If President Obama Doesn't Stop Pushing for a Major Debt Deal, There is No One To Stop Him

[jtown1123]

President Obama, in putting SS, Medicare and Medicaid on the table with such little time left, has backed Senate and House Democrats into a corner. Now, they have to choose between fending off cuts and a default. Now, they will be painted as the obstructionists and not the Tea Party/GOP that got us into this mess.

All the reports from his meeting with Democrats yesterday said that tempers were flaring...I'm not surprised. If they choose to cut SS and Medicare, they will have incredibly tough elections next year. A lot of them probably won't get reelected. Or, they stick to their guns and have a U.S. default ultimately pinned to them.

I wish the President would just hash out a clean debt ceiling bill. His USA Today OpEd I just read gives me no hope. He's bought hook, line and sinker that we have a "debt problem" caused by reckless spending. This is flat out false. We were in a recession. We had two unpaid wars and a Prescription Drug Benefit that was not paid for. I can't believe we're at this point.

[HillbillyBob]

1. YOU MEAN STEAL SS!

Im really starting to hate him! I m seriously considering voting, but not for O.

[jtown1123]

3. Yep, steal. I am writing in. Will vote locally. I still like Jim Moran.

[still_one]

2. Bloomberg is reporting that both bayner and obama agree on increasing the medicare eligibility age.

The only hope we have is that the Democrats in the Senate will tell them both where they can go

[jtown1123]

4. I just don't think they can...it's so frustrating. If they vote no, we default.

[still_one]

8. They should just do an up or down vote on the debt limit, nothing else /nt

[jtown1123]

5. Do you have a link? I want to read that.

[still_one]

7. I don't have a link, this is on Bloomberg television, and they were commenting how the talks were

proceeding.

Is it accurate? It is what Bloomberg record reported

It does not mean that Congress will accept it, but if it is valid, it sure does not make me feel good about this administration

[WI_DEM]

6. that's my thought too. the GOP looked like the obstructionists but if Obama

comes out for some half assed plan and democrats don't support it they will be painted as the obstructionists.

[still_one]

9. At this stage I don't care how they are viewed. Whoever protects social security and medicare, and

does not play games with cost of living or increasing the eligibility age will get my support

[EleanorR]

10. It turns out that our problem is we cut taxes without paying for them over the last decade;

It turns out that our problem is we cut taxes without paying for them over the last decade; we ended up instituting new programs like a prescription drug program for seniors that was not paid for; we fought two wars, we didn’t pay for them; we had a bad recession that required a Recovery Act and stimulus spending and helping states -- and all that accumulated and there’s interest on top of that.

And to unwind that, what’s required is that we roll back those tax cuts on the wealthiest individuals, that we clean up our tax code so we’re not giving out a bunch of tax breaks to companies that don’t need them and are not creating jobs, we cut programs that we don’t need, and we invest in those things that are going to help us grow. -Obama July 15th 2011

[dgibby]

11. The Grand Bargain:

Destruction of the Democratic Party. Only Nixon could go the China, only a Democratic(?) President could destroy the Democratic Party.