Pelosi caves on Chained CPI: “I consider it a strengthening of Social Security”

[sabrina 1]

From Americablog:

http://americablog.com/2012/12/pelosi-caves-on-chained-cpi-i-consider-it-a-strengthening-of-social-security.html

Nancy Pelosi has drunk the kool-aid. It looks like one bold “progressive” has hit the dirt, caved, collapsed, gone the way of all DC flesh. Nancy Pelosi now favors benefits cuts to Social Security as part of the President’s personal Grand Bargain. Talking Points Memo, citing a Pelosi press conference on Dec 19 (Wednesday; my emphasis and paragraphing):

Though Chained CPI would reduce lifetime benefits relative to the current cost of living adjustment formula, Pelosi said she does not consider it a benefit cut. “No, I don’t,” consider it a benefit cut, she said. “I consider it a strengthening of Social Security.”

Emphasis mine. I can't believe a Democrat said this! It has to be one of the most ignorant statement regarding the Chained CPI made so far by an elected Democrat.

From TPM:

http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2012/12/pelosi-im-not-thrilled-with-obamas-fiscal-cliff-proposal----but-its-not-a-benefit-cut.php|

Pelosi: "I’m Not Thrilled’ With Obama’s Fiscal Cliff Proposal — But It’s Not A Benefit Cut"

Pelosi was responding to a question about Obama’s main concession to House Speaker John Boehner: a measure called Chained CPI that would re-index Social Security payments to a lower level of inflation.

Though Chained CPI would reduce lifetime benefits relative to the current cost of living adjustment formula, Pelosi said she does not consider it a benefit cut.

“No, I don’t,” consider it a benefit cut, she said. “I consider it a strengthening of Social Security.”

It should go without saying that Steny Hoyer is backing her up.

They are, however, getting a lot of push back, mostly from the Progressive Caucus.

From The Hill:

House Democratic leaders soften opposition to Social Security cuts

House Minority Whip Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) delivered a similar message Tuesday.

"Everybody needs to understand that nobody is going to be happy with every provision of a deal," Hoyer warned. He said the package should put the country "on a fiscally sustainable path," "get the debt limit off the table" and "provide some revenues for growing the economy and investing."

"The president wants to address all three of those, and I agree with him," Hoyer said. "Some members will have problems with some parts but … if we get an agreement that the president can support, hopefully we can get a majority in the House – Republicans and Democrats – and [Speaker John] Boehner and the Leader [Pelosi] and I will convince members that we ought to move forward."

But many rank-and-file members are up in arms over the White House offer.

Emerging from a Democratic Caucus meeting Tuesday morning – where they were briefed on Obama's plan by top White House adviser Rob Nabors – the Democrats pushed back hard against the president's proposal to reduce future cost-of-living raises for beneficiaries of the popular retirement program.

Everybody needs to understand? Dear Democratic Leadership, it is YOU who needs to understand something:

One more time for our Dem Leadership who do not seem to understand the SS Fund, the Federal Budget and what actually caused the Deficit:

Sorry to shout, but these Democrats appear to have their fingers in their ears when it comes to the American People:

SS HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH THE DEFIICIT

THE CHAINED CPI IS AN ATTACK ON THE SS FUND AND ON SENIORS WHO DID NOT CREATE THESE PROBLEMS!

THE SS FUND BELONGS TO THE PEOPLE. YOU ALL HAVE NO RIGHT TO TOUCH IT WITHOUT THE PERMISSION OF THE PEOPLE WHO OWN IT.

You can find your Representatives at this link if you would like to give them a call:

House of Representatives


I have tried to reach Sen. Feinstein and Sen. Boxer for several days now. Feinstein's line has been busy and Boxer is only taking voice mails.


