Did you call yet? Call your senators, call your congress critter, call the White House.
The chained CPI. And yet, the Very Serious People are Very Serious about it”
On the news that President Obama’s budget indeed contains a highly unpopular proposal for Social Security cuts known as “chained CPI,” a new poll by the American Association of Retired Persons shows us exactly how unpopular it is.
The AARP reveals that 70 percent of voters age 50-plus oppose the use of the chained CPI to cut benefits, and two-thirds of them – including 60 percent of Republicans — say they would be “considerably less likely” to support a congressional candidate if he or she backed a new way of calculating consumer prices. And 84 percent of voters over 50 say Social Security has no place in budget-deficit discussions, since it is self-financed.
On every single question, Republicans lag only a point or two behind Democrats in their opposition to Social Security cuts.
Michael Lind explains why it’s such a bad deal on policy terms here. I’ve written about it many times, including here. The AARP opposes it on policy terms. Now its new survey shows how risky it is politically.
“The chained CPI reduction snowballs over time and would increase taxes for most taxpayers — at the same time that it cuts benefits for children, veterans, widows, retirees, and people with disabilities,” said AARP executive vice president Nancy LeaMond in a statement. “As this survey shows, older Americans oppose the chained CPI and they’ve historically made their opinions known to their elected officials.”
Just remember, a lot of the people who will make angry statements over the next few weeks are the same people who insisted they wouldn’t support the affordable care act without a public option. So time will tell who’s full of shit.
I would love to know what response people are getting from their Senators and Representatives, so if readers could post them in the comments in this or any other blog, it would be great.
My senators (Pretenda Dem – CO) are fully on board the austerity train.
Barry don’t care.
So who should I call?
Call anyway. The more people who call, the more nervous they get.
Democrat Ed Rendell said this last friday, “The Progressive Left of our Party must be run over.” He was responding to criticism comimg from the Left about Obama’s chained-CPI proposal. It’s guys like Rendell and the rest of the right wing of the Democratic Party who are going to get run over. They would be the Clinton faction of the Party which the Left is no longer being fooled by.
@ dcblogger: I have sent a couple of emails to each of my critters and called the senators’ offices. Basically i get back the canned response, i.e., “we’re so glad you’re involved with this issue. Our master is giving your concerns his extra-special attention and is working with others to achieve a bi-partisan solution to our long-term deficit and debt issues.”
Mark Udall tends to keep his head down on economic issues, as his real base is the People’s Republic of Boulder. Also, he’s more grounded on environmental policy. Bennett is particularly frustrating, as I supported him (definitely LOTE) in the last election. He seems to be on every “gang of 8” known to man, where he shows his total commitment to compromising with those who want to roll the New Deal back to the age of the robber barons. Jared Polis (who is really solid on social policy and good on foreign policy) is named in the “progressive” caucus (aka, the banana people) but is a DINO on economic policy.
And there you have it, the New, Blue Colorado line-up. Members of the Barro O fan club and pretty much on board with Pete Peterson’s agenda and making plans for their post-congress think-tank/foundation/university careers.
Profiles in courage.
Adams, always look for the Clinton connection. They want to become the new Kennedy dynasty. So every issue becomes political and is triangualted to its smallest part. Clinton rule #1 is “how does it help me?” Never mind how it hurts the American people. NAFTA, repeal of Glass-Steagall, ect.
Imhotep: Ya got tha Clintons. Ya got tha Bushies. Unlike the final four, or a real democracy, this is a game you can follow without a program. What could go wrong?
Watch for Barry to trump the Clintons by sneaking the TPP in under the radar (like a tree falling in the forest with no one to hear) while he campaigns earnestly, vociferously, and impotently for gun-control. Thus displacing the Clenis as Pete Peterson’s very, very favorite step-son.
The only good theater left is watching the Obots’ contortions as they attempt to rationalize Barry’s brutally honest and totally transparent Grand Sellout. And, of course, Hill’s shills as they roll the stone back from the tomb and joyfully proclaim the Saviour’s return. We’re saved!
Not.
The Young Ezra White House Conduit –aka, Young Ezra WH Con– appeared on The Brian Lehrer Show on WNCY this morning, and essentially said he agrees that SocSec and Medicare should be cut.
So, any indications that there was daylight between his Wonk blog writings and what Obama wants to do is, well, mostly the effect of his writing being too clever by half.
He spends some amount of time explaining that the Chained CPI is just a technical fix to make expenditures rise more slowly and thus cut the cost of SocSec, but he thinks it’s also being used because most of the public don’t understand it…which supposedly makes it easier for politicians to vote for it.
~~~~MAKE THOSE CALLS TO CONGRESS CRITTERS~~~~
Make sure those weasels know you know what they’re doing.
OK, back to Young Ezra: His appearance runs about 22 minutes; audio, but no transcript.