This is what the Dems learned from the MA election. Now more cuts to Medicare and SS

[inthebrain]

I've given up any hope that this administration can get it right. As each day passes they become more and more like the Reps on economics. The left in the MA election stayed home because of shit like this.



US: Democrats agree on commission to cut Social Security, Medicare
By Patrick Martin
21 January 2010
Obama administration officials and Democratic congressional leaders reached agreement Tuesday on the establishment of a bipartisan commission that would put recommendations for drastic budget cuts to a vote in Congress before the end of 2010. The commission would have unprecedented legal authority to propose changes in both the tax code and major entitlement programs like Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid, with Congress required to hold an up-or-down vote on its recommendations.

The exact method for establishing the commission depends on congressional action. The Senate and House could vote to establish the commission, as an amendment for legislation to raise the national debt ceiling to $13 trillion.

Press accounts suggested this was unlikely, given divisions over policy between Republicans and Democrats, as well as within both parties. If Congress fails to act, Obama would issue an executive order to create the commission, although this would leave its decisions with less legal force.

The 18 members of the commission would be appointed: six each by the congressional Democratic and Republican leaderships, and six by Obama, of which only four could be Democrats. This would give the commission a 10-8 Democratic majority.

Fourteen votes would be required to adopt any recommendation, meaning that at least half the Republicans would have to agree. This effectively ensures that only cuts in spending will be considered to lower the deficit, not tax increases on the wealthy or big business, since every congressional Republican leader has taken a “no new taxes” stand.


http://www.wsws.org/articles/2010/jan2010/budg-j21.shtml

[still_one]

1. /self-delete

[BP2]

2. Up is down. Why would Obama and our Democrats work against the people who need help the most?

Just not getting it. This makes no fucking sense. :banghead:

[timeforpeace]

28. It's makes total sense if they've decided to use scare tactics, which is what this is. Who are these

guys?

[HereSince1628]

3. Water boarding the base or is the New Deal really drowing in the bathtub?

Neither! This one will be called "Good governance."

Harry will have no problems getting the senate finance committee to cough up members for the commission.

[ooglymoogly]

23. It has been exchanged for a crooked deal.

It looks like Harry is dead in Nev.

[Political Heretic]

4. Funny to read stuff like this and then realize I have to be careful about what I say about Democrats

or I might lost the privilege to post here.

This is a story I would have only expected to read under the Bush administration. Obama may not be "just like Bush" but in this instance, this is everything I would have expected from Bush-Cheney.

And there have been too many instances like this one.

[busymom]

10. I am so disappointed that words fail me...sigh...n/t

[treestar]

5. This is just about ways to make them more efficient or the like

The details of carrying it out.

[Political Heretic]

6. Lie. It is not about that when half the republicans' votes are required for any recommendation.

It's about trying to look like your conservative fiscally because Democrats still stupidly believe that they need to look more like Republicans to win elections.

The believe this particularly when it comes to the budget - if they can shot those voters that they are not for big "gummit" spending on "handouts" and that they'll do whatever it takes to tackle our soaring debt (where "whatever it takes" means only cutting programs that the underclass depend on, never raising taxes on the overclass that has raped the system for decades)

[jgraz]

8. Have you no shame? At long last, have you no shame?

C'mon treestar. Are you really going to shill for this?

[treestar]

11. I don't really know much about it

My default meter on DU is that there is an attempt to stir us up against the administration which has too often turned out to be inaccurate. So I will not join the chorus of grief until I know for sure this is not an attempt at manipulation.

And I do start from a place of doubt that the Dems want to eliminate Social Security. Call me skeptical, but I'm not buying that off the bat.

[jgraz]

12. Read about the guy who's the main backer of this commission

http://www.michaelmoore.com/words/must-read/pete-peterson-teams-kent-conrad-undermine-democracy-slash-social-security-and-medicare-and-weaken-fragile-recovery

Yeah, I know you probably hate Michael Moore, but it's a place to start.

[inthebrain]

14. Well, then don't take it from what's posted here

Look at the MA election.

Compare the number of votes for Brown/Coakly to McCain/Obama.

See who stayed home.

[dflprincess]

16. Democrats don't want to -

but the Republican wing of the party (aka the DLC) does. And Rahm's brother, Zeke, is involved in this at Obama's request.

[dflprincess]

17. He's giving away the meme they'll use to convince the public

that this is for everyone's good.

