Ok, I get it. The freshman all came in high on power, believing that they had a mandate to ruthlessly slash government spending. But how hard would it have been for Boehner to point out that they’d just won their seats because they’d convinced a bunch of elderly people that Obama was trying to kill them by destroying Medicare? Oh, and by the way, if they want to stay in office they’d need those elderly people to vote for them again?
Boehner’s freshmen are a handful, no doubt about it. But it’s his job to manage that and he made a mistake with this one. He allowed them to alienate seniors, the one group they desperately need to keep if they are to be competitive. He sets the agenda and he should have chosen something far less politically damaging to feed to his slavering freshman vultures. It shouldn’t be hard. They hate everything about government. They couldn’t find something other than the government’s most popular programs right out of the gate?
The article says they are trying to figure out how to save the situation. They clearly haven’t done so. Last week they forced Newt Gingrich to grovel and squirm for days for insulting their plan and former Tea Party dreamboat Scott Brown twisted himself into a pretzel finally deciding today that he wasn’t going to support it, writing:
“The sooner Congress addresses this, the less painful it is likely to be — but more difficult adjustments will be required if we delay,” he wrote. “We should start by making improvements to the traditional Medicare plan.”
(I can just hear Newt whining, “How come he gets to say that?”)This is a huge political problem for the GOP. It could fade if the Democrats allow them to take it off the table. (The Politico article says that Joe Biden’s bi-partisan group may do that, but it’s hard to see how they can unless Democrats are total fools. Oh wait ...) But there’s nobody to blame except for Boehner, Cantor and Paul Ryan for this mess. And I have a sneaking suspicion that they’ll pay for it with their jobs. The Democrats may be fools, but the Republicans are ruthless when their leadership fails them. Just ask Newtie. He knows all about it.
Boehner’s problem
This is all wishful thinking on the part of Digby and the others who think this way, I am sorry to say. They may not actually convert Medicare to vouchers, but they will be allowed to do something less, something still harmful. They will do it and some of them may not be re-elected but the Republicans will win and Obama and the Democrats will help them.
This voucher idea is 60 years old and has kept coming back, and they will not give up until they get what they want. I fear that they are just about ready to get it.
Anybody who is hoping that this will end in any kind of victory for the democrats or defeat for republican is going to be disappointed. I hope I’m wrong, but I don’t think I am.
Yup, Digby is being way too optimistic about both parties. They are on a roll — to attract as much funding from the Uberwealthy and Big Bidnesses as possible.
And whatever the Repubs do, Obama will be helping them, whining that they made him do the dirty just to save bits of Medicare. Just wait for the Big Speech about his next Big Cave (for what he wanted to accomplish anyway — what a conman)
Trying to destroy SocSec has been going on over 80 years, every since FDR proposed it. Gutting Medicare has been going on since JFK/LBJ proposed it.
The big change is that now the Dems are trying to destroy both. Along with Medicaid and other remnants of the social safety nets.
The problem with saying the Repubs conned the voters is that Obama and his ConservaDems are trying to do the same thing — and both parties are working against the interests of the majority of Americans. They know where the money is and where it’s conitinuing to be funneled — and that ain’t with us little people.
They do not work for us.
The biggest clue to how this is going to go down was the fact that the President had the opportunity to stop it cold months ago by telling the Deficit Commission that Social Security and Medicare are not part of the problem or the solution and that he would veto any bill that came to him that had anything of that kind in it. When he did not do that, he accepted in principle that there would be changes and cuts in Social Security that he was willing to negotiate and accept. The battle was lost at that point.
He is not on our side. He will not fight for what is important for the common people. He is an agent for the other side. He does not deserve my vote, no matter who else is on the ticket.
“unless Democrats are total fools” . . . well we know where this is going.
to think Democrats care one iota about anyone but themselves and getting their share of the loot the Republicans have been stealing, is pie in the sky dreaming.
Obama is the key to stealing Social Security and Medicare. just wait and see. with Democrats like Obama, Reid and Pelosi, who needs freshmen Republicans.
last Budget concessions were the tip of the iceberg.