Most of us aren't sophisticated enough to understand, but it's for our own good.
The key question came from Jake Tapper:
Q: You’ve said that reducing the deficit will require shared sacrifice. We know -- we have an idea of the taxes that you would like to see raised on corporations and on Americans in the top two tax brackets, but we don’t yet know what you specifically are willing to do when it comes to entitlement spending. In the interest of transparency, leadership, and also showing the American people that you have been negotiating in good faith, can you tell us one structural reform that you are willing to make to one of these entitlement programs that would have a major impact on the deficit? Would you be willing to raise the retirement age? Would you be willing to means test Social Security or Medicare?Yes, Obama has become very clear about where he is willing to go -- and it's not a good direction. As Stephanie Taylor from PCCC notes:
THE PRESIDENT: We’ve said that we are willing to look at all those approaches. I’ve laid out some criteria in terms of what would be acceptable. So, for example, I’ve said very clearly that we should make sure that current beneficiaries as much as possible are not affected. But we should look at what can we do in the out-years, so that over time some of these programs are more sustainable.
I’ve said that means testing on Medicare, meaning people like myself, if -- I’m going to be turning 50 in a week. So I’m starting to think a little bit more about Medicare eligibility. (Laughter.) Yes, I’m going to get my AARP card soon -- and the discounts.
But you can envision a situation where for somebody in my position, me having to pay a little bit more on premiums or co-pays or things like that would be appropriate. And, again, that could make a difference. So we’ve been very clear about where we’re willing to go.
Today, for the first time, President Obama made clear that he's considering benefit cuts even for Americans who currently depend on Social Security and Medicare. This is something Paul Ryan didn't even embrace publicly.Earlier today, PCCC delivered a message to the Obama campaign from over 200,000 signed pledges who had either volunteered or donated to Obama in 2012. The message is: we cannot support Obama in 2012 if he supports cuts Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid. Yes, the Obama campaign had a good first quarter for fundraising. But, that was the low hanging fruit. Jim Messina and the other political geniuses who set the direction for the Obama presidency don't seem to think the base matters, but it does. Maybe Messina's (and Bill Daley's) buddies at Third Way, which supports cutting Social Security and Medicare, will make up for those 200,000+ disgruntled Obama supporters (except Third Way has no real constituency.)
It's not just Obama. At DailyKos, Joan McCarter has a post titled, McConnell-Reid proposal puts target on Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid:
Greg Sargent has some key developments in the Reid-McConnell proposal that make it even worse. That commission it sets up? It's designed specifically to "reform" Social Security and Medicare.Joan notes:
The semi-good news is that it puts the onus on members of Congress to actually vote to cut Social Security and Medicare, which they hate to do. It's unclear right now whether congressional Democrats would line up with this. It could potentially mean putting off any cuts to Social Security and Medicare in this package, putting that vote off to later, when the commission comes up with its recommendations. But that's not entirely clear yet.What is clear is that Democrats have shown a dangerous willingness to sacrifice core Democratic values.
