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Today, members of NOW delivered 1,500 baby bottle tops to Alan Simpson, the Republican co-chair of the President’s deficit commission, as part of a “Tits for an Ass” campaign demanding Simpson’s resignation. As happy as I am that a campaign calling itself “Tits for an Ass” exists, I think the specific “milk cow with 300 million tits” comment has basically faded away. The anger over possible cuts to Social Security, however, has not. And Democrats know this. That’s why they’re rolling out ads targeting Republicans not just for wanting to privatize Social Security, but for wanting to cut it. And this includes Democrats of every ideological stripe.
Consider this ad from moderate Debbie Halvorson:
Rather than just privatization, Halvorson attacks her opponent Adam Kinzinger for wanting to raise the retirement age. Similarly, challenger Tarryl Clark, within striking distance against Tea Party favorite Michele Bachmann, attacking her for saying that seniors “need to be weaned off” Social Security.
Clark isn’t exactly a fire-breathing progressive either. What unites progressives, mainstream Democrats and moderates is the belief that Social Security belongs to the people, and that no politician should take the benefits away, especially when the fixes to the system are so minor in the grand scheme of the budget. You can see these ads, especially the Halvorson one, run against Democrats in December if they try to accept recommendations to slash the program. In fact, I guarantee you’ll see them. This double game that Democrats may be trying to play on Social Security is incredibly dangerous for them.
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OTOH, here’s a D bragging about how well he worked with W.
Let’s hope these Reps remember their own ads when the lame duck session kicks in and the Sovereign default commission issues it’s “report”
Hey! Keep your government hands off my social security!
That is my concern, too!
My way-right-of-center relative is currently enjoying his social security that he paid for!
This is what the public will believe: The Dems lost big in November, Social Security got cut in December, ergo, the Republicans cut Social Security.
I’m from southeast Michigan and trust me, they’ll believe this. None of my friends and co-workers, including those who are college educated and successful, have even heard of the catfood commission. Their politics are based on liking Obama, period.
I feel your pain.
One of my educated friends had no idea how McCain voted on veterans’ issues. He only votes on the Don’t Tax Me, Bro issue. Period. He is FOR the Carly. Need I say more?
Ugh.
Shorter version: “Nobody beats my dog but me!”
Obama most likely will not defend Social Security, just as he hasn’t defended the Teachers’ Union. Our president admires people like the CEO of FedX and Robert Rubin and Jamie Dimon. Seniors will see their grandchildren screwed out of SS and Medicare, so the gap between rich and poor will continue to expand.
It won’t take that long. The way things are headed a lot of seniors will see THEMSELVES screwed out of SS and Medicare.
American Exceptionalism in the 21st Century. Our soup lines are the best in the world!
Perhaps our best hope is the quickly aging babyboomers who have influence to speak up? would BO listen to them?
just brainstorming.
Heh. What’s the disclaimer on securities ‘research’ reports? Here’s part of one
You could substitute just a couple of words and have a perfect disclaimer for pol-speak.
We should be so lucky. Sadly, Team USA is likely to come more towards the bottom of the list even in terms of soup lines, which are really just sinful, horrid, dreaded welfare for slackers who never work and don’t have brains, doncha know?
defend???
He set up the Cat Food Commission specifically to gut it.
” This double game that Democrats may be trying to play on Social Security is incredibly dangerous for them.”
I agree 100%! They can paint that picture any way they want to but in the end all of AMERICA and the WORLD knows they are the MAJORITY. It has nothing to do with losing a few seats in November.
They will lose not only the mid-terms but the next election as well if they play this losing hand.
Cut social security and raise the benefits age? Instead of addressing a fundamental issue which extracts wealth and determines cost, we protect the very “interests,” which now undermine liberty. Wait until the next increase in the cost of oil? Protect the slave-owners where we waste .80 cents of every American dollar spent of gas? Let’s perpetuate systemic rape and collective ignorance under the guise of protection!
It’s a nice thought, but the Kochs & Rupert Murdoch & Doug Coe’s Street “Family” of churches are very, very busy brainwashing rightwing boomers into believing that Jeebus don’t like Soc Sec & Medicare.
