Monday, July 25, 2011

What Game is He Even Playing?

This from Obama just baffles me. His statement on Friday
Essentially what we had offered Speaker Boehner was over a trillion dollars in cuts to discretionary spending, both domestic and defense.  We then offered an additional $650 billion in cuts to entitlement programs — Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security.  We believed that it was possible to shape those in a way that preserved the integrity of the system, made them available for the next generation, and did not affect current beneficiaries in an adverse way.
And response to a general follow up question:
If I’m saying to future recipients of Social Security or Medicare that you’re going to have to make some adjustments, it’s important that we’re also willing to make some adjustments when it comes to corporate jet owners, or oil and gas producers, or people who are making millions or billions of dollars.
And there it is, from the man himself. Bragging about offering cuts to the two most popular programs in US history.

In addition to the disgusting talk of asking future recipients of Social Security and Medicare that you're going to "make some adjustments", (and buying 100% into the right's core belief that the poor in this country have it too good), I just don't understand who this type of talk is designed to appeal to.

Is Obama really so clueless that he thinks the entire electorate is made up of the Washington Post Editorial board, and is desperately hoping for a "serious" politician to cut to Social Security and Medicare?

Or does he genuinely want to cut Social Security and Medicare so badly that he doesn't care how bad this looks?

I'm actually not sure which option is worse, to be perfectly honest.

3 comments:

  1. I think this is suppose to appeal to 66% of the public that says a deficit deal should include tax increases and spending cuts.

    http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-503544_162-20080494-503544.html

    It's also suppose to appeal to the 59% of Democrats who think it's more important to compromise than to stick to your beliefs.

    http://www.gallup.com/poll/144359/Democrats-Republicans-Differ-Views-Compromise.aspx

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  2. Entitlement programs are funded separately from the discretionary portions of the budget, and thus the proposed cuts have no effect on the deficit.

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  3. @Dan I see your point, but he can do those things without saying shit about Medicare and social security, both which have higher than 66% and 59% approval ratings. My main point is what is the gain by bringing them into the discussion.

    I understand the other part, but there is zero need to even bring them up, and Obama was the one who put them on the table.

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