President Obama won't reject Social Security cuts in his State of the Union address.

[Better Believe It]

No Social Security Cuts in the State of the Union?
By Richard (RJ) Eskow
Consultant, Writer, Senior Fellow with The Campaign for America's Future
January 24, 2011

Lori Montgomery of the Washington Post just wrote an article entitled "Obama won't endorse raising retirement age or reducing Social Security benefits," where she reports that the State of the Union speech will not include any suggestions for cutting retirement benefits.

The Wall Street Journal reported the story differently, saying that cuts will not be spelled out but will be hinted at: "White House officials... have assured Democratic lawmakers that the president will not explicitly call for cuts in Social Security benefits, though he will say changes are needed to put the program on a solid fiscal footing." The Journal adds: "Mr. Obama will call on both parties to be prepared to put everything on the table."

The White House will continue to face enormous pressure to agree to these cuts, from both inside and outside the administration. It was just reported, for example, that Democratic Senator Mark Warner and Republican Saxby Chambliss plan to introduce a bill that would raise the retirement age to 69.

If the president doesn't explicitly call for benefit cuts, the moment of reckoning has been deferred. But unless he explicitly rejects these cuts, which no report suggests he will do, he could still choose to support them as part of a larger deal -- or as a capitulation to another Republican hostage-taking strategy, where they threaten to shut government down if their demands aren't met.

Read the full article at:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/rj-eskow/no-social-security-cuts-i_b_813310.html


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Obama's Address Previews 2012 Race
By JONATHAN WEISMAN
January 24, 2011

President Barack Obama will call for a "responsible" effort to shrink the deficit but won't offer detailed plans on spending and taxes in a State of the Union address Tuesday that will presage the broad themes for political debate through the 2012 election.

Since what Mr. Obama described as his party's "shellacking" in November, he has tried to appeal to the political center by moving right. He struck a deal with Republicans on taxes and has been remaking the White House with deal makers from Bill Clinton's White House schooled in bipartisan outreach. He also has reached out to business with pledges to pare regulations and consult more closely on trade, taxes and "competitiveness."

The president will try to keep the deficit conversation in broad terms, fearing that detailed proposals would put Republicans, Democrats and Washington interest groups into a defensive crouch before real negotiations can take place, according to those officials. White House officials, for instance, have assured Democratic lawmakers that the president will not explicitly call for cuts in Social Security benefits, though he will say changes are needed to put the program on a solid fiscal footing.

At the same time, Mr. Obama will call on both parties to be prepared to put everything on the table. That means Democrats have to be ready to look at changes to Social Security, and Republicans to consider tax-code changes to increase revenue.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704213404576100320293656468.html?mod=WSJ_hp_MIDDLENexttoWhatsNewsThird

[villager]

1. unrecc'd by the "see/hear/speak no" crowd!

Thus, if it's unrecc'd, it can't really be happening!

[Rosa Luxemburg]

2. There is no problem with social security - they should leave it alone

Trimming pork from Republican states would be better.

[Better Believe It]

4. Republicans might agree to increasing the tax CAP if Obama agrees to social security cuts.

That would be part of the the grand bi-partisan "compromise" deal on deficits.

[Jackpine Radical]

6. Unfortunately, all the reasonable fixes for SS--

like raising the cap--would mildly inconvenience the rich.

As would the most reasonable way of cutting the deficit, namely raising taxes on the top end.

The rich must not be inconvenienced.

[ProSense]

3. The President had no plan to cut Social Security. Bernie Sanders

just said that he's going to force a vote on Paul Ryan's plan in the Senate.

Sounds dangerous.

[mzmolly]

9. How dare he think about the politics

of winning by allowing Republicans to take an unpopular stand before soundly rejecting it.

[ProSense]

22. Posted

a link to the video here.

It sank.

[Better Believe It]

35. So what "compromise" do you think Obama will make with Republicans to cut ....

Social Security, Medicare and other government programs that benefit working people and the elderly?

[mzmolly]

47. You first. What specific cuts do you think he'll

compromise on?

I'm confident after his speech tonight, that he'd rather raise taxes on the ultra wealthy.

[NorthCarolina]

34. Yes, dangerous to those Senators who would dare to vote in favor of it.

One thing that's pretty much a given, few Senators will risk their cushy job with tons of financial perks by voting for the Ryan plan.

