Will Democrats attempt to "preempt" Republicans in the Lame Duck Session?

[Junkdrawer]

The Deficit (aka Catfood) Commission is due to report during the lame duck session.

Last I heard, a provision was added to a military spending bill that requires the House give an up-or-down vote to any bill the Senate passes to address the findings of the Commission. See: http://firedoglake.com/2010/07/01/breaking-pelosi-sneaks-approval-of-vote-on-debt-commission-recommendations-into-rule-regarding-war-funding/

So, will "moderate" cuts to Social Security be put into a Senate bill and rushed through the process in order to "preempt" the issue before the Republican congress is seated?

What do you think? Will the Democrats do this? Can they do this? Should they do this?

:shrug:

[DainBramaged]

1. Will Harry Reid grow a spine?

[Duer 157099]

2. They absolutely SHOULD take advantage of the next 2 months

Will they? Hell no, of course not.

[beyurslf]

3. I am sure before we do anything, we will ask the blessings of His Majesty Bonher so as not to upset

him.

[Junkdrawer]

4. Here's what I think: Let the Republicans own any attempts to cut Social Security....

And let the President stop any such attempts.

[PhilosopherKing]

5. That's a bingo

According to the polls, seniors above 65 came out to vote in droves. Scare the crap out of them by telling the truth.

"the repubs are coming for your social security money."

[gratuitous]

6. Will the Democrats dare go against the will of the people?

Because that's exactly how any actions taken before the end of the year will be portrayed by our new Republican overlords, and the spurious charge will be repeated and repeated by our good friends in the liberal media as if it were true, and as if no lame duck session of Congress had ever done any such thing before in the long history of our great republic.

About the only thing that might get passed will be, as you note, something that the Republicans would find highly desireable and palatable: A cut to Social Security benefits that they can then blame on the outgoing Democrats. If it's possible to enact such cuts, the Republicans will apply tremendous pressure on Congress to do so, especially since it would be the Democrats who would have to own such cuts. It would be completely in character for the Democrats to screw pensioners on their way out the door, and then impotently protest against Republican demagoguery on the subject.

Meanwhile, the Republican base would be fired up against the Democrats, and the Democratic base could go fuck ourselves.

[Winterblues]

7. They won't even crawl out from under their beds..

:shrug:

[USA_1]

8. Dems Preempt Pukes?

Not in your life. Pukes snap their fingers and Dems comply in an instant. That's just the way it is.