WHEN YOU work in Congress crafting policy it’s a different story than when you stand in front of the very people you’re planning to shiv if you get the power.
From Think Progress, their post was tweeted 5,493 as of this post, with Ryan getting called “liar” and told him to “go home.”
Mr. Ryan earned the derision.
But the reality is that deficit reduction is coming and there needs to be an alternative push to compete with the grand bargain, or some alternate plan to pressure Democratic members of Congress. The first question senators like Dick Durbin must answer is why entitlements are being bargained while the Pentagon is not. Why it’s so easy for Democrats to tinker with entitlements to deal with the debt, instead of looking to corporate welfare, as well as the shenanigans the Wall Street speculators are utilizing to bamboozle us all.
I’m hardly the only one asking these questions, which are percolating throughout the political community, whether you’re a progressive, independent, or liberal.
Oh, and in case you hadn’t seen it, Speaker Boehner is meeting with Erskine Bowles and Judd Gregg, according to Politico, over the coming fiscal cliff. You’ll see Bowles name a lot in the coming months, especially if President Obama gets re-elected.
A lot is moving underneath the radar.
Its hearteing to see at least this at aarp. its imp to have electeds booed like that. the people have the power to stop the grand bargain. I just hope enough wake up to do so..
“instead of looking to corporate welfare, as well as the shenanigans the Wall Street speculators
are utilizing to bamboozle us all. ”
Bingo!…Yatzy!
Thinking of context and big picture, things we’ve heard: Grand bargain. Austerity. Income inequality. Wall Street. Banksters. Bad, bad “entitlements” and good, good too big to fail corporate bailouts. Favorable tax rates and loopholes for the wealthy. “Job creation” by way of those low rates and loopholes. Trickle down. High unemployment. Foreclosure shenanigans. Union busting. Etc. Add the Corporate Duopoly Electeds/Managers for the Elite, police state, “enhanced’ homeland security … you’d think that would all be enough to get growing numbers of people screaming “Enough!” and then following through to help change the System that creates, maintains and thrives on all this crap. “Boos” are a start.
Amen Joyce!
It’s not enough to *say* “enough.” Deficit reduction is folded into the political fabric now.
Liberals, progressives, independents need a frickin’ alternative PLAN.
There are plans out there. I think if enough progressives wanted them, or features of them, we’d be hearing about them. I like the Green New Deal proposal by Jill Stein and the Greens. The Progressive Caucus comes up with comparatively timid plans that could be expanded into useful economic policy. I don’t know if it’s not having a plan so much as not really wanting one all that much.
What a condescending little twerp Ryan comes off as in this clip. I agree that progressives need to start fighting Obama along with Ryan.
Obama needs to come out and state his policy position when it comes to social security and medicare. He needs to make it clear that he will not cut or change either programs, and not use them as bargaining chips to do deficit cutting.
He could win the senior vote by doing the right thing when it comes to SS and medicare. If he is not clear and forceful on these issues, he will not get the senior vote, and that could cost him Florida.
“No he doesn’t! Our Young PresidentTM is awesome and he doesn’t need to tell you whiners anything! Check out this poll and this one and this one, he’s way ahead which makes him a WINNER, and besides if you think he’ll cut the safety net what do you think Romney will do!”
“I bet you hate Deval Patrick too, you haters!”
–Solo’s Intern
LOL!
Want to solve the long term problems of Social Security and Medicare? Only two things need to be done! Remove the cap from SS and that program is solvent for the next 75 yrs! Allow the Medicare program to negotiate drug prices and that program becomes financially stable for decades!
Your attempt at sarcasm falls on deaf ears. I made a serious comment and all you got is some juvenile BS.
I assume that was meant for jjamele? I was being completely serious!
You are correct. Was not meant for you.
Good. Ryan deserves to booed early and often! There is something about the arrogant, lying little snot that makes me just want to slap him. But the AARP booing is good enough!
BEGIN QUOTE: “Obama needs to come out and state his policy position when it comes to social security and medicare. He needs to make it clear that he will not cut or change either programs, and not use them as bargaining chips to do deficit cutting. ” END QUOTE
Respectfully to angels81: I agree with you that he will lose much of the senior vote if he doesn’t take this position.
Unfortunately, I don’t think this is Obama’s policy position. Obama is not being specific during the election about his willingness to put the “Grand Bargain” on the table because like Mitt,he knows if he tells people what his plans are, they won’t vote for him.
I believe Obama fully intends to try to work with the Re-OBSTRUCTIONIST Party to cut/change one or both in some fashion, especially Social Security. He stated in the past that nothing is off limits including the Social Security “entitlement” money that I have been paying for the last 40 years.
So unless something has changed, I doubt you are going to hear any such clear statement coming from the Obama campaign. Sorry!
(P.S. If before the election we hear Obama clearly state that he will make no changes to either program, then I am more than happy to be wrong about this!)
great post ladywalker~ I totally agree…especially the “little snot” part.Ha!
I wish angel’s apparent thinking that Obama agrees with him on these issues was correct but I don’t think is is. The people he has around him in his administration are not progressive, the big doner class that he has frequent contact with are progressive on soicial issues but probably neo-liberal on the economy. I think his small doner base might be the most progressive but they might be rubes too.( in terms of how much influence they have in their positions).
No disrespect meant solo
I should have said great comment ladywalker…based on a great post by Taylor with whom I also agree.