88 Thousand Former Obama Supporters Pledge NOT to Help in 2012 if Medicare/Medicaid Are Cut

[ProudDad]

In his speech today, President Obama affirmed his support for the Big Three social spending programs: Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security as essential to the American dream and the social contract, while at the same time pledging to "change" and "reform" them to meet budget needs. "I will preserve these health care programs as a promise we make to each other," he said. "we will reform these programs."

What exactly does "reform" mean, and how much will be cut? For many progressives, deep cuts to these vital programs are a line in the sand. So they're voting with their grassroots activism, pledging to withhold that resource--so vital to the last Presidential campaign--if that sacred line is crossed.

In 2008, so many of us knocked on doors and phone-banked, leafletted and rallied for "Change." In 2011, a lot has indeed changed, and not all for the better--and progressives are worried it will still get worse. That may explain the overwhelming interest in a campaign instigated by the Progressive Change Campaign Committee, in which former Obama volunteers and donors have declared that they won't lift a figure or write a check in 2012 if Medicare or Medicaid are cut.

http://www.alternet.org/newsandviews/article/559006/88_thousand_former_obama_supporters_pledge_not_to_help_in_2012_if_medicare_medicaid_are_cut/

http://act.boldprogressives.org/survey/survey_obamamedicare/?source=bp

[NorthCarolina]

1. Make that 88,001.

nt

[Name removed]

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[NorthCarolina]

6. I have always been there.

nt

[FrenchieCat]

13. apparent.

[NorthCarolina]

16. Sorry you take issue, but I am a Democrat who is VERY skeptical of DLC New Dems.

They're agenda is far too similar to that of the GOP.

[tekisui]

18. SO many personal attacks. Just can't stand to stay on the issues, huh?

[Fridays Child]

20. ...

88,002

[Carolina]

30. make that 88,003

[eleny]

2. I just looked and the count was 99,054 people

http://act.boldprogressives.org/survey/survey_obamamedicare/?source=bp

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[jenmito]

7. And if he DOESN'T cut them, do they pledge that they WILL help him? n/t

[FrenchieCat]

9. First he's got to do the heavy lifting......

Then, they'll come up with another thing he did or said that they didn't like.

I think we are going to write off the Greens, the Pumas, and the "Waiting for a Revolution and nothing less" folks in 2012. They would rather hand it to the Republicans, cause they actually
don't really care about the issues.....

[jenmito]

14. Of course...

that's just the way it is with them.

[Bake]

37. That's b.s. and you know it, Frenchie.

We're not the Greens or the PUMAs. We voted for, supported, donated to, and worked for Obama in 06. And yet you're perfectly happy to write us off? Anybody who disagrees with YOU can kiss your ass, is the way it sounds to me.

And that's bullshit.

I wasn't going to criticise Obama today, and frankly, I'm still not. I was encouraged by the speech, but I'm taking a cautiously optimistic "wait and see" position as to whether the actions will follow the words. But I'm encouraged.

But YOU, on the other hand, don't even want to acknowledge that there are a lot of disappointed fellow Democrats out there. You just write them off.

And by the way, when did you rise to the level of policymaker in the Obama campaign -- "we're just going to wwrite them off."

We're not an organized political party -- we're Democrats.

Bake

[uponit7771]

11. Nope, they'll pledge to bitch about something else

[jenmito]

17. You got THAT right!

[JoePhilly]

24. +100

[Carolina]

32. no, because I want the COLAs back

too!

Nodrama and Congress can quickly come up with money for War and Wall Street

Yes, I know COLAs are based on the CPI (which is absurd because it excludes food and fuel both of which have gone up) but no SS COLAs for the past 2 years while costs of everything rise is the same thing as CUTS.

So no, unless Nodrama DOES something for working people, I still won't help him.

I will likely have to hold my nose and vote for his sorry ass, but no help (calls, canvassing, donations... not this time!).

[uponit7771]

8. Its OBVIOUS Obama has NOTHING to loose in defending Medicare&Cade

[onehandle]

10. Millions of Obama Supporters didn't bother to vote in 2010.

I'm not sure about that block under any circumstance.

