Happened to Sen. Dick Durbin, who’s spouting all the right-wing talking points on Social Security? Couldn’t possibly stop spending all that money on bombs, could we, Dick?
And this wouldn’t have anything to do with you acting as a White House surrogate, would it? Of course not!
UPDATE: Dean Baker responds.
11 dimensional kabuki!
Durbin has acted as times as a spokesperson for actual liberal Democratic Wing of the Democratic Party positions, but he then tends to vote to support Obama. He’s probably given up the ghost of liberalism to try to get “his president” reelected.
Don’t expect any help from Dick Durbin. He does not work for us.
Yeah, Durbin giving in to the darkside is sad. He is concerned about the 22% falling off a cliff in 2037 unless we “do something”.
Tell you what, Dick. Let’s take that 22% day of reckoning in 2037 for Social Security. What do you think the Dow and the S & P are going to be in 2037? If their losses are limited to 22% on the downside from where they are now, I’ll be astonished. What do you suppose oil production is going to be then? If production is limited to a 22% loss on the downside, I’ll be astounded.
You want to do something important as a U.S. Senator? Try figuring out where the jobs are coming from in 2037. Try figuring out what means other than fossil fuels we’re going to be using for energy in 2037.
And forget some big circle jerk when it comes to screwing around with Social Security.
Thank you, Russ — Yes, JOBS, Sen. Durbin, JOBS is where the “fix” for SocSec and a myriad of other problems is to be found. And you’re doing…what???? Obana’s doing…what?????
Neither of you deserve to be leaders of the Democratic Party, at least it used to be.
BTW, amazingly, Dean Baker is on The Diane Rehm Show’s first hour today, part of large panel discussing the debate over raising the debt ceiling:
Blockquote>David Smick — global macroeconomic advisor, founder and editor of The International Economy magazine and author of The World Is Curved: Hidden Dangers to the Global Economy
John Harwood — chief Washington correspondent for CNBC; reporter, “The New York Times;” coauthor with Jerry Seib of “Pennsylvania Avenue, Profiles in Backroom Power”
Dean Baker — co-director of the Center for Economic and Policy Research and author of “False Profits: Recovering from the Bubble Economy”
John Feehery — president of of Communications and Director of Government Affairs for Quinn Gillespie Communications, and a former congressional staffer for Bob Michel, Tom DeLay, and Denny Hastert
Mary Miller — assistant Treasury Secretary for Financial Markets
I didn’t hear all of it, but the audio is available now at the link and the transcript will be up soon-ish, definitely by Thursday.
John Feehery (pronounced “fury” as in the Greek Furies), as befits a former aide to DeLay, was absolutely rightwad crazy, using rightwing talking points every time he spoke. He stated that Boehner and Reid have learned they can work together as long as they keep Pelosi out of the conversation, since Pelosi tends to bring the liberal viewpoint to the talks…. The guy just may have spoken one accurate assessment there.
Anyway, it was hard to tell all the speakers apart, just dipping in and out, so I look forward to the transcript.