And here is a list of where they all stand on the Chained CPI so far from Moveon:

Champions 1

Sen. Daniel Akaka (HI)
Sen. Richard Blumenthal (CT)
Sen. Sherrod Brown (OH)
Sen. Ben Cardin (MD)
Sen. Al Franken (MN)
Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (NY)
Sen. Tom Harkin (IA)
Sen. Frank Lautenberg (NJ)
Sen. Patrick Leahy (VT)
Sen. Carl Levin (MI)
Sen. Jeff Merkley (OR)
Sen. Barbara Mikulski (MD)
Sen. Jack Reed (RI)
Sen. Jay Rockefeller (WV)
Sen. Bernie Sanders (VT)
Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (RI)

Part-way there, or Wavering 2

Sen. Max Baucus (MT)
Sen. Mark Begich (AK)
Sen. Michael Bennet (CO)
Sen. Jeff Bingaman (NM)
Sen. Barbara Boxer (CA)
Sen. Maria Cantwell (WA)
Sen. Tom Carper (DE)
Sen. Bob Casey (PA)
Sen. Chris Coons (DE)
Sen. Dick Durbin (IL)
Sen. Dianne Feinstein (CA)
Sen. Kay Hagan (NC)
Sen. Tim Johnson (SD)
Sen. John Kerry (MA)
Sen. Amy Klobuchar (MN)
Sen. Herb Kohl (WI)
Sen. Mary Landrieu (LA)
Sen. Claire McCaskill (MO)
Sen. Robert Menendez (NJ)
Sen. Patty Murray (WA)
Sen. Bill Nelson (FL)
Sen. Ben Nelson (NE)
Sen. Mark Pryor (AR)
Sen. Harry Reid (NV)
Sen. Chuck Schumer (NY)
Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (NH)
Sen. Debbie Stabenow (MI)
Sen. Jon Tester (MT)
Sen. Mark Udall (CO)
Sen. Tom Udall (NM)
Sen. Mark Warner (VA)
Sen. Jim Webb (VA)
Sen. Ron Wyden (OR)

Weak-kneed 3

Sen. Kent Conrad (ND)
Sen. Joe Lieberman (CT)
Sen. Joe Manchin (WV)

Shame on them! All of those who vote to cut Social Security Benefits/The Chained CPI.

[unblock]

1. big pelosi fan here...

but this definitely takes her down a few notches in my book.

[indepat]

35. Pelosi bringing disingenuousness to an art form by in essence claiming obscenely bad

for seniors is good for social security. P.S. Minority Leader Pelosi, a veritable plethora of ways are available for strengthening social security rather than starving a gaggle of seniors.

[Melinda]

2. SF liberal, indeed. Good post, thanks for sharing the info and updates.

I don't get Akaka on the list tho. Know what I mean?

[sabrina 1]

3. I don't know much about Akaka. You seem surprised though. Do you think

he's more likely to support the Chained CPI than not?

[Melinda]

5. It's official - I am an idiot.

I confused him with Inouye, and thought him dead. My bad, sabrina.

Sorry about that.

[Earth_First]

6. You had me seriously confused for a moment...

I even brought up the Wiki page.

[Melinda]

12. Sorry!!!

But cookies make everything all better!!!

[sabrina 1]

7. No problem, after I read your comment I thought that might be who you meant.

[Coyotl]

8. Pelosi is just covering Obama's back, sadly.

2014 is going to be a disaster if they keep this shit up!

[Bluenorthwest]

9. Nancy needs to go home and count her winnings.

nt

[Jefferson23]

10. Shameful but not surprising. n/t

[PufPuf23]

11. Disappointed in Pelosi

Chained CPI is a shit sandwich, unfair, harms the most needed, and is theft.

[WinkyDink]

13. Must. Say. Scripted. Words.

[bullwinkle428]

14. Hey, Sabrina - because I didn't slash your tires, I actually improved the performance of your car!

K&R.

[sabrina 1]

17. I appreciated your consideration, you only took my gas money for one month.

That actually was a good thing as it lowered the mileage on the car. And I didn't mind not being able to get out of the house. I knew your intentions were good!

Lol! They really do think we are stupid, don't they?

[byeya]

40. Not as much stupid as powerless I'm afraid.

[leftstreet]

15. If we stop donating to Dems will it strengthen the Party?

[ecstatic]

16. She was acting. The tea party isn't coming on board, so dems can say anything regarding entitlements

as long as they don't budge on taxes. It'll appear that dems compromised and pugs didn't. Markets will crash due to fiscal cliff. The last of the rethuglicans will be gone by 2014. And in 2016, the nation will head in a smart new direction.

