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Related: About this forumObama Fully Embraces Austerity with Cuts to Social Security and Medicare
Obama Fully Embraces Austerity with Cuts to Social Security and Medicare
Bob Pollin: Costs of Social Security and Medicare have nothing to do with rise in fiscal deficit - April 10, 13
BIO:
Robert Pollin is Professor of Economics at the University of Massachusetts in Amherst. He is the founding co-Director of the Political Economy Research Institute (PERI). His research centers on macroeconomics, conditions for low-wage workers in the US and globally, the analysis of financial markets, and the economics of building a clean-energy economy in the US. His latest book is Back to Full Employment. Other books include: A Measure of Fairness: the Economics of Living Wages and Minimum Wages in the United States, and Contours of Descent: US Economic Fractures and the Landscape of Global Austerity.
Moostache
(9,897 posts)lunasun
(21,646 posts)Iwillnevergiveup
(9,298 posts)As if we didn't have enough of a mop-up after Bush!
Jamaal510
(10,893 posts)He even said himself that this is not his ideal budget. It's funny how people are saying that he "embraces austerity with cuts to SS and Medicare", even though he has had over FOUR years to cut these programs. It's as if every other week, there is some manufactured crisis about him just proposing cuts to various services. And for such a raging believer in austerity, people never want to acknowledge how he eliminated the Bush tax cuts for the top earners and is pushing for more revenue. The President has made it clear repeatedly that there will be no deal at all if the Republicans don't budge on tax hikes for top income earners.
KoKo
(84,711 posts)I'd give him a listen here...unless you'd like to share your own BIO so I could judge your creds as opposed to his... Just saying...
BIO:
Robert Pollin is Professor of Economics at the University of Massachusetts in Amherst. He is the founding co-Director of the Political Economy Research Institute (PERI). His research centers on macroeconomics, conditions for low-wage workers in the US and globally, the analysis of financial markets, and the economics of building a clean-energy economy in the US. His latest book is Back to Full Employment. Other books include: A Measure of Fairness: the Economics of Living Wages and Minimum Wages in the United States, and Contours of Descent: US Economic Fractures and the Landscape of Global Austerity.
Iliyah
(25,111 posts)He knows this will never pass, also, putting SSI and Medicare on the table and of course the attacks coming forth, it appears that Dems will vote against it cuts to SSI and Medicare, and the GOPers will vote against it because of the 600 billion revenue. Since the GOPers are rejoicing in attacking Pres O for cuts to SSI and Medicare, how in the hell can they include it in their own budget? Revenue is geared towards the 1-2%. Therefore, by putting SSI and Medicare on the table he may have save them. He will get his tax revenues tho.
In dealing with deal breakers such as the GOPers who advised that they would in good faith discuss ways for the sequester not to go forward, they reneged.
dflprincess
(28,086 posts)No - he had to be reelected before he could attack them.
NCarolinawoman
(2,825 posts)All along, Obama must have been embracing that as well.
I'm getting whiplash here.
Grassy Knoll
(10,118 posts)It's as if Obama actually signed this budget, LOLOLOLOL
Response to KoKo (Original post)
Name removed Message auto-removed
jjewell
(618 posts)why Social Security is called the "third rail of politics". He is standing on a live wire.
He's just given "the finger" to his entire Democratic base, saying, in essence, "Screw you Progressives, what the hell are you gonna do about it? Vote Republican??"
I'd love to hear about the concessions he got from the GOP for putting Social Security "on the table"...
Oh... that's right. He's NEVER gotten a concession from the GOP for all of his "compromising"...
drynberg
(1,648 posts)And therefore, highly recommended. Tell me it ain't so, Barack! What a friggin' nightmare!!