Mr. President, you're playing with fire. Social Security and Medicare are not bargaining chips.

[Cyrano]

I never thought I’d see any Democratic president put the very core of FDR’s New Deal, and LBJ’s Great Society on the poker table called “Washington D.C negotiations.” How can you not know that these EARNED benefits are the heart and soul of the Democratic Party?

This isn’t a fucking game, Mr. Obama. You are playing with the lives, well being and survival of millions of Americans. So if you think that Social Security and Medicare are just pieces to be moved around the board in whatever game you think you're playing with ruthless thugs, you’re deluding yourself.

You want to hear an oath, Mr. President? I take an oath to never cast a vote for you if you give one single inch on Social Security or Medicare. Because if you do, the difference between you, Bachmann, Romney, Palin, Gingrich, Rick Santorum, Rick Perry, and every other would-be Republican presidential candidate, would be zero.

Does it really matter whether we’re stabbed in the back by a “supposed” Democrat, or a Republican maniac? We’d be just as dead either way.

Mr. President, stop playing with our lives. Perhaps you don't care whether or not you are a one term president. But do you really want to go down in history as having driven the last nail into the coffin of American decency, empathy and democracy?

[Name removed]

1. Deleted sub-thread

Sub-thread removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[hedgehog]

2. It's like that scene in the James Bond movie where he bets

all the chips and the accountant practically faints.

[DearAbby]

3. This is Bullshit outrage.

Obama answered a question clearly. Yanking people into reality and gravity of the situation. Granted I dont agree with Obama on Everything. Obama should have lied to the senior citizens to falsely assure them? America defaulting is serious shit. He could have lied and said, Yeah August 3rd, after America defaults, shit will smell like roses.

This is BULLSHIT. Grab something valid for your rage. This isnt it.

[Tarheel_Dem]

4. Exactly. One really doesn't have to wonder where these talking points come from anymore.

;)

[dionysus]

26. if you don't believe Obama's out to destroy us, you're no good! them's are kickboxin woids!

PUT EM UP

:rofl: <--- kickboxin'

[gkhouston]

5. No, this is a bullshit crisis. We usually raise the debt ceiling

without so much as breaking a sweat. But thanks for buying into the Republican meme that this is a crisis! crisis! and we must make sacrifices to save ourselves from dire peril.

All the President really has to do is wait until the Wall Street bosses get nervous about a default, and in the meantime, he could point out that spending cuts are the exact wrong thing to do in this economy. This is one instance when "bipartisanship" is clearly not good for the country.

[jtown1123]

6. Yep.

[SusanaMontana41]

46. +1. n/t

[defendandprotect]

11. True -- and it requires Obama to play the game ... which he is doing -- !!

[DearAbby]

18. He was asked a direct question

He should have considered some americans arent adult enough for a direct answer, their feelings you know. BULL SHIT. Obama answered the question truthfully. 70 Million people, those elderly, disabled and even Veterans/military could not be assured they would receive their checks in a timely manner...YANK BACK INTO FUCKING REALITY.

[gkhouston]

30. This would be the reality where cuts to our safety net are apparently still

on the table? I haven't left that reality, nor have I forgotten who put them there.

[DearAbby]

31. I have still yet to hear the word CUTS

I hear the word CHANGES. I am 56 yrs old this year, and I have a dog in this fight too. But until I hear the word BENEFIT CUTS. I am willing to wait and see what exactly is the plan. Getting outraged over strawmen..what may happen if..., If games isn't worth my time, I am too fucking old for that.

[gkhouston]

32. If you were following the CPI discussions a few days back, you'd

know that they've been straining every nerve not to use the "cut" word, but not increasing benefits, in a way that compounds over time, is a cut. It represents a decrease in the benefits that people currently rely on, and presents them with serious budgeting problems.

[SusanaMontana41]

47. Not sure everyone is talking about the same thing. We all understand that

checks would have been delayed without raising the debt ceiling.

The bigger issue is: Is the president still willing to cut Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid now? From what I understand, he still wants a long-term deal (correct me if I'm wrong).

[SlimJimmy]

51. I don't understand. I was told in another thread not long ago

that SS had a 2.7 trillion dollar surplus? (which I vehemently disagreed with) So why do we now have to borrow money to pay for it? Either we're being lied to now or were lied to earlier. I'm getting very f'ing tired of these politicians constantly lying to us and expecting us to swallow it whole.

