(10 am. – promoted by ek hornbeck)
Adapted from Docudharma
The Jewish philosopher Rabbi Hillel asked, “If I am not for myself, then who will be for me? And if I am only for myself, then what am I? And if not now, when?”
With our social safety net, Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid, under attack from the plutocrats who run our government, we need to ask all our representatives these questions.
Former Senator Alan Simpson (R-UT)
I get so damn sick and tired of listening to the little guy, the vulnerable, the veteran – I am a veteran, and the seniors and this and this and this and the meanwhile this country is headed for second-class status while everybody just babbles into the vapor.
I think we are sick and tired of hearing from Mr. Simpson.
In this excellent article at AMERICAblog, our friend Gaius Publius, offers not just an explanation of why he believes Obama will try cut Social Security but action we need to take:
Action opportunity
Folks, this is not over. The campaign still has about a month to run. Obama can take this issue off the table any time he want to. And if he doesn’t want to do that voluntarily, you can help him. How? Ask him point-blank:
Are you planning any cuts to Social Security benefits? If so, which ones?
Or, if you want to go for more positive framing:
Mr. Obama, you’ve said you want to strengthen Social Security. The electorate is solidly behind you but they’re nervous about cuts. To reassure the public and clarify your differences with Romney-Ryan, will you promise to veto any bill that contains any cuts whatsoever to Social Security benefits, no matter what else the bill contains?
Journalists, you can ask either question any time you like – you don’t need permission. The public would love to hear the answer from the candidate’s mouth. You have column inches and access; that and boldness is all you need.
Readers, you too can ask these questions – you don’t need permission either. Can you get into an Obama event? Then go. Bring your friends. (And your cell-phone cameras.) Help Obama not sink the Democratic Party. Help Obama re-clarify his own position. Help Obama race from waffling language like the plague – which he will certainly do if asked these questions often enough in public enough places. With cameras.
You can also urge your senator to sign Senator Sanders letter (pdf) swearing not to support any cuts to Social Security as part of a deficit reduction package (pdf). The letter has 29 signatures and needs 41. This action is also urgent.
Debate moderators, you too can ask these questions – though I don’t know whether the terms of your contract with the campaign-controlled debate commission requires you to get permission or not. It’s certainly true that just like Romney, Obama must also list the program cuts he would make – including cuts to Social Security. Before the election. [..]
And that’s not nothing. Guarding the progressive frontier; if you’re a progressive, that’s the job. Joe Sudbay did it by himself, and so can you. Always remember, you don’t need permission to act.
Who will protect the vulnerable? We will.
2 comments
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but I think it’s clear that the Obama campaign will do everything they can to avoid answering the specific questions about the safety net, as evidenced by Axelrod’s push back last week.
The truth is that we know the answer already but the campaign and the hyperpartisans are doing everything they can to avoid the subject. We know that he will cut Social Security benefits. We know that the catfood commission is the “way forward” for this administration.
They are coming very close to outright lies about their intentions with vague weasel words.
And where is the pressure? After the election is over, pressure will not matter one bit. The time to pressure and extract promises about this is now.
Do the hyperpartisans have any line in the sand? The answer is an emphatic NO. This will destroy the Democratic party. The idiots are so worried about the poