Optimistic? Nah. Obummer will get his grand bargain if it is his last day in office.

“I think chained CPI is a real possibility, only if it crafted in the right way,” Durbin said. The proposal would have to raise the minimum Social Security benefit to the poverty level, and provide the very old with a bump up in benefits, he said.

http://thehill.com/blogs/on-the-money/budget/289219-durbin-sees-less-than-50-percent-chance-of-budget-deal

Team Obama will never give the dream of a Grand Bargain we all know this, We can only hope BO’s political clout continues to drop

Durbin Not Optimistic About Grand Bargain

Good.

Thanks for the post Jon.

His approval rating has been going down lately, and his desire to cut Social Security is one of the big factors. He may not have to get re-elected, but no president wants to leave office with a shitty approval rating, even Obama.

Dick keeps checking his text messages. He’s hoping to hear the news that Harry just collapsed and died. Other than that he can push his Grand Bargain up his Grand Wazzoo.

OR…is Durbin just trying to calm the fear and angst of the voters into thinking it won’t require a full bore attack on the phones, emails, faxes, etc., in Washington???

Just trying to allow Obama to do his special secret backroom dealing???

Damn, but i don’t trust much of what any Dems say nowadays. Sad, really.

Oh, Liz Warren. I trust her on economic issues.

This is excellent news. I know Durbin and especially Obama are deeply disappointed by this.

I like the fact that your article points that Obama is as responsible for these “fiscal crisises” as the GOP are. They’re both manufacturing them. They’re equally to blame as far as I’m concerned. It’s truly bipartisan.

But Durbin is clearly giving us fair warning that Obama will push for his Great Betrayal every damn chance he gets — and creates. Obama worked hard to keep issues open so he could say he was being pressured into cuts to SocSec and Medicare.

Durbin is his stalking horse.

Now if we in Illinois can get ANY other Democrat to run against Durbin.

Illinois has enough Democrats to elect one Senator, we just need to get rid of this jerk.

If you write his office about these ideas, you’ll get a letter back from him telling you about the big picture.

I am so fed up with this guy.

The PTB don’t need valid reasons to implement austerity and whatever bargain they agree on in Congress the 99% who are unrepresented will pay. If they don’t take it from SS and medicare they will take it from us some other way. Voting against incumbants in primaries and for third party candidates in general elections is the order of the day from now on.

Gosh. Mr. Durbin. I thought you want us to move in. You & Mr. Peedahsum.

Scrap the Cap or we are movin’ in!

Mom & Dad.

Someone here suggested that Obama is not concerned with his legacy. He is more interested in his next job. I suppose he does not want a bad record but you can spin this stuff too. You know they made me do it thing.

In the interview Durbin also says he’s going to introduce a “bipartisan bill” for yet another commission to make Social Security “solvent” and that he’s “personally open to further privatization of Medicare.”

Time to send a few bucks to the IL Green Party.

Great video!

What a guy!! This bi partisan thing will hang us all. I wish I knew what the hell these people mean by making SS solvent. Such bs.

I think the next time one of these ass wipes talks about bi partisanship he will lose my vote. I would rather lose than compromise with the bastards anymore.

If they meant lift the cap or any other approach that would serve the 99% rather than the 1% they would have said so by now. Bi-partisan is just the Democratic word for serving the 1%. They assume no one will notice.

One thing that is concerning is that it sounds like Durbin is preparing to run the artificial crisis scam again using the next debt ceiling vote….

“Scam” is exactly the right word for it. What’s even worse is that the beltway “reporters” (read: overpaid, obsequious stenographers) continue to shovel whatever bullshit is fed to them right into their media furnaces, thus (in their tiny little minds) ensuring themselves continued access to the Major Decision-Makers, those esteemeed representatives who actually jerk the levers of power. (Never mind that the REAL deal-making goes on behind closed doors, and that you aren’t likely to hear what really happened until months or years later – if at all.)

Buncha dumbasses all the way around.

Obama will go down in history as the President who presided over the destruction of SS and Medicare. The only thing saving him is, ironically, the Republicans. I don’t think the Republicans want to touch SS or Medicare. Those folks make up a big chunk of their base. They need a Democratic President to give them cover and Obama seems more than willing.

They’re going after SS not because the trust fund is insolvent. Both parties are trying to find a way of not paying off the bonds SS holds. If the program has less expenses, the trust fund doesn’t need to cash in the bonds it holds. It a scam pure and simple and people are too dumb to see it. Anytime you hear the word “bipartisan” check where your wallet is.

Medicare is only a problem because of our insanely expensive medical system. Ever look at a hospital bill? It’s nuts. Besides the ridiculous charges, look how many Doctors that you didn’t see have charged you. The whole thing is a criminal enterprise. What needs reform is the medical system. Just because you have a medical degree doesn’t mean you’re entitled to be a millionaire. We pay twice what any other industrialized and we have 50MM uninsured.

Don’t get me started about Durbin. That clown was a key player in blocking filibuster reform. He needs a primary challenge. Then he’ll stop this bipartisan nonsense. Bipartisan in this congress means doing exactly what the Republicans want.

When asked about the fact that Social Security is solvent through 2037, what do these people say? What does Obama say? Do they simply ignore the question?

I can never get Dicks office in DC – but I will be at our local Democratic Committee meeting (excuse me while I bang my head) or what passes for a Democratic movement meeting. It is, in fact, just a ruse to keep those few in local office and pension and raises. You can bet on it – Seniors around here are beginning to get it. The sad part is we are all trapped in our homes, as no one is buying (at any price).

Dick needs to put his and his familial sacrifices on his senate page. If I am ever in an audience and he does his “we all have to make sacrifices” line, somebody give me a shoe.

A prime example of what is wrong with the Democratic Party. A contemptible, pusillanimous, craven pol – with no regard for the working class.

GOP and DIM political bullshit, like rust, it never sleeps.

I’m tired of these effing reruns, when do we force them to write a newer and better script for we the people?

I just hate this crap about SS. Yes, it is fully solvent. No need to do anything, not a damn thing.

I think Mr. Walker nails it, more than the title does.

This is pre emptive media grandstanding . . . foreshadowing yet another attempt down the line to ‘reform’ SS and who knows what ever other social services and needs we’ve paid for all our working lives.

*bastardsallofthem*

He’s just saying this to ease the scrutiny on those who are trying to screw us. Barry’s trip to the fascist state of Israel is also a good distraction.
I almost threw up listening to him today while getting the oil in my car changed. I had to walk outside to wait.

I think the sobs want to run another scam about the debt crisis so they can scare us into thinking we just have to do something to avoid a default. So how about a grand betrayal?

Pretty much.

Dick Durbin (D)- IL.

At least we get some honesty in labelling when it comes to the Senator from Illinois.

He is a dick.

‘Fraid that was my thought, as well.

somebody give me a shoe.

Preferably one that had just walked through the dog park. I’d suggest we mail shoes to all of them, but they don’t give a damn about what we think.

They’re going after SS not because the trust fund is insolvent. Both parties are trying to find a way of not paying off the bonds SS holds. If the program has less expenses, the trust fund doesn’t need to cash in the bonds it holds. It a scam pure and simple and people are too dumb to see it. Anytime you hear the word “bipartisan” check where your wallet is.

GREAT comment, this should be front paged, diaried and discussed, and spread far and wide thru out the country.

Short, simple, succinct. Well, maybe with some background on those bonds, how they were ‘borrowed against’ for the war machine, etc.

The trust fund represents a legal obligation of the federal government to program beneficiaries. The government has borrowed nearly $2.7 trillion as of 2011 from the trust fund and used the money for other purposes.

Sure It’s Wiki, But It’s A GOOD First Start For Beginners.

They TOOK our taxes we paid into SS and spent it on pork projects, war machine needs and more. N THEY (govt/corporate fascists) never ever intended to pay it back, but use the THEFT of that borrowing to KILL it.

And that movement by the corporate fascist 1% which includes ALL of our government regardless of political party affiliation is well undeway as we all know.

It’s taken a DIM Black President to do what NO GOP operative could do, to this movement this far in such a short time (one term under Obama).