Be forewarned. I am hearing my siblings decry both, even though they *appeared* to like that our parents got it.
My prediction: don’t count on boomers to “defend” anything. To many of them are complicit with conservative dogma and will bark on cue with what RushGlennSarah tell them.
As he should. As we all should.
Here’s a recent post which explores a better model than the Left vs. Right split:
http://www.ritholtz.com/blog/2010/09/you-vs-corporations/
We’ve watched the government hand over a tremendous amount of our money to failed corporations:
http://www.ritholtz.com/blog/2009/06/bailout-costs-vs-big-historical-events/
But now, the hand writing is on the wall that SS is “broke” which is BS, but the government is an an inflection point where we need to make it clear to those in DC that the preamble say “We, the people” not “We, the failed corporation”.
Uh, NO! Although he asked us to remind him when things were not going right, he is now telling us to STFU.
He feels we are childish, and stupid. He has no need to listen to anything we have to say.
Exactly. Obama was the corporations’ pick to be POTUS. Who even knows if he “won” by the number of votes that they said. Anything goes these days. I know that Obama was very popular, but the corporations hand-picked him. And one of his main tasks is to gut Soc Sec. Bank on it.
except corporations as you well know are superpersons, superpeople, and savvy too!
So what’s the plan to counter the cuts to SS? Change starts at the bottom I hear. That could take decades! Too late by then.
True but jingoism is never reality based.
Moderate Democrats Running Ads Slamming Opponents for Wanting to Cut Social Security
Dems are distancing themselves from the Dems label in growing numbers. The door is opening to a third party. More disgruntled people over the “Third Rail” as Dem pres shoots party in foot.
I can’t understand how this president thinks that he should retain any speck of loyalty among liberals/progressives after he has spent all of his political capital on things like the HCR bill, lost all credibility with much of his base by allowing DADT to languish around the cowardly congress and the courts waiting for some actual leadership. He has continued Bush era power grabs and exercises of power that the president never had before. Then, just to top it all off, signals an additional betrayal by appointing people like Alan Simpson, Alice Rivlin, Judd Gregg, Tom Coburn, Mike Crapo, Max Baucus and Kent Conrad. He set this commission up deliberately to deliver what no Dem worth his salt would want. Then he wonders why the base questions his competence and credibility. Guess he didn’t think we’d notice these people that all have track records against anything with the least whiff of “liberal taint”.
Personally, I think there should be separation between liberals and this President. I think way to many talking heads are pushing the idea that this president is “too liberal”. I would love it if, every time one of them called the president’s policies liberal, they would be challenged by the question, “Specifically, what is liberal in this policy or bill?” I don’t think we should take the blame for policies that we opposed, because the truth is, by the way there is nothing liberal about most of them by the time Obama and his hatchet men are done with them.
We can all wish that was true, but behind everything is a person, and persons are all to often lying, cheating thieves.
Which is why I find the argument that ANYTHING can be self correcting thus de-regulation is the way to go, a ROTFLMAO assumption.
If this was really true:
No cops.
No DOD.
No courts.
No lawyers.
No property rights.
No habeas corpus.
No Bill of Rights.
Anarchy.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Commission_on_Fiscal_Responsibility_and_Reform
The President only appointed 6 of the 18 members. Of the 7 you mention, Obama only appointed Simpson and Rivlin.
Currently known as Somalia
“No cops.
No DOD.
No courts.
No lawyers.
No property rights.
No habeas corpus.
No Bill of Rights.”
That’s America all right.
Somalia is an American Libertarian’s paradise.
True, although I suspect they’d still have trouble blending in. Still like to see they try. :)
The assumption represents the FUNDAMENTAL FLAW in Milton Friedman’s economic model:
http://newsroom-magazine.com/2009/academic/economics/self-interest-free-markets-disaster/
But I digress.