[damntexdem]

7. That's it: further shit on those of us who you'll be urging to vote for Obama next year.

I guess you must think you're fertilizing a crop of votes.

[Cyrano]

8. "Bullshit outrage." I personally know elderly people who are eating cat food.

When you live in Southern Florida, you meet and befriend a lot of seniors. And I really do know people who are buying as little ground beef as possible and adding cat food.

So I'll tell you what. Call it bullshit, or call it whatever you want. But I still see a president who is willing to sell us out. And if not this time around, perhaps the next time around.

[defendandprotect]

12. OMG -- !! Can seniors get food stamps?

[Cyrano]

19. Yes, seniors can get food stamps. Just pray that you never have to count on them.

I find your post the equivalent of something that Limbaugh or Beck would post. And if that sounds harsh, try living on food stamps and a meager Social Security check.

And in case you've ever wondered, cat food doesn't taste like chicken.

[Ignis]

37. I doubt the post was intended in the way you've read it.

:hi:

[defendandprotect]

57. Thank you --

Had a PM from him -- but my post wasn't as clear as it should have been --

and I truly didn't know if seniors could get food stamps --

Below someone in CA is telling us that his father in law gets $16 a month in food stamps --

Social Security checks should be doubled and Democrats and Obama should be ashamed for

letting this go on and on!!!


:(


PS -- :)

[DJ13]

24. My 85 yr old father in law gets food stamps

A whopping $16 per month, here in the low cost state of California.

[defendandprotect]

56. It's ever more shocking --- and disgusting -- attacks are always on those least able

to defend themselves --

We have to find a way to turn all of this around -- !!


:(

[Fire1]

44. What's the cost of living in the great state of Florida? n/t

[Whisp]

52. +10000

nice retal, Abby

[RegieRocker]

63. -10,000

[Marrah_G]

65. Funny how if the republicans were suggesting this you would be outraged too

How easily some people's stances on issues change depending on who is speaking.

[KittyWampus]

9. This is the RightWing Fox News slant which MediaMatters debunked. Why allow this here?

[Cyrano]

10. What am I missing here, KittyWampus? Do we live on different planets?

I never watch Fox News. I'm taking the words that Obama himself used and I can't object strongly enough to being sold out by him. And even if it doesn't come to that, Social Security and Medicare should never have been put on the table, or even mentioned, -- even as a bluff.

[defendandprotect]

14. +1000% --

[Doctor Hurt]

22. "Do we live on different planets?"

You know my vote.

But welcome to our blue planet Earth, anyhow.

[defendandprotect]

13. Unfortunately, Obama has put Social Security/Medicare cuts on the table ... and he has cut COLA's..!

[CakeGrrl]

15. Come back and lecture when YOU have to deal with these obstructionist sociopaths in Congress. -nt

[defendandprotect]

17. Can you imagine Bush letting Pelosi dictate to him ... if he had PREZ and SENATE?

Of course that would have happened!!

:rofl:

GOP has set the "hair on fire" terms and Obama is playing along with them --

[Bluenorthwest]

23. We all of us are having to deal with them, this is our business

And shitty tactics are not helping, leadership clear and ringing would help. It is worth noting that while you call them sociopaths, Obama calls them honest brokers and partners with good ideas. He calls for bipartisanship with sociopaths. Not so cool.

[defendandprotect]

16. Obama can withdraw this offer, but he'll continue to be a threat to SS and Medicare ...

he can't unplay the cards he has shown --

We need to get on with discussing what we're going to do about 2012 --

Is this really the president we want to support -- or should we be looking

for liberals to head up the Dem Party?


There are tons of democrats who can run on the Dem ticket --

democrats who aren't pre-bribed and pre-owned by corporations --


Bernie Sanders, Tom Hayden, Alan Grayson --

add some names!

[Name removed]

21. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[dionysus]

28. and he hates christmas, too.

[dionysus]

27. like all those other times you guys falsely claimed he was going to cut SS.

your dream of defeating obama is not going to come to pass.

give it up.

[Name removed]

33. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[RC]

38. Where is my COLA then?

That is already a cut!