[dixiegrrrrl]

5. You might want to see this road map of Soc. Sec.

How the GOP plans to permanently steal the $2.2 trillion SS Trust Fund, & slash your SS w/o "cuts" :

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=439x264748

[SidDithers]

15. Um, yeah...

that article by noted racist Paul Craig Roberts was justifiably deleted.

Sid

[pnorman]

25. "Racist"??

Many here on DU (myself included) have frequently held his anti-war postings in high regard. In years past, his articles , particularly from Antiwar.com, have been posted here. Why the sudden change? I also recall Cindy Sheeehan suddenly getting bum-rapped by a few here.

[SidDithers]

29. Check out his association with the nice people at VDARE...nt

Sid

[pnorman]

30. I'm well famiiar with that website.

They reprint his articles on occasion, when it suits them. But to my knowledge, he has no other connection whatsoever to the site itself.

PS: Here's that Antiwar.com website, in case you hadn't seen it before: http://antiwar.com/

[SidDithers]

31. He thinks enough of VDARE and Peter Brimelow...

to have written a fundraising appeal letter for them. http://www.vdare.com/appeals/072506_pcr.htm

I'm familiar with antiwar.com.

Sid

[pnorman]

33. Thanks! I missed that entirely!

But his many observations have still gone over quite well on DU.

Actually, the ONLY conservatives that I'll dismiss out of hand, are the intellectually dishonest--the hypocrites. That describes the neo-con to a Tee.

[PoliticAverse]

7. The SotU is tomorrow. Can't people wait one day ? n/t

[mzmolly]

8. He's not rejecting cats for lunch at the White House every Tuesday.

either.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/01/24/huffpost-hill-obama-pulls_n_813401.html

"Ultimately, the president demonstrating to the American people and to the Republicans a willingness to fight and win on issues that are core issues for him will help him in the negotiating process by strengthening his hand and strengthening the resolve of people who are working with him," Whitehouse said. "I think we both look forward to a bipartisan process going forward in the next two years, but we also look forward to the president showing strong leadership on critical issues and being willing to stand and fight on points where he feels that's in the best interest of the nation."

[EFerrari]

12. "Mr. Obama will call on both parties to be prepared to put everything on the table."

[mzmolly]

24. "I applaud the president for standing up for Social Security,

...for his understanding that this is a program that has worked fantastically well for 75 years, and that he is going to defend it." ~ Bernie Sanders - commenting on the Presidents stance after phone conversations he was personally involved in.

[Better Believe It]

20. Do you have a serious political comment you'd like to post?

[mzmolly]

23. Do you?

The President has said he does not support cutting SS. That's not enough for some. You have to keep moving the goal posts to specific words you need to hear in order to be satisfied.

[Better Believe It]

36. "The President has said he does not support cutting SS." Link please.

Did he say that before or after he was elected President?

He also said, after he was elected, that social security cuts are on the table in negotiations with Republicans.

Did you happen to hear about the Deficit Commission he appointed and loaded up with anti-Social Security zealots?

[mzmolly]

38. Show me the link to his supporting a cut, first?

I'm aware of his appointments. I'm not concerned with the Ms.Cleo like predictions. I'm concerned with what the man ACTUALLY does.

[Doctor_J]

40. Show me a link supporting endless war and torture

and budget busting tax cuts.

[mzmolly]

42. I believe the tax cuts are a done deal?

We've ended the war in Iraq and put a stop to torture. You should be able to google any of these things and find your own link. ;)

[Doctor_J]

43. Yes, the rich-heavy tax cuts are a done deal

And the wars go merrily on along with torture, rendition, and Gitmo. And I don't remember Candidate Obama promising any of these during 2008. So just because he hasn't said he will cave to the tea baggers on SS, I won't count it out. Just consider me a member of the reality-based community.

[mzmolly]

45. The Iraq war (combat mission) has ended. This per Rachel Maddow, among others.

And, Obama signed orders to close Gitmo in Jan of 2009. Unfortunately it's not an overnight process. If only the Bush = Gore voters hadn't believed that was so, we'd not be talking about Gitmo and/or a war in Iraq, ya know?