[rhett o rick]

18. Does that list mean that Sen Sanders is in favor of the chained CPI? nm

[sabrina 1]

32. No, he is vehemently opposed it as far as I know.

[rhett o rick]

34. That's what I also believe. What does "Champions" means in the OP list? nm

Edit. Changed wording of my question.

[KoKo]

19. It's worrysome...how many times have we seen this caving from Pelosi and Reid?

When it happens we are told it's just "Strategy...Trust Them" and that "They Know How to Play the Game for Dems."

After all these years...and all the change promised...why are Pelosi and Reid still doing "Tag Teaming" when our hopes are with them...and we get the "Sell Out" when all is said and done.

And...THEN...we are told we need to "work harder to elect More and Better Democrats" as if THEIR FAILURE is because of US VOTERS who are outnumbered in funding, taken advantage of by the Bush Appointees who still run our courts (for most part), Gerrymandering by Repugs in our Districts in our States... and the fact that Dems didn't continue to do the Dean 50 "State Strategy" once Obama decided to run and the Dean folks were thrown out.

So...after all these years hoping for CHANGE...we are still stuck with the "Bait and Switch" of Reid and Pelosi? They constantly promise us one thing and then "behind the screen/curtain" they are working on a magic trick that usually sells us out. But, then the SPIN tells us "IT's a GOOD THING" as little by little the 99% get Shafted!

When will this end?

[sabrina 1]

33. I think that a lot of people are organizing now to try to change things

themselves. No longer willing to depend on the party leadership who seem to always support the DLC/Third Way candidates over more Progressive candidates. Now we know that rather than donate to the party's choices, donate to the progressives.

I have hope that the Coalition formed just before the election who are working hard right now to expose those who demonstrate they are not working for the people and then to challenge them in primaries without depending on the party.

If there is going to be any change, it will have to come from the people. Insiders in DC are not going to change anything on their own.

We are still being told that what is a failure, is a victory. But fewer people are buying it these days.

[nashville_brook]

20. thank you sabrina

this sucks about Pelosi -- but you've provided a wonderful bunch of information here. bookmarking.

[sabrina 1]

21. Well, we are still being told to not notice any of this. That she is

just 'playing chess' I guess. That she didn't really mean what she said.

Even Dean apparently 'trusts' her.

The people I care about who have to decide whether to trust her or not, are those who will be most affected by what she is proposing to support.

I am with the Seniors whose benefits will be cut by these proposals and they are the only ones who have the right to decide whether she is just playing chess or not with their benefits.

If she is, it is cruel, if she isn't it is cruel.

I fail to understand why honesty is no longer considered to be the best policy.

I will keep trying to call her office, but as always with Pelosi, no one can seem to get through. Well, no member of the public anyhow.

[shanti]

23. see my message below

about getting a response from pelosi. you have to put your zip code in, and if you don't live in her district, she's not interested in hearing from you. she even says so on her website!

[sabrina 1]

24. So she feels no responsibility to anyone in this country other than the small

% of people who live in her district? Yes, we are familiar with this tactic. We will remember that when we are asked to donate to the Dem Party in 2014. I wonder if she ever refused to benefit from our donations?

[nashville_brook]

42. ...still being told not to notice this...

[shanti]

22. i wrote to my two senators

boxer and feinstein, telling them not to approve of this chained CPI crap. tried to contact pelosi as well, but she doesn't even respond to anyone that's not in her constituency

[sabrina 1]

25. In which case I feel no obligation to her either. I know the Party Leadership does

accept our money, but not our input.

[JDPriestly]

26. Call your local Feinstein and Boxer offices. I have called twice and will continue to call.

They tell me they do not know Feinstein's or Boxer's stances on the chained CPI. I smell a rat and will continue to call.

Let's face it. The senators can't invest any more than anyone else in Social Security, and therefore they don't profit from it, not really. Therefore Social Security is of no real interest to them.

That is also true of Pelosi.