[Fire1]

40. Did you get one under *?? Why should YOU get a COLA

when everywhere else people are making concessions and just happy to have a fuckin job!!!

[in_cog_ni_to]

41. There's that LIBERAL Empathy and Compassion we all know and love!

:eyes: Good G-d. What has happened to the Democratic Party? It is NOT the party it use to be. Not with people like you in it. Where does all that hate come from? You sound so, so, so....NON-LIBERAL.

[Fire1]

42. I guess I'm a "new democrat." LOL!!!

Seriously, EVERYBODY needs a cost of living increase. Unions have made all kinds of concessions not only on wages but paying more for health care costs. I presume that's what is meant by "shared sacrifice."

[defendandprotect]

49. Corporate/fascism is not democracy -- we need to restore taxes on wealthy/corporations ---

[Fire1]

54. Absolutely. n/t

[RC]

43. I was working under bu$h. Obama is the one that denied my COLA.

That's another thing, you mentioned jobs, where are the Living Wage Jobs? It is the Living Wage Jobs that fuel the economy, not just jobs. You know, Living Wage Jobs that gets money circulating in the economy? Why is no one talking about Living Wage Jobs, but just jobs.
How about getting our Living Wage Jobs back into this country and then see how the economy does. And in the mean time paying the COLA does put extra money into the economy which does help it get going.

[Tarheel_Dem]

53. Isn't COLA tied to inflation? As you may or may not know, the president

proposed a $250 stimulus check, at the end of '09, to help offset the lack of an increase. Naturally, the Senate voted it down. The CPI was adjusted downward due to lower energy prices from the year before. And as wages were pretty much flat for everyone else, why would SS recipients be the only ones to get a raise? :shrug:

[defendandprotect]

55. Used to be, but the GOP gimmicked that and Dems haven't straightened it out -

Obviously, anyone looking at the figures understands it's gimmicked!!


A $250 stimulus check? Didn't happen -- but why would you think that would offset

a monthly increase which carries thru over the years?

Lower energy prices -- :rofl:

[Tarheel_Dem]

58. It was in 2009. Guess you don't read much, huh? Google is your friend.....

$250 would have come in nicely, especially since they weren't getting anything at all. But then you're probably one of those elitist for whom $250 comes pretty easily. It was a proposed 13 billion dollar package, and was voted down. And yes, according to CPI, energy prices decreased between the '08 & '09 COLA fiscal period. Look it up? :shrug:

Since I'm not on SS, I don't really give a shit, but I imagine most recipients would have gladly cashed the check. :hi:

[defendandprotect]

59. Agree, there was one payment -- the second wasn't a go --

However, the question stands -- how could you think that a $250 check would

compensate for -- let's just say a $35 per month increase?


Year 2010 -- missing $420

Year 2011 -- missing $420 and another $420 = $840

Another $420 missing this year based on that same LACK.

If no COLA's are paid in 2012 the costs of inflation to the SS recepient still exists!

However, by Year 2012, that is now $1260 in uncollected COLA's from prior years.

If it's a couple, of course, the couple are missing double that !!

Every year they are less able to deal with their expenses ---



You'd be hard put to find anyone agreeing with you on accuracy of CPI --

What happened to health care costs during that time -- dentists -- food -- home heating/

air conditioning? Transportation -- Clothing -- Eye Blasses -

Medicines vs the new Bush drug program -- did cost of drugs go down?

Did interest on savings accounts go up -- or did interest on credit cards go down?

Cable costs -- ?

How about insurance coverage for the 20% of Medicare which Medicare doesn't pay?



And -- as we all know, anyone who had $1 when Bush came into office, now notices that it's

worth about 50 cents -- !!


I'd suggest that when you know nothing about the person you're speaking to, you don't

make assumptions --


:hi:

[Tarheel_Dem]

60. For folks who prefer facts over emotion.

http://www.dailyfinance.com/2009/05/08/no-social-security-cola-in-2010/

This is statute. Don't like it? Not sure what you can do about it, but the President did not take away anything from seniors. The president, nor Congress have anything to do with COLA. As mentioned above, he tried to get something to help out, and it was shot down.

As far as the reliability of CPI goes, we could probably produce dueling theories by a thousand different economists. Not really worth it.