Having Representatives in Congress start to separate from Obama is a good thing. Obama seems to be unable to critically examine and correct course which means external pressure from Congress is a good thing. Plus Rahm, the Blue Dog king, may be leaving town, hopefully at some point the Blue Dogs will lose DNC support (probably when hell freezes over, but one can hope).
Obama and the DC Dems have squandered a true mandate for real change. They will lose badly for failing the American people.
Allen Boyd (D) of FL’s 2nd is criticizing his opponent, Steve Southerland (R), on Social Security. Boyd once endorsed privatizing SS (link). Boyd recently won his primary 51.5% to 48.5% over the term-limited minority leader of the State Senate. OfA endorsed Boyd. Boyd recently endorsed extending all of the Bush tax cuts, even for the wealthiest. Boyd, I think, is 1 of those wealthiest. He receives zillions in agricultural subsidies.
http://www.talkingpointsmemo.com/archives/149700.php
Re Catfood Commission:
6 via Congressional GOP
6 via Congressional Dem
6 by the President
But the Presidents choices (all but Stern) seem to lean to cutting SS
And the Congressional Dem choices were not solely defenders of SS
oh my!!!!
In Tuscon, Arizona, the son of Democratic Florida Congressman Allen Boyd has been arrested for human smuggling of five immigrants, including a 6-year-old girl. The Border Police also found a gun and drugs in Boyd’s truck. John Boyd is now facing federal charges.
Rep. Boyd released the following statement: “On September 14, 2008, my 30-year-old son, John Boyd, was arrested in Arizona, and at a preliminary hearing yesterday, he was charged with alien smuggling. This is a family matter that my family and I will be dealing with privately. John is a grown man and must face the consequences for his actions, but he has the love and support of his family.”
And Obama didn’t have to establish a Catfood Commission to begin with. I cannot stand to even look at that narcissist.
“I cannot stand to even look at that narcissist.”
Corporate cocksucker is the applicable term for that sort of human detritus.
I meant only to point out that 12 of the 18 were not directly appointed by Obama.
I’ll grant you there will always be a lunatic fringe, but don’t you remember those “Keep your government hands off my Medicare” signs being held up by the aforementioned lunatic fringe? Maybe a few will listen, but I don’t think you’re going to find a large number of even conservative baby boomers willing to give up SS and Medicare.
How can O do this and do it in secret, behind locked doors? He is proposing radical surgery and the patient won’t even know what has happened until after he wakes up. How can party functionaries continue to contact me and ask me for moeny and time Do they assume that we don’t know what they are up to?
That tells you a lot about what the Democratic Party stands for.
That’s interesting, given that Boyd advertises himself as something like a 5th generation farmer. Do you know how it turned out for Boyd’s son?
Boyd also advertises himself as a Democrat and a deficit hawk, doncha know. He is possibly the phoniest Dem in the House and probably about the 250th most progressive Dem in the House.
I sent my senators (D) and my representative (R) an email outlining why they should not vote to cut Social Security and telling them I would not support or vote for a party or a legislator who did. Well, it made me feel better, but I’m sure it probably made no difference to them.
I sent those off too. We need a couple million more to make an impact.
The Commission was established by Executive Order, NOT by Act of Congress!
The Catfood Commission is set up exactly how Obama wants it, he probably pre-approved the congressional picks before he even signed the EO.
Your wrong. I’m a boomer as are most of my friends and not a one ,even the Conservs. among them wants SSI and Medicare cut. Remember, almost all of us have been paying into this system most of our lives and are nearing retirement age, so don’t think for a moment we are the problem. It’s the X’ers and Y’ers who were brought up in the Reagan era that are the real trouble generation-ally if u ask me. Obama and may of that era worship @ the feet of the mighty myth of Ronaldo Ray-gun and his shrine to Voodoo economics and market fundamentalism. Boomers grew up in the real boom yrs. when marginal tax rates were in the 70% or above level so we know better then to believe the BS coming out of the Goper and the DLC Dem. country clubs these days.
Now send a letter to the Editor of your local city’s paper. And watch the fur fly when the Democratic chair for your county howls a wailing when you tell the truth about the Catfood Commission and about your local reps and how they need to commit to no cuts and to not raising the retirement age.
