Hands Off Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid

[limpyhobbler]

WASHINGTON -- A group of progressive lawmakers led by Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) on Thursday called for protecting Social Security and Medicare benefits in any deficit reduction deal.

"We're going to send a loud message to the leadership in the House, in the Senate and President Obama. Do not cut Social Security, do not cut Medicare, do not cut Medicaid," Sanders said. "Deficit reduction is a serious issue but it must be done in a way that is fair. We must not balance the budget on the backs of the elderly, the sick, the children or the poor."

...

Thursday's press conference was the latest in a series of high-profile events surrounding negotiations to avert the so-called "fiscal cliff," a set of tax increases and spending cuts set to go into effect on Jan. 1. Although no immediate economic damage will be inflicted if Congress and President Barack Obama fail to act by the new year, several months of higher tax rates on the middle class would likely throw the country into a recession.

Obama has said forcefully that he will allow the Bush-era tax cuts for those making more than $250,000 a year to expire at the end of the year, but he has been much less clear about the fate of Social Security and Medicare. On Wednesday, Obama told reporters he wants to cut "a big deal, a comprehensive deal" with Republicans to reduce the federal budget deficit that will tackle "entitlements."
...

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/11/15/bernie-sanders-social-security_n_2139776.html

[MannyGoldstein]

1. Sorry, bud. Around these parts, Socialist Sanders is a vomit-slurping Republican shill

http://sync.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1002&pid=1813696

How dare he believe that the leadership will actually try to do what they've clearly said that they want to do?

[limpyhobbler]

2. LOL some people seem to have a case of selective perception.

Or cognitive dissonance, or something like that.

[Enrique]

9. 228 recs for that thread

<------ which I will now slurp

[99th_Monkey]

3. Sanders/Warren 2016

Just kidding. I know, Bernie is an Independent. But damn,
I love how he cuts through the BS and RW lies.

[AnotherMcIntosh]

4. I like the way that he cuts through the BS and the RW lies and the 3rd-wayer lies.

[99th_Monkey]

6. Yep. That too.

the 3rd Way part.

true-true.

[limpyhobbler]

10. +1

straight talk. it's good.

[AnotherMcIntosh]

5. Important part: "Obama told reporters he wants to cut" a deal ... "that will tackle 'entitlements'."

Of course, it's just a matter of time before those who claim that Obama will not cut SS benefits will be changing their tune to: "You just don't know how Washington works."

[fasttense]

7. They have already cut veteran's benefits.

They have upped the price of our supposedly free health care.

[Plucketeer]

8. I keep thinking about that candid moment

where someone caught Clinton and Ryan crossing paths during the runup to the elections, where Clinton's heard to say to Ryan: "We need to talk about Medicare."
While I understand Billy-boy's star power on the left, his advising of our president does NOT bode well for us peons. Clinton's version of a stable and prosperous economy is where we're reduced to living like the Chinese so we can have our jobs back.

[AnotherMcIntosh]

11. Yep.

They are playing word games.