Sick shit, indeed, for we the people.

Not true, we need the government to pay BACK that $2.7 TRILLION they took to fund war machines and pork projects . . . . with that money ON THE BOOKS for SS, it would remain untouchable for a LONG long time earning interest, etc.

Well, barring total collapse of this horrid corporate fascist empire, which I continue to suggest is not that far off, maybe even in our lifetime (thru 2035).

Fractured states, regional power struggles over water and other resources, WAR being conducted against/amongst former states for religious and racist and homophobic purposes.

Huh, ‘The Greater Commonwealth Of The Northern Californias’.

Just ONE regional division . . . looking at a map, one could daydream all KINDS of names for newly divided territorial lines . . . ;-)

‘The Nations of Snakes, Gators N Swamps’. They have a flag left over from the 1800′s I hear.

Someone here suggested that Obama is not concerned with his legacy.

Obama wants cutting SS to be his legacy, his “Nixon goes to China” moment.

I’m putting it on FB. You never can tell what will finally get through to someone….. Thanks!

Wait, that link goes to the Pete Peterson Foundation….?

It’s taken a DIM Black President to do what NO GOP operative could do, to this movement this far in such a short time (one term under Obama).

Dang, engrish . . . what I meant was it’s taken an OBAMA to generate this much movement in such a short time . . . LeSigh. Time to get outside and smell the fresh air and rains leftovers.

I just watched that, it’s going up on MY FB wall also. That was great!!!! Thanks so much!!!

Man, that is a great video.

I wish that would go viral. I think it has the potential to do so. It connects with both young and old I thinnk.

Thanks for posting that. Truly a great video.

If the Obama and the Democrats can’t Grand Bargain away the social safety net, they’ll try some other way until they get their way.

What am I missing here? That appears to be on a Pete Peterson website….

Yeah, I was wondering about that too.

I dunno, I couldn’t find anything wrong with it (I watched it twice).

But that is a great question.

Oh, read the very last line on the that page….

I’m guessing that explains it.

I think this video is an entry in some sort of contest.

Interesting, I paid NO attention to the linky, just watched it and copied and pasted to FB.

Oh well, so far, no harm or foul?

Ah, I see, thanks. But still, it is the opposite of the message he would want to broadcast. Did someone hack a site or something?

heh. Hope there’s a copy on youtube for when pgpf disqualifies it from the contest!

edit: contest main page http://imready.pgpf.org/

LOL!!

Edit: for marym @46 :)

Some of thos Iraqi traditions are well suited for us here in America. I thknk I’m gonna start a movement.

Peterson sock puppets put out the call for videos about the deficit and SSW responded by posting one of theirs!
I love their pluck and their humor.

TomThumb

Scrap the Cap!!

That is fabulous!! Good for them!

TT, you are consistently finding good SS info.

Scrap the Cap!!
Tobin Tax!

Huh? Not pay it back? Where did I say,that nonsense? It gets paid,back when it,gets paid out, no?

“Bipartisan” and “Balanced”. Balanced on the backs of those who can ill afford it. Bastards.

It is also available here in case Pete scrubs it.

There is also a petition to sign there to scrap the cap if anyone is insterested. I signed it and was number 2918. They’re trying to get 10,000 sigs.

Thank you! I just posted your link. Yes, I’ll sign.

And i should believe the dick this time, ooooooooooooooook.

Finally he wised up after being on the Bowles commission. As a person from Illinois I finally agree with him. He actually wrote me and agreed S. Security should be left out of any negations.

No, I’m talking about the money the govt has ‘borrowed’ from the trust fund and NOT paid back, money used to fund post 911 wars, etc.

THAT money, that STOLEN money, not paid back, is why there’s ANY discussion of a shortage of SS payouts now or ever.

Also to bluedot . . . I forget who or when borrowed money from the SS Trust Fund, but I vaguely recall some of it was during Reagan’s Reign.

I posted a link above from wiki regarding the amount ‘borrowed’ . . . I believe it financed a lot of things over a period of time and NONE of it has been paid back into the trust fund.