Be very afraid when any "new Democrat" starts talking about reform - it's come to mean that we're about to get screwed again.

[inthebrain]

18. Like

Medicare Advantage

Telecommunications Act of 97

and the famous "End welfare as we know it"

[dflprincess]

19. And don't forget Bush's "Clean Skies Iniative"

which should have been prefaced with "No More"

[jgraz]

7. Next comes reinstatement of the B*sh tax cuts.

It's coming. You know it is.

[inthebrain]

13. Many Dems were talking about that last night

Those are on the way.

[timeforpeace]

29. If it helps our election chances this November, what's the problem?

[busymom]

9. This is the end of public healthcare, btw...the reason

is that the CMS already instituted cuts effective on Jan 1, 2010 that reduce payments to physicians and hospitals by upwards of 50% for some procedures. Our local large hospital is debating whether they can afford to keep the smaller outreach hospitals open (and they ARE closing the free outreach clinic that has been running since its inception) because of the fact that running a hospital costs money.

Believe it or not, physician salaries are a drop in the bucket of health care costs...but instead of addressing those, the CMS has decided to penalize the very people who go to school for 8 years and then take on 3-10 years of additional training in order to be able to help you when you are sick.

The hospitals are now looking at a budget that can't maintain the facilities ... so that will mean hospital and clinic closings and longer wait times to get in to see physicians than we have currently.

Buckle up. When medicare and medicaid cuts come in on TOP of the new medicare ruling that started Jan 1, you will see more doctors close their doors to these complicated patients who require a lot of time but for whom medicare pays only pennies to the dollar.

My mother's geriatrics practice closed two years ago after other medicare cuts made it impossible for the practice to maintain 1 MD, 2 NP's, the ancillary hospital staff and keep up with expensive changes like going to electronic medical records.

Good Night American Health Care. Rest. In. Peace.

[inthebrain]

15. This has been a rough last few days

I rememeber having these when the Republicans controlled everything.

[andym]

24. Do you have a link to a breakdown of health care costs.

I've been looking for a detailed report since the debate on HCR began.
You mention that physicians salaries are a "drop in the bucket" so I was wondering just what the percentage was.

[ProgressOnTheMove]

20. Buy tinned food raise some farm animals it's going to be a bumpy ride....

It's just got so hopeless very quickly. Maybe live underground till the crazies are finished probably the best way forward. *waves white flag*

[inthebrain]

21. Maybe it's time folks stop sucking up to capitalism

and recognize THEIR OWN CLASS INTERESTS. Until then you will be nothing more than the extreme left of the ruling class. Right now that's the moderate right which is now becoming the radical right.

THe only person who's going to look out for you is the guy next to you. Not the cops, not the military and certainly not these politicians.

[ooglymoogly]

22. SOCIAL SECURITY IS NOT AN ENTITLEMENT PROGRAM PERIOD.

It is an insurance program. They (until now, the pugs) have been looking for ways to get at the $3 trillion trust fund since Ronni Ray-gun, but have never really succeed with out at least leaving a promissory note for the theft; Till now. After the trust fund is plundered SS will be dead and without a whimper from the elderly and dying, except they will never vote again or never vote for an Obama democrat who brought this on them. As in Coakley.

[centristgrandpa]

25. someday...

mr. obama will understand "bipartisanship" is meaningless, especially with a party of thugs (repubs). His own party filled with career absent-minded servants need schooling on the basic fundamentals of unity. Smorgasbord is an understatement... As the infinitesimal thug Bush would say, (A lot of times in politics you have people look you in the eye and tell you what's not on their mind.) George W. Bush, Sochi, Russia, April 6, 2008, Need i say mour!

[hileeopnyn8d]

26. The problem with all of these articles

about this commission, is that none of them have been 100% truthful and most are adding opinion and stating that it's a fact.

The agreement does not call for an up/down vote, that is the deal that the Republicans want, and they want it in the form of the Conrad/Gregg bill. The Republicans don't support the panel that the congressional Dems and the President reached a tentative agreement on, because in it they are the minority, and they think it will be all about raising taxes. And they don't want to give Democrats the political cover to do so.

I really wish these articles would stop muddying the facts. Oh, and it's Grover Norquest and the ATR that want a BRAC-like commission.

[TreasonousBastard]

27. Well, you take the World Socialist Website, Michael Moore, stir...

them over low heat for a while and serve it up to alleged Democrats just starving for the next news trashing Obama and this is what you get.