Obama's latest gambit in the stalled negotiations on the debt ceiling ( why he doesn't invoke the 14th amendment's clause on the country's debt is hard to understand) is a scare tactic that on its surface seems to be an attempt at pressuring congressional Democrats to go along with a cave in to Republicans on cuts in social security, Medicare and Medicaid something that already has most liberal groups and congressional Democrats up in arms. What he told CBS News was " Without a deal on the debt ceiling, I can't guarantee that social security payments will go out on August 2".
This is quite simply a brazen lie because as has been pointed out before by others, there is no cash flow problem now with the U.S. and social security is completely funded. The U.S. could default on its payments on interest on the outstanding debt and the money to send out social security checks would still be there and by law would be sent.
The Daily Financial Times reported Lance Roberts, CEO of Streettalk Advisors as saying, "There is enough revenue coming in to cover all entitlement payments -- just nothing left to cover other discretionary and non-discretionary spending. The administration is using Social Security payments as a fear tactic."
The underlying strategy seems to be to scare enough people on social security into believing they are in real danger of not getting their checks to pressure Democratic members of congress into accepting Obama's deal.
What has the talks stalled is that Obama has been asking Republicans to give up the Bush tax cuts for people making over $250,000 and close some corporate tax loopholes. The Republican response has been to tell Obama to go screw himself which if he did would be a big improvement over his screwing Democrats which is what he's been doing for two years. But that doesn't stop Republicans from being willing to screw the country also which is what they have shown they do best.
Obama had his chance to get rid of the Bush tax cuts as he pledged, months ago, even more than a year ago when Democrats had large majorities. Instead he folded as usual and the Democratic non- leadership in Pelosi and Reid folded also when it could have been passed and now everyone is paying the price. And let's not forget that when Obama sold out on his pledge to eliminate the Bush tax cuts the first time he called congressional Democrats who objected " sanctimonious purists".
So what does Obama do now about the impasse? Having demonstrated so far that he doesnt have the skill, political wherewithal, powers of persuasion, resolve, or the oratorical skills so many deluded themselves into believing he had to make the easiest case in the world -- that Republican economic policy the last 20 years is the cause of every economic problem and disaster the country has -- instead of that, Obama resorts into scaring people on social security in the hopes that they will pressure congress.
Social security has its own fund and its illegal for the government to raid that fund and use the money for other purposes. The money is there to send out the checks next month, next year and five years from now and if the U.S. defaulted on anything they couldn't legally touch one cent of the social security fund to cover anything.
If in the end Obama does make a deal that includes cuts in social security, Medicare and Medicaid and doesnt include a large tax increase on corporations and the upper 5% income earners, his next decision should be the only time in his presidency he will ever be compared to LBJ -- he should make a speech saying "I will not seek and I will not accept the nomination of my party to be your president". Because he wouldnt have a chance in hell of winning anyway.
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Scaring seniors and those on Social security for their livelihood including people with health issues, is a sick way of doing business. Before ANY entitlement cuts, every member of Congress, the president and his cabinet should not be paid for a month and see how they like it. While you and I may know he's bluffing (he's not a very good poker player) there are many ailing citizens who don't know it, and if anyone of them really gets sick over this, thinking their checks will be withheld, it will be on Obama's head.
And guess who is coming out and saying this tactic is wrong, cruel and completely unnecessary. Republicans! I honestly believe that something is wrong with Obama mentally. This is not the way a responsible, mentally balanced adult goes about decision making and informing people. He is acting and sounding like a mean, spiteful, cornered 14 year old SOB everyday.
Impeach obama, he is a liar, he hates America and what it stands for, he is an illegal, he doesn't even have his own social security number. I am ashamed to be an American as he stands for evil, corruption and I can not stand to even hear his voice. He is worse than clinton, and bush.
More like hitler. Get rid of him. He is evil and would love to take all our freedoms away, sell out this country and stay in control for as long as any dictator can stay in power.
"his next decision should be the only time in his presidency he will ever be compared to LBJ -- he should make a speech saying "I will not seek and I will not accept the nomination of my party to be your president"."
That would take honor, humility, and principle; three things Obama lacks.
You forget that the one person who bought into Barack's pose as the transformational man, the post-partisan politician,the "New Aaron"; the person who really bought that bilge-water hook, line and sinker was Barack Hussain Obama.
Cognitive dissonance it a frightful thing to witness in any person, never mind the most powerful executive in the world.
My daughter manages two low income apartment complexes. One is for Senior citizens. She was at that complex last week trying to reassure the residents. They are terrified. THey don't know if they will be able to pay rent. They don't know if they can buy food.
The Persident of the United States is threatening old people and poor people. It is a disgrace and I am ashamed of my country. Barack Obama is a bully and a monter. Attacking and threatening senior citizens is not a sign of strength. I'm sure he thinks that was a cool tv byte, but true or not, is scares the weakest of us. And it is evil.
Obama is not ever going to be dependent on these program and that is why he thinks it is cute to throw them in our faces. He did not threaten to cut off banks. He did not threaten to cut off China. Nope, attack the old people.
I think it could backfire, because a lot of us not yet dependent on Social Security, Medicare or Medicaid, have parents who are. We do not like to have our Moms and Gransmas threatened. Or at least I don't. We need to stand up for and protect our parents from this bully.
During the last Presidential election, CSpan2 Book TV aired a program where the author discussed the results of his or her research, which suggested that something like 5-10% of Democrats , and 5-10% of Republicans, essentially debated and defined the ideological constructs of each party. The point was that the vast, vast, vast majority of the citizens of this country have their lives dictated by the most active and vocal members of society, who also happen to be more privileged .
I strongly suspect that the same thing is occurring with the debt ceiling debate. The debate is not really about the debt ceiling per se, but rather a very deep, long-standing debate about the role and size of government. It’s never been resolved, and never will be resolved in our representative democracy. However, in the mean time, the regular folks in our society run the risk of being irreparably damaged. The elites (the upper and upper middle socio-economic classes) on each side of the fence have theirs, their corporate contributions, decent jobs and income, and will fare just fine economically. It’s the ordinary citizens (lower middle socio-economic class) who will most likely get screwed, no matter which side ultimately prevails in the short term.
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