Will we be saying goodbye to SS, Medicare and Medicaid soon?

[Little Star]

White House, Democratic lawmakers cut deal on deficit commission
By Lori Montgomery
Washington Post Staff Writer
Wednesday, January 20, 2010

~~snip
Faced with growing alarm over the nation's soaring debt, the White House and congressional Democrats tentatively agreed Tuesday to create an independent budget commission and to put its recommendations for fiscal solvency to a vote in Congress by the end of this year.

Under the agreement, President Obama would issue an executive order to create an 18-member panel that would be granted broad authority to propose changes in the tax code and in the massive federal entitlement programs -- including Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security -- that threaten to drive the nation's debt to levels not seen since World War II.
snip~~
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/01/19/AR2010011903310.html


Out in General Discussion there is a thread on this.
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x7525149

What do you guys think about this commission? What are the Dems and our president up to now?

[RC]

1. How much does anyone want to bet the Defense budget will be off the table?

That alone is is a scandal that makes the bank & Wall Street greed small potatoes.
I have an idea. Stop picking on the little guy and diddling with the symptoms and start working on the root cause of the mess.

[theoldman]

2. No.

Not even Republicans are stupid enough to kill these three programs. Maybe some but not the majority.

[Little Star]

4. I don't think a republican could get away with touching SS

A Democrat stands a better chance imho. It's scary.

[old mark]

3. I doubt even congress is this stupid, but: I have been wrong about them before, and

I am thinking they wil try to push privatization, which means we would all be fucked.

mark

[Little Star]

5. Greedy fingers are itching. Tax the rich? Nah!

[old mark]

6. Tax the poor! There are many more of them!

And we are making new ones all the time.

mark

[peace frog]

11. Jeb Bush tried to shove privatized pensions

down the throats of state of Florida employees but it wouldn't fly on its own, even in this rabidly red state. He could only get it approved if it was offered as an option to the long-standing public pension. Any guess as to which option is far and away the most popular? You guessed right: public.

That being said, do I expect Dems to pull a Jeb Bush on our federal entitlements? OH HELL YES.

[corpseratemedia]

7. the unwinnable private-contract wars are the cause of the deficit

that and losing the tax base because of outsourcing stable-income jobs

he doesn't need a commission to know that, and he knows that

a way to do the right thing is to raise taxes back to previous generations levels for the wealthy

maybe his "commission" will suggest cutting war spending, raising taxes on the wealthy and repealing nafta & cafta

and maybe bats will fly out of my ass


anyway, with so many people reliant on SS and medicare, his "commission" has the potential to kill off the democratic party for good

considering how HCR has been bipartisaned into an insurance co. bailout etc...if we do see the same flavor of suggestions and "entitlement" slashing disguised as other crap, that's going to really hurt democrats

[TheCowsCameHome]

8. Not likely.

DC pols aren't that stupid.

[Bitwit1234]

9. Well if any member of congress touches it they will

never hold a public office again. Even the republicans, those not super rich, will not vote for a goober who goes after social security and medicare.

[stray cat]

10. You will if you let the GOP back in office - W wanted to put SS in the stocks

[Little Star]

12. The point was, only a Democrat could possibly get away with

this. A republican could never get away with touching SS, they've already tried many times. Now we have to worry about a Democratic President who has a majority in both houses? What is that all about?

[Mike K]

13. It is amazing to me that Obama -

- would associate himself with anything close to tampering with SS and Medicare. His ratings have declined a bit in recent months but something like this will cut him off at the knees, whether anything comes of it or not. Social Security is the third rail of politics and there is no doubt that Obama is well aware of that, so why the proximity to such an idea? Does he have that much confidence in his mojo?