Pelosi's statement proves that the human mind can rationalize anything. A chained CPI that is desirable to the Republicans in Congress because it will lower the annual expenditures on Social Security benefits will not cut those same Social Security benefits?

How do you cut the expenditures on Social Security benefits without cutting the benefits?

I'd like to hear Pelosi's answer to that question.

And if the chained CPI doesn't cut individual seniors' Social Security benefits, then why change the chained CPI.

If it doesn't cut the benefits, what is the relevance of the chained CPI to the discussion about the government's outlays?

Why aren't reporters asking members of Congress and Obama these questions?

And why isn't Obama himself speaking to seniors about this? Is he too much of a coward to face us?

[sabrina 1]

29. I've tried for two days to get through to Feinstein and Boxer and have not been

able to. I have submitted the results of my attempts to the Progressive organizations who are keeping track of the responses and want us to keep them informed of how successful we are at getting through to these supposed Reps of the people.

Maybe if I claimed to be a lobbyist for Wall St I would have better luck!

Thanks for your comment, JD. I will keep trying, they are my Senators, if they cannot make a clear statement, I will assume they are ready to cave also.

[CountAllVotes]

27. What you worry Nancy?

You are old enough to be on SS but you are fortunate for your age. Your have seemingly good health, a great job w/full benefits and have never seen the dark side of poverty in your life life some have.

SHAME ON YOU!!!!!!!!!!

[forestpath]

28. Nancy, you are full of shit.

[madfloridian]

30. So now though the GOP went home, our Dems might push it through.

It's a possibility.

[sabrina 1]

31. If they do that, then it will be interesting to see what excuses we hear

next.

That seems to be all we hear, excuses and attacks on those who want to protect the most vulnerable Americans from the predators who have never stopped trying to grab the SS fund. Disgusting.

[sabrina 1]

36. I just read on DU that Nancy Pelosi is imagining things. That Chained CPI

'was never on the table' at all.

I am reading here that all those Reps both for and against, also imagined that Chained CPI was part of the negotiations.

I tried to call several of them to find out why, since according to DUers, they are all imagining things, they thought that Chained CPI was actually on the table.

Trumka, AARP, the Progressive Coalition, SS advocacy groups are all imagining that SS was on the table.

How on earth did all these people get this idea when we have people here on DU who claim that they are all imagining things?

I wish someone would explain this 'strategy' to Pelosi, the Unions, AARP, all those Reps and especially the terrified Seniors.

If someone can explain this claim being made here on DU in detail, I will delete this OP and replace it with the FACTS!

But until then, Nancy Pelosi doesn't agree with DUers who claim 'the Chained CPI' was not on the table. She LIKES the idea.

[leftstreet]

37. You forgot to take your amnesia pill this morning

Don't be difficult

[sabrina 1]

38. Lol, sometimes I wonder if I really do imagine things when I read DU.

I definitely go to a lot of trouble to double check things like what the Dem Leadership has to say about important issues like this. But then I come to DU and I am told I am imagining things! Lol!

Chained CPI was never on the table! Amazing! Poor Nancy Pelosi! She was punked apparently!

Where do you get those amnesia pills btw? No one told me where to find them!

[woo me with science]

39. I think it's in the chocolate.

Good thing the chocolate ration was increased.

[Egalitarian Thug]

41. You sound surprised.

Mme. Speaker's greatest strength has been her ability to avoid widespread attention brought to her history.

[sabrina 1]

44. What I'm surprised by is her apparent ignorance of how the Chained CPI

would affect the most vulnerable Americans. I would have expected her to have all the available information on the devastating effects this would have on so many milllions of Americans. She seems oblivious, if we go by that statement.

[warrprayer]

43. I got flamed

for suggesting it was time for her to step down and let someone not so entrenched in the good ol boy system take over

[closeupready]

45. Though I love her, Nancy is worth multiple millions of $$$.

Thus, she's never going to have to rely on social security to support herself.

Ergo, she'll go along with just whatever, in order to get along.

She did it on being "for the strongest possible public option", before she was against it, so this is certainly no surprise for me.

[Egalitarian Thug]

46. Take a close look at how she got those multiple millions and you might not lover her anymore. n/t