model progressives believe in. It will take money out of a depressed economy when we should be putting money into it. So let's stop pretending that going over the fiscal cliff is just fine with us, because it is not. Do we want to face the next mid-term elections with an economy that has worsened?

Obama is not in a position to offer the republicans a "take it or leave it" deal. He has to negotiate if he wants to avoid the fiscal cliff.

Just because social security changes may be included in a deal, that does not necessary make it a worse deal than the fiscal cliff. While it is possible that Obama is negotiating a deal that would be worse than going over the fiscal cliff, I will wait until I see the deal before I assume it. I believe Obama deserves the benefit of the doubt.

[David__77]

30. No, it is a good deal.

It will make taxation relatively more progressive and it will reduce the proportion of federal spending on the military. I think that sets a better baseline for the future and is thereby quite progressive.

[newfie11]

40. Why is Obama offering up SS?

Has this been a republican breaking point in negotiations? I haven't seen SS mentioned by repugs, only Obama. SS has no bearing on the deficit and this will only make life hell for seniors as years go by.

[JackRiddler]

39. It's not a cliff at all. It's a fiscal bump.

Let's start by reclaiming the language here. There's a reason they gave it this ominous title, to pump up the hysteria and force a hawkish deal.

Let the Bush tax cuts expire altogether. Negotiate in the new Congress. Lame duck should not be deciding this.

[villager]

2. Obama working hard for *aonther* "shellacking" in the upcoming midterms.. already!?

n/t

[Samantha]

3. That just might happen, not to him of course

But to every remaining Democratic legislator that signs off on this.

Sam

[still_one]

4. The Democratic party will go down the tubes if they cut social security and medicare

[R. Daneel Olivaw]

9. They could always go for the trifecta and take medicaid anlong for the ride.

[still_one]

11. In California I am hearing rumors of that. I am so pissed at what appears to be happening

[R. Daneel Olivaw]

15. Well, nothing has hapened yet, hopefully.

If it does happen we can all be thankful that we didn't vote for Romney since it would have been so much worse.

[still_one]

16. That doesn't make me any happier

[R. Daneel Olivaw]

18. I was going to use the sarcasm thingy. Sorry for the omission.

[newfie11]

41. I guess we will see. It is to early to know.

[Maven]

33. Yes but when it happens it will be because "we didn't support him enough"

[DURHAM D]

5. gheez louise - who is this guy?

[kath]

7. SO IT'S TRUE

Where are all the people who swore that Obama wouldn't actually do this??

Fuckin' A, do I ever hate DINOs and Trojan Horses.

[still_one]

19. I was called an Obama hater because I brought it up this morning. I wonder if what they will say

now?

[Le Taz Hot]

43. They're in GD

assuring everyone that's it's all a lie because it comes from right wing sources. I'm not sure when Bernie Sanders became a right wing source but whatever.

[rhett o rick]

8. What does ProSense say about this? nm

[grahamhgreen]

35. He is against it, last I saw...

[progressoid]

44. She

I think she's a she.

[Baitball Blogger]

10. This is so depressing.

[malthaussen]

12. I'm willing to give the man the benefit of the doubt in most things...

If this story is true and correct, then he has done very ill. The one thing has nothing to do with the other, certainly he knows this. I cannot see how such an offer can be seen as anything other than craven.

-- Mal

[99th_Monkey]

13. Did Axlerod forget to tell Obama he WON THE FUCKING ELECTION???

Shit! This concession is the kind of thing that was supposed to just happen during Obama's
first term, and represents a shameful betrayal to the Democratic party, to all current seniors,
and all future seniors, which is everyone. I'm genuinely pissed, and am not bashful about
saying so.

I WANT SANDERS TO DO A TALKING FILIBUSTER ON THIS. HELL NO!! LEAVE OUR SOCIAL
SECURITY THE FUCK ALONE!!!!!!!!!

[Ed Suspicious]

14. I swear we had the pukes by the balls just days ago, now we're offering one of our

sacred cows. My mother is on Social Security. She was one of the low info voters we hear about. I convinced her that, as somebody on SS and Medicaid she really had to vote for Democrats including the Pres because a vote any other way would diminish her standard of living.

Fuck me running.

[R. Daneel Olivaw]

17. Fuck me running.

Don't give them any ideas.

[DURHAM D]

20. I convinced many family members to vote for Obama by telling them

Romney would fuck with SS & Medicare. Now I won't be able to look these people in the face and unfortunately I will see them at Christmas. Worse - some of them voted Democrat for the first time ever. I feel like an idiot.

[olddad56]

22. you are not an idiot, you just got conned is all. He is a politician, what can we expect.

[DURHAM D]

23. More...

He never has to run for office again.

[plethoro]

38. I did the same with family, friends and my

diabetic website I've had since 1996 of near 82,000. I will pay the ultimate price but not without letting Democratic leaders know that this action will virtually end the Party. And I don't believe Obama is done cutting.

[olddad56]

21. maybe we voted for the lesser of two republicans.

[kath]

32. ding, ding, ding, ding, we have a WINNAH, folks! A WINNAH!

[on point]

24. No Bind. Just reject it like you would of any republican president....

I'll take the cliff Alex, thank-you

[elleng]

25. 'lower inflation index, which takes into account changes in consumer buying habits'

is just what CPI SHOULD do, something like the real world.

[UtahLib]

26. My heart sank when Clinton signed on to NAFTA

It turned my stomach everytime President Obama would reference Reagan during the last election. Now this! Are we never going to have another truly Democratic President? I just pray he will come to his senses.

[cascadiance]

27. And the Telecomm act too that has given us the media mess we have now!

When can we have a president and pols that aren't corporatists? McCain had the sense to vote against the Telecomm Act along with six other Senators and Clinton went ahead and signed it in to law.

[jsr]

28. Why is Obama so obsessed with cutting Social Security?

There is no denying that Obama OFFERED to cut Social Security on multiple occasions.

[avaistheone1]

31. I don't know any fat cats getting rich on Social Security - that's for sure!

[newfie11]

42. That's what I don't understand nt

[budkin]

29. Write and call to the White House... I did tonight.

Let them know that you will not stand for it!

[budkin]

34. Worst thing is that he can't ever go back to 250k. He's stuck at 400k.

Let the goddamn Republicans make the concessions.

[grahamhgreen]

36. Reuters never mentions SOCIAL SECURITY DOES NOT ADD ONE NICKEL TO THE DEFICIT!

[Divine Discontent]

37. and we need to keep saying that! will be sickening if they touch SS!

[Rhiannon12866]

45. Locking, sorry, this is analysis of news posted earlier. Please continue discussion here:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/1014341061

And please consider reposting this in Politics or GD. Thanks!