When Obama doesn't "cave" on SS - I'll look for you to remain part of the I was FOS and will never admit it, community.

[defendandprotect]

10. That sounds more like Obama --

we need a new candidate for 2012 before everything is gone --

Bernie Sanders co uld run on a Dem ticket --

Who do you trust?

[somone]

11. It's going to be similar to the old unemployment vs tax cuts for the rich trick

that's what they mean by everything on the table

[Raine]

13. I will listen more for what he doesn't say than what he says.

Unless he says absolutely positively NO CHANGE to SS I will know that something dirty is in the works by all of them.

[Better Believe It]

14. President Obama will be vague on what cuts he will support behind closed doors as part of a "deal".

[BzaDem]

16. Well at least the worrying is moving from "he's going to endorse cuts in the SOTU!" to "he's not

going to rule them out in the SOTU!"

Progress I guess.

[blindpig]

26. Ha

until the cat comes out of the bag.

[sabrina 1]

17. Social Security has NOTHING to do with the deficit.

I really hope he does not use those words in the same phrase.

I am expecting him to point out clearly that SS and the Deficit are two entirely different things.

Someone needs to do it since the media continually ties them together.

So, will he say 'I want to make one thing very, very clear. SS did not and could not have caused the deficit.'?

We'll see, but I'm not holding my breath.

[SidDithers]

18. Ahh, the ever shifting goalposts...nt

Sid

[NorthCarolina]

19. Damn, I knew the other story was too good to be true.

Between the two, this one absolutely is in line with his past comments concerning everything being on the table. Why-oh-why did I ever allow myself to get my hopes up that maybe, just maybe, he was finally listening to the voters. What the heck, Bernie Sanders fell for it too, so at least I am in good company.

[Karmadillo]

21. Who should the Democratic Wing of the Democratic Party run in 2012?

nt

[xchrom]

27. why mention SS at all -- it isn't part of the problem -- the 'fixes' are easy

and affect only the wealthy.

even mentioning SS is to give into neoliberal and conservative temptation.

[JoePhilly]

28. And worse ... he didn't not not declare that he won't not go over to the table

on which everything may or may not not be on.

At least that's what Huffpo :rofl: and the Wall Street Journal :rofl: said.

Let's impeach him!!!

[Better Believe It]

32. Liberals have no problem declaring they are opposed to social security cuts. Obama won't say that.

How about yourself?

Do you agree with President Obama that social security cuts and cuts in other vital social programs such as Medicare should be on the table for negotiations with Republicans?

[JoePhilly]

37. Yes ... you leave Social Security ON THE TABLE.

And the reason you leave it on the table is to get the GOP to attack it out in the open. Take it off the table, and the GOP can snipe about "fixing it" without saying anything concrete.

My main point is that the angry left wing narrative is starting to SHIFT. For WEEKS, the breathless speculation and prediction was that Obama was going to ANNOUNCE CUTS to these programs during the SOTU. Day after day, angry post after angry post.

Now that we know THAT isn't going to happen ... the outrage needs to settle somewhere else ... and so now it will be that he isn't making any declaration to never ever, ever, cut these programs. Which makes him a bad President.

In reality, NOTHING has changed, except the goal post for the outrage.

[Doctor_J]

44. Too bad he didn't leave the public option ON THE TABLE

Even you must admit that leaving it on the table means he will probably give it away.

Edit: You also must realize that this Congress and this Repukelican Party will grab ANYTHING left on the table.

[mzmolly]

46. It was Joe Lieberman and a couple of blue dogs who took the Public Option off the table.

Remember? You are aware of the 60 vote Senate requirement, I presume? You say Republicans will grab anything yet you presume the President should have some magical way to reach them? NOT ONE R voted for HCR, in spite of the lack of a public option. NOT ONE. Yet we suggest that Obama could have shamed them into voting for HCR WITH a P.O.? Absurd.

[mzmolly]

41. I hear he left a mess

at the table? :crazy:

[Doctor_J]

39. Stop posting shit from the Murdoch Journal

It is no more reliable than World Nut Daily

[inna]

48. what a fucked up comment.

:wtf:

[Imagevision]

49. Actually government should return the Billions Bush took from SS. to spend on Iraq war

[upi402]

50. yes

There are a million rational things they'll take off the table before it makes a thud.