I cannot believe they can get 60 votes in the Senate to cut Social Security.

[kentuck]

Which means it is mostly hot air. Hot political air.

It would be political suicide for many to make such a vote. And they are not really that into political suicide.

However, it could coax enough of new Tea Party Republicans into taking a stand and lead to the Democrats taking back the House in 2012. I think that may be the end result of this present debate?

Those closest to President Obama say that he wants to strengthen SS and Medicare, not cut them? This is conflicting information. Which is it? After all, he still has his veto pen and he wants another term. He is into self-survival as much as other intelligent politicians. He will do nothing that will threaten his chances for re-election, in my opinion.

Therefore, I think most of this debate is to get Republicans to commit to cuts in Social Security. Once they do that, they are goners.

[rucky]

1. Now that you mention it...

I'm going to have to agree with you. This explanation makes the most sense.

[Fuddnik]

2. I've seen them do dumber things before.

There's an old quotation, I think it was Will Rogers,

"Nothing is safe while Congress is in session".

[Capitalocracy]

3. They only need 60 when there are 40 who will filibuster

and in recent history, that's only been the case for legislation the Republicans don't want. I'm not seeing a filibuster in the works from senate dems anytime soon... they'll probably say that for the sake of bipartisanship, they'll give it an up-or-down vote

[HereSince1628]

4. I gave up believing in Obama's n-dimensional strategy games a while back

The reality is that the president has convinced a whole lot of voters that he is willing to cut these programs. If it's part of a proverbial n-dimensional chess game there are too few indications of it being just a ploy.

The most obvious thing to believe usually turns out to be the thing that is most obvious. Obama wants the debt ceiling raised and he's intent on compromising his way to that end. His Whitehouse has leaked that he's placed these programs on the table.

Gambling with the cornerstones of millions of people's retirement plans isn't a responsible thing to do and there is no reason to believe it is being done now.

[mazzarro]

8. +100,000,000% -- Ding! Ding! Ding! --- n/t

[mdmc]

5. why?

I think they can get 50. Dems won't stand up against Obama..

[Brickbat]

6. So...Obama's cynical, craven and heartless enough to use Social Security as an ace for political

gains and election wins? Not even gains, but to make Republicans look bad?

I find that as dismaying as the concept of actually cutting it.

[Solomon]

7. Of course. There can be nothing good coming from this President.

Whatever he does gets spun as failure or evil. Even when he wins, he loses, right?

[Bake]

9. He doesn't lose. We do.

Bake

[kenny blankenship]

10. He'd never give up the Public Option, the public option is the centerpiece of healthcare reform

and Obama always says it is the best way to contain costs. Why, if he knifes the public option, but adds an individual mandate requiring everyone by law to offer up their throat to insurance corporations, something which he denounced in the Democratic primaries, voters will realize he's a huge fucking liar who is selling them out to corporate thugs. He would never hold onto the House in the midterm elections and his own reelection would be imperiled. I can't believe he would give up the Public Option. Besides, the Senate Democrats would never let that happen.

[blindpig]

11. Given that at least 40 are millionaires....

and a bunch of them are ideological maniacs and shameless whores I'd say it's a slam dunk.

[StarburstClock]

12. I didn't think we'd create torture camps either

or fall for WMD propaganda, or side with criminal banks, or not investigate election rigging, or continue to commit to criminal wars.

[ieoeja]

13. I don't think we will filibuster a president from our party.

Vote against him, yes. But not filibuster. And they probably *do* have 50 votes.

I would have said "definitely" have 50 votes, but this is enough to possibly scare off some of their usually reliable rightist voters.

[jtown1123]

14. Watch this video of WH press sec Jay Carney on SS Cuts

http://www.nationaljournal.com/whitehouse/slash-or-cut-carney-reporters-argue-semantics-on-social-security-20110707

[ThomWV]

15. Let's ask the question as a Poll, see what people think.