[FrenchieCat]

12. IT was them.

They have been pissed since January 09.
And they plan on staying pissed, period.

[leveymg]

15. Finally, a vote in which I know I was counted. 3-1 cuts to tax increases in the rich - not what I

worked to get the man elected to do.

A palpable sense of frustration edging on hostility, and a feeling of betrayal, coming over many of us.

[Name removed]

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[CakeGrrl]

23. "99 Helens agree..."

:evilgrin:

[Proud Liberal Dem]

25. Fine

Not that I think that Obama is going to cut Medicare/Medicaid (what part of wanting to expand health insurance coverage for more people did some people happen to miss during the past two years?) but please, just remember that President Obama and the entire Democratic Party has denounced the Ryan budget plan and that the Ryan plan is almost certainly going to be the DEFAULT budget plan for the next Republican (mis-)administration.

[ecstatic]

26. lol. If they're "former" supporters, then they aren't going to help anyway

Not that he's going to cut the programs.

[jenmito]

27. Meanwhile, in Realityworld, liberals like Ed Schultz listened to the speech and said he thinks

it will ENERGIZE the base, that it was a game-changer, and he can't stop gushing over it.

[RichGirl]

28. And if the republicans win they will eliminate them entirely.

Along with social security, public education, /EPA, etc. Sometimes I wonder who the real morans are!

[ProudDad]

29. Sure, because the corporate-funded democrats will let them

What part of this great charade don't you understand? :shrug:

[Carolina]

35. corporatized

Democrats let the whole system unravel in 2000 when they didn't stand up against theft 2000, when not a single wimpazoid Senator (D) had the balls to stand with the Congressional Black Caucus against the SCOTUS selection of shrub.

So I hear ya, ProudDad, the corporate Dems have gone along for too long. And yes, it is all a charade. The multinationals and military have won and we are all tools if we believe more empty words and promises.

[Name removed]

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[Tarheel_Dem]

36. ZING!

:rofl:

[leftynyc]

33. If they think they'll get a better

deal under a republican, they should indeed knock themselves out.

[xchrom]

34. thanks for the heads up. i had missed that. nt

[kjackson227]

38. When will the fear mongering stop???

When I think back, just about every president has had to deal with the rumor of SS, Medicare and Medicaid getting cut or restructured. Obama is not going to cut these programs, PERIOD. For heaveans sake... CHILL OUT, and stop with the dramatics!

[Phx_Dem]

39. Good. Support the GOP and there will be NO MEDICARE.

Quit making threats. If you want to vote for the GOP, do it and quit bragging about it.

[dionysus]

40. why ProudDad, you sound as if you're just about ready to burst with glee...

K&U

[chowder66]

41. Reading is fundamental

"The third step in our approach is to further reduce health care spending in our budget. Here, the difference with the House Republican plan could not be clearer: their plan lowers the government’s health care bills by asking seniors and poor families to pay them instead. Our approach lowers the government’s health care bills by reducing the cost of health care itself.

Already, the reforms we passed in the health care law will reduce our deficit by $1 trillion. My approach would build on these reforms. We will reduce wasteful subsidies and erroneous payments. We will cut spending on prescription drugs by using Medicare’s purchasing power to drive greater efficiency and speed generic brands of medicine onto the market. We will work with governors of both parties to demand more efficiency and accountability from Medicaid. We will change the way we pay for health care – not by procedure or the number of days spent in a hospital, but with new incentives for doctors and hospitals to prevent injuries and improve results. And we will slow the growth of Medicare costs by strengthening an independent commission of doctors, nurses, medical experts and consumers who will look at all the evidence and recommend the best ways to reduce unnecessary spending while protecting access to the services seniors need.

Now, we believe the reforms we’ve proposed to strengthen Medicare and Medicaid will enable us to keep these commitments to our citizens while saving us $500 billion by 2023, and an additional one trillion dollars in the decade after that. And if we’re wrong, and Medicare costs rise faster than we expect, this approach will give the independent commission the authority to make additional savings by further improving Medicare".

http://www.cfnews13.com/article/news/2011/april/232301/Transcript-of-President-Obamas-federal-budget-speech