My usual chest thumping and poop throwing over the President takes a little twist. I will, of course, criticize this President for betraying the progressive groundswell that elected him. But as George Bush so elequently quoted: "fool me once, uh...shame...shame on you. Fool me twice...uh...won't get fooled again!"
By now, we know who Obama is. He is a somewhat right-of-Reagan blue-dog Democrat, a lousy poker player and either a weak, weak politician, or a shill for corporate oligarchy. I choose the latter.
So why all the shocked headlines about the trial balloon floated by the White House over social security?
An anonymous White House source suggested that social security cuts could be included in budget negotiations over the debt ceiling. Commentators and bloggers freaked out, and the White House quickly backtracked with a non-denial denial. "The President's position hasn't changed since April" said Carney.
The point is, the President's position in April on Social Security is the same as the President's position in 2009 when he appointed his conservative-stacked Cat Food Commission (Debt Commission). The likes of Alan You are All Tit-Suckers Simpson have been dying to cut SS and Medicare for decades. President Obama LOVES this commission. He refers to it all the time.
Remember when he made that tough-sounding speech a couple of months ago? The one right after Paul Ryan announced his plan to destroy America? After he talked about how horrible Ryan was for wanting to pummel seniors, and how America was better than that, he dropped in that the way to go was the way of the Debt Commission.
So what is in the Cat Food Commission's recommendations? How's about adding at least four years to the Social Security retirement age. Now, I've done the math, based on the statements I get from the Social Security Administration. That would cost me about $50,000. I'm just an average guy. My household earns well under $100,000 per year. This is equivalent to a 50 grand tax increase in my shortened retirement. Guess what other middle and working class tax increases are in the Commission's report...home mortgage deduction - gone. This raises taxes on EVERY homeowner in America, the bulk of which are not in the top 2%. Who gets taxes lowered in this report? Yup - corporations.
This report was a forgone conclusion, due to the fact that it was stacked with conservatives. And Obama has never said a bad word about it. He is all in for cutting Social Security, and has put Medicare "on the table." How can anyone be surprised?
And, this will cost him the election in 2012. Republicans will get to campaign on "Obama, the Marxist Muslim, wants to take away your Social Security." And they will be right on the Social Security. They will take the elderly vote, in spite of Ryan's plan, and depress the left, who are pretty depressed already.
So duh! bloggers and cable talking heads...Obama has always wanted to cut Social Security. It is total right wing insanity, but he is consistent. It is where he has staked his claim as "an adult in the room." Or more recently as he admonished us all to "eat our peas." He is all for letting CEOs off the hook, and for making us eat cat food in our old age. He has not wavered on this.
The story is: why don't the Democratic voters primary the shit out of this guy?
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