[defendandprotect]

61. The president has a bully pulpit -- and essentialy Dems are in power - not GOP ...

If Obama wanted to resist and stand up for COLA's he could have done that --

As for the CPI, a small drop in gas prices, vs huge increases in gas prices ....

is meaningless --

and overall the figures are gimmicked and have long been gimmicked --

[Tarheel_Dem]

62. Ah yes. The infamous "bully pulpit" t.p.

Does everything have to come from the WH? In your obvious narrow view, does any other branch of government even matter? Why don't we just do away with the other two branches, since you seem to think only the executive can draft, sign, and enact legislation. :eyes:

Activism is not the provence of the executive. It's unseemly and unbecoming. The DSCC, the DNC, the DCCC are much more appropriate outlets for "activism". Only in the age of Obama has all the heavy lifting been expected to come from the top.

[defendandprotect]

67. The broad view is that Obama LEADS the party ... i.e., provides LEADERSHIP --

And thanks for the laugh of the week -- !!

Activism is not the provence of the executive. It's unseemly and unbecoming. The DSCC, the DNC, the DCCC are much more appropriate outlets for "activism". Only in the age of Obama has all the heavy lifting been expected to come from the top.

:rofl:


And -- again broadly put -- none of the above have been found guilty of providing any leadership,

either --

Corporate fund raising ... YES.

Leadership on liberal issues ... NO.

[Tarheel_Dem]

68. And again, "Liberals" find themselves on the outside looking in. How sad for you.

I'm finding it more & more likely that no one (sans Hugo Chavez) can represent someone like you. :rofl: I'm so glad you & DU aren't representative of the Democratic Party. Whew! :hi:

[defendandprotect]

69. Only YOU are suggesting anything like that --

It's a liberal nation -- and you seemingly have a need to deny and distort that reality.

Obama is a corporatist -- the reality of that is based in his record.


You're on IGNORE --

[Tarheel_Dem]

70. "IGNORE"? I'm appalled.....

:spray:

The last refuge........

Game, Set, Match! :rofl:

[defendandprotect]

48. If you don't know -- Bush did not stop COLA payments -- !! Obama did ...!!

[Marrah_G]

66. .............

[Eddie Haskell]

20. Bernanke says they'll pay bondholders but stop SS!

If the United States fails to raise the debt ceiling by August 2, it will pay creditors first and stop benefits like Social Security payments, Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke said on Wednesday.

http://old.news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20110713/ts_nm/us_usa_debt

So when they borrow from the low-life, they don't bother repaying the loan? If this goes down, give me one good reason why we should pay 1 more cent in SS taxes.

[RegieRocker]

64. Worship the FED and corporations, give them all your money.

[dionysus]

25. you're a day late on this. better luck next time.

:hi:

[OwnedByFerrets]

29. K and R

[Name removed]

34. Deleted message

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[indepat]

35. Eloquently and succinctly laid out there with the bark on. This bunny will never vote for

anyone who has a hand in any matter in putting social security, Medicare, and Medicaid on the chopping block during this budget and deficit ceiling talks/negotiations. :thumbsup: :patriot:

[Name removed]

39. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[indepat]

45. Eisenhower was the last Republican president I voted for and then only 'cause my wife

was a cousin: I voted for BHO hoping he would end the wars, end tax cuts for the wealthy, scuttle the Patriot Act, restore habeas corpus and the rule of law, close corporate tax loopholes, prosecute war criminals, tax dodgers, and Wall Street fraudsters, get rid of all junior's ruinous policies, initiatives, and appointees, and appoint only progressives to key cabinet and DOJ positions, never dreaming what we would get is primarily a continuation of most of junior's major initiatives and impending evisceration of social security, Medicare, and Medicaid all the while the uber-wealthy and large corporations continue their feeding frenzy, sucking at the public welfare teat. But I'm just an effin' bleeding heart who thinks our elected officials should promote the general welfare rather than the welfare of the uber-wealthy and large corporations to the extreme detriment of all others. ;) :patriot:

[swilton]

36. K&R

[Faryn Balyncd]

50. K and R

[StarsInHerHair]

71. but they're USED to stealing money from the middle class & poor & giving it

to the wealthy! this is just more of what they've been doing for 30 years.