If it WAS paid back in by the government (Treasury that is, they just write a check and The Fed prints the money boom done deal no sweats) then there’d be NO scare about solvency.

But solvency is NOT the issue, the issue is that the corporate fascists and Wall St banks and trading houses want what’s LEFT in the SS Trust Fund stash to gamble with, be it for or against.

And to that end, they’d like to PRIVATIZE those funds so you and I and seniors now have our SS moneys tied to the stock market.

I don’t know about most OTHER seniors, but I lost 40% of my savings that was tied to the stock market (401k’s converted to IRA’s) while Wall Street was betting AGAINST my investments portfolio’s to lower their value so they could profit HUGELY from their hedge bets that it would all FAIL, which it did (housing bubble, bad mortgage debts rated AAA which tanked on defaults by mortgage owners when jobs were lost by the millions) . . .

N now, the 1% corporate fascists want what’s left of my SS/medicare contributions over my lifetime of work. They want to privatize my contributions, gamble with it, lose it all for me so I don’t GET any social services that I paid for all my life.

It’s simple, it’s wealth inequality, it’s the oldest game in history . . . older than the oldest profession . . . ;-)

Folks, if you really want to make it more difficult to stop the attempts at entitlement cuts then get behind what this book has to say. It provides a picture of the truth about the so-called debt-deficit crisis and also outlines what to do to end austerity politics. We have about 4 months to get “the village” talking about this. If we can succeed at that; we won’t have any “chained CPI” or Medicare cuts.

I don’t know about most OTHER seniors, but I lost 40% of my savings that was tied to the stock market (401k’s converted to IRA’s) while Wall Street was betting AGAINST my investments portfolio’s to lower their value so they could profit HUGELY from their hedge bets that it would all FAIL, which it did (housing bubble, bad mortgage debts rated AAA which tanked on defaults by mortgage owners when jobs were lost by the millions) . . .

Raising my hand. Not to mention the fees they charged us for providing the aforementioned “service”. Bastards.

Yesterday morning, per the WaPo, Ol’ Tricky Dick Durbin had already placed a new SocSec Commission in play. Yes, indeedydeed — Cat Food Commission III.

Great Dem move, eh?

Durbin to propose Social Security commission

Posted by Aaron Blake on March 20, 2013 at 11:10 am

Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin announced Wednesday morning that he will introduce a bipartisan bill to create a Social Security commission tasked with making the program solvent for the next 75 years.

Durbin made the announcement at a breakfast hosted by the Wall Street Journal, according to the Associated Press.

Durbin says the bill would require votes in the House and Senate on whatever the commission proposes.

Entitlement reform remains an elusive goal for Congress, with Republicans especially pushing for wholesale changes to the programs. While many Democrats remain resistant to such changes, President Obama has suggested that there is room for reform, and Durbin has been out front on the issue in the Senate.

Via DCBlogger at Corrente.

More Durbin goodies from The Hill article (one is a repeat of DSWright’s comment above). I should probably bookmark this article, as it encapsulates with Obama and the Corporatist Dems are all about.

Durbin said he is personally open to further privatization of Medicare as long a private insurers are forced to “play by the rules” that Medicare uses to lower costs

If Obama backs cuts to entitlements, Durbin believes enough Democrats would support the president to get a bill through Congress.

“If a president comes up with a reasonable approach which ends up giving years of solvency to Medicare. … I think that many Democrats will come around to that position,” he said. Obama’s imprint on the proposal would shield many members from grassroots anger, he said

Obama has repeatedly floated a change to the formula used to calculate entitlement benefits, called the chained consumer price index, as a possible cut. Liberal Democrats in the House and Senate have objected to the proposal.

“I think chained CPI is a real possibility, only if it [is] crafted in the right way,” Durbin said. The proposal would have to raise the minimum Social Security benefit to the poverty level, and provide the very old with a bump up in benefits, he said. (my emphasis)

Read more: http://thehill.com/blogs/on-the-money/budget/289219-durbin-sees-less-than-50-percent-chance-of-budget-deal#ixzz2OC6vAmmN

This is the Democratic Party on Corporatism.