@gesneri #43
When you get yelled at there will be name calling. They will avoid the substance of your facts, because, you are in the right and they’ve got nothing. And they will trot out Obama talking points about how Dems have always loved Social Security. At least that’s what Jane described earlier as the Borg Plan to diss FDL.
I think my next letter to the Editor will list all of the Representatives who signed the Campaign for America’s Future’s pledge not to cut Social Security for my state only. There’s about 12 so far but that does not include my Senators who so far have not pledged. (New York State)
After I list all the signers names I will ask why Representative Scott Murphy has left his name off that list for the NY-20th spot. But this next letter to the Editor has to get in before November because after the election we have no influence over their promises to us. Good Luck!!
Just in case you want to know who has signed The Hands Off Social Security pledge:
http://www.ourfuture.org/handsoffsocialsecurity
I don’t think it is a generational split. It’s got to be a handful of very rich elites who want SS wrecked, lower taxes for the rich and no estate tax. Most everybody else has been bamboozled into voting against their own interests.
Obama had a chance to get real transformational change when he took office, but he had to attack Republican “principles” of always tax cuts, and the market is always right. Events showed that if the government didn’t step in to support the “free markets” then the world economy would have collapsed. Instead he worked his ass off to try and get us “back” to 2007 in an almost last ditch effort to prop up an obviously failed voodoo Reaganomics. This was his choice, and now he’s getting nailed in the midterms.
The question is – does Obama learn from his failures?
Exactly. It is peoples savings in a common pool and everybody gets a fair share out of it in a equitable manner when their turn comes. No politician or Savvy Businesspeople a.k.a. Wall Street has a right to this pie except to get their equitable share when their turn comes. Social Security keeps our Economy Depression Proof always irrespective of what Wall Street does and it keeps our social system moral and at a higher standard.
We had enough of MSM generated Mirages like Fake WMD in Iraq we saw recently. If we need commissions it should be about where our bailout dollars went, how much debt our children got after this bailout bonanza etc.,
I dont think the boomers have too much to fear, but that is the plan, i think. Raise the retirement age and slash benefits in a way that most boomers are grandfathered (no pun meant). The post Boomer gen has much to be worried about. The boomers may be the last middle class generation, at least “middle class” in the way its been understood for about 4 generations, and I really believe thats the master plan. Everything Including the fun new police state will serve that purpose. They are “downsizing” and “offshoring” the “American Dream” and they dont want to hear any shit either.
So let me get this straight……………
The public will believe the Republicans cut Social Security and raised the retirement age even though Obama signed it into law without using his veto?
Not sure I follow that logic.
Thus dividing us and weakening the political will to keep Social Security.
Picked him?
Maybe he was a ‘sleeper’ picked by the DLC people to be groomed for ‘great things’.
His speech to 28000 in Madison Wis – the university town – was hard to take- it was 2008 all over again with no explanation why when public option needed only 61 votes he ordered it killed, and indeed no explanation why all ideas from the base – all promises to the base – were tossed so as to get no GOP support.
All he said was change is hard, change is slow – excuses/ideas that die in the face of his actions to date. And there is no recovery possible prior to 2012 since post 2010 he will claim the new GOP wins in the election “force” him to have no backbone. He had his chance to led a Congress his party dominated in a repeat of FDR – and he is coming up via his actions as an IKE that has moved to the right or as a Bush 41 repeat if you prefer a more recent name. I will vote Dem in 2010 local elections – my local Dems deserve the vote because they do not spit on the base.
the corporations hand-picked him”
I agree with the comment – at least to the extent that it reflects the fact that all I heard for 2 years before the election from senior managers in a number of companies was that they feared Hillary because she could not be controlled – and that they wanted this new Senator from Illinois as he was respectful of what corporations want.
Folks around here don’t exercise much in the way of logic and have little or no understanding of procedure. Those who like Obama will blame the Republicans; and the Republicans will probably be all too happy to take the blame/credit for gutting Social Security, as it will score big points with their base.