Erskine Bowles and Alan Simpson Reach New Heights of Hypocrisy in "Fix the Debt" Ad

[xchrom]

http://www.commondreams.org/view/2013/10/15-0

The Campaign to Fix the Debt, the $40 million dollar astroturf “supergroup” that CMD exposed on the cover of the Nation magazine, has shifted into high gear in an effort to leverage the debt ceiling crisis into cuts to Social Security and Medicare.


Today, the group launched a six figure TV ad buy that reaches new heights of hypocrisy -- and that is saying a lot.

Former U.S. Senator Alan Simpson and Morgan Stanley board member Erskine Bowles have long been spokespersons for Fix the Debt. The "folksy" Simpson: "For cryin' out loud, Erskine, who isn't fed up with what's goin' on in Washington?" The Bowles tsk tsk: “These politicians are playing games jerking our country around from crisis to crisis.”

This is rich from a group that has been hyping a debt and deficit crisis since its launch in July 2012, even though the deficit has been cut in half in recent years. In January 2013 Fix the Debt steering committee member and former Tennessee Governor Phil Bredesen admitted that Fix the Debt's strategy was to create an "artificial crisis" to achieve a "grand bargain" on Medicare and Social Security.


***and you thought they were gone....

[octoberlib]

1. Surprised I didn't see Ed Rendell lurking around in the background of that video.

This is shock doctrine.

[xchrom]

2. +1

[Octafish]

3. Ain't capitalism grand.

I mean, "democracy."

[MannyGoldstein]

4. Appointing them to fix the debt was one of Bush's nastiest moves.

[n2doc]

9. Don't let Third-Way hear that n/t

[CanonRay]

5. So, who's the money behind "Campaign to Fix the Debt"?

Koch Brothers again? It sure ain't these two clowns putting up their own green. It's a cash flow for them.

[xchrom]

6. pete peterson, i believe. nt

[CanonRay]

7. I'll answer my own question

It's all Republican front groups

http://www.fixthedebt.org/partners

Note the Christians for a Sustainable Economy.

What utter nonsense. Another astroturf outfit funneling money to get rid of the New Deal

[SidDithers]

8. They're trying to stay relevant...

After their commission was rightly ignored.

Sid

[fredamae]

10. Fix The Debt Members

Bloomberg- along with Rattner and Alice Rivlin and LA's Mayor Villaraigosa. I see them showboating their ideologies on Liberal Media but I don't recall they've announced during intro's that they're On this commission.
Sick of corruption and greed. Both sides are infected.
http://www.fixthedebt.org/who-we-are

[sabrina 1]

11. I did not think they were gone. Simpson should have been removed from

that Commission after his vile remarks about Veterans and the elderly and people and organizations across the country demanded he be relieved of his 'duties' but that didn't happen.

Does anyone still really think this latest drama is about anything OTHER THAN the implementation of cuts to Social Programs??

Now we are seeing the REAL REASON for all the Drama. The TP is doing its part, but the move from the pretend ACA 'battle' right to the core of why they were created in the first place, is proof that it was 'Austerity' their creators wanted all along and no one is a better player in all of this than Simpson, AND Bowles of course.

So now the real test will come and we will have answers soon on who is working for the people and who is not.

When the demands for these cuts become part of the 'bargain' they offer to open up the Government, will the Dems stand firm against them, or will we be told 'they had to compromise, they were about to cause the Govt to Default'??

The game is so obvious I am amazed at how gullible people are, so easily distracted from the real reason for these games.

'Shock Doctrine'. Create a fake crisis 'shut down the government is the one being used this time', frighten the people, already done, then move in and rob them'. That is the next step. Let's hope Dems this time will stand firm and GIVE THEM NOTHING.

No Compromise.

[trishtrash]

12. Ole Erskine was on Morning Joe today ...

He's such a transparent self-promoter. "I'm just the guy to fix all this, and the first thing we need to do is reform entitlements." Please go away.

[bullwinkle428]

13. These fricking vultures never miss an opportunity to swoop down

and attempt to pick the pockets of ordinary working Americans.

[Enthusiast]

14. Why don't they tell us what they really believe.

"To fix the debt we must cut social security."

Even though that is a complete lie.

Their own deficit commission voted against their proposals.