Wednesday, July 20, 2011

Obama DOES Want to Cut Medicare and Social Security Benefits

--- by Jon Walker

When President Obama first openly put cuts the Medicare and Social Security benefits on the table during the debt ceiling negotiations many of his defenders went full 11th dimensional chess. The claimed Obama wasn’t so much putting these on the table because he wanted them cut right now, but to prove he was the more sensible adult in the room when Republican rejected this grand bargain. On this one point I agree with David Brooks and think we all just need to take Obama at his word. From David Brooks:
According to widespread reports, White House officials talked about raising the Medicare eligibility age, cutting Social Security by changing the inflation index, freezing domestic discretionary spending and offering to pre-empt the end of the Bush tax cuts in exchange for a broad tax-reform process.
The Democratic offers were slippery, and President Obama didn’t put them in writing. But John Boehner, the House speaker, thought they were serious. The liberal activists thought they were alarmingly serious. I can tell you from my reporting that White House officials took them seriously.
There is no super secret plan to trick Republicans or play the media. The administration has been totally honest when it has repeatedly state Obama wants the large austerity package possible.
Obama put cuts to these programs on the table because he wants to sign a package with cuts to these programs. His stated goal is a large deficit reduction package that is mostly spend cuts with very few tax increases. The only way he can get that without making major cuts to the Pentagon is by cutting the social safety net. If Obama actually wanted an equally large deficit reductions package that was mostly tax increases, he could easily already gotten that by vetoing any extension of the Bush tax cuts. He only wants to reduce the deficit if it is mostly through cuts.
The truly historic importance of what is happen right now can’t be repeated enough. It is a Democratic President who is the driving force now behind cutting Medicare and Social Security. It is a Democratic President who feels that deficit reduction during a recession and keeping tax rates near historic lows are both much more important policy goals than protecting Social Security and Medicare Benefits.

10 comments:

anonymous said...

Shouldn't that be historic "lows," not "laws"?

Celia Harrison said...

I knew Obama wanted to cut Medicare and Social Security when I found out who was on the Deficit Commission. A lot of people are still making Obama excuses and can't see the truth. We will end up with a very large population of people in their 50s and 60s who are broken down from jobs like nursing, brick laying, etc. who will apply for disability, so they will cut that program way back. Then they will be living on the streets. Historically decreasing relief during hard times helps the economy, decreasing it causes civil unrest. I have been trying to decide just what the hell they are really trying to accomplish.

Anonymous said...

They would really prefer that older people just die and get it over with.

Blue_in_AK

Anonymous said...

They would really prefer that older people just die and get it over with.

Blue_in_AK


Yep, just pay into SS all your working life and die early. Obviously, that works for someone, but it doesn't work for me.

Anonymous said...

very nice functional commenting community on this blog

Anonymous said...

Okay wait. This makes absolutely no sense.
Isn't this blog "progressive"? I don't get it.

Could you post some bio link for this writer? I'd like to have some sense of context and perspective. Thanks.

~~~
I wonder, Mr. Munger, if you might share. Who were you thinking should be the 44th President of the United States?
Clearly you didn't vote for Obama. Who DID you vote for? Did you actually _vote_ for _McCain_?

~~~~ Bob Poe for president!~~~

Philip Munger said...

"I wonder, Mr. Munger, if you might share. Who were you thinking should be the 44th President of the United States?
Clearly you didn't vote for Obama. Who DID you vote for? Did you actually _vote_ for _McCain_?"

--- I volunteered for, donated hundreds of dollars to and voted for Obama in 2008. I wrote about my activities on his behalf back then here.

Anonymous said...

Then why do you have such an issue with Barack Obama? It seems to be quite personal.
Why not post some original writings on this subject, instead of re-posting stuff written by others. Or at least some personal critical analysis.

Who's Jon Walker? Why is his opinion important?

Anonymous said...

the president dosent think about the people that ssiand medicare

Lowest Part D premium said...

I'm really disappointed on Obama. I thought he'd protect the elderly or the poor senior citizens by trying to cut on other aspects or program instead of the Medicare which is really beneficial especially to the poor senior citizens. Instead, he's trying to break up Medicare and Social Security without considering our present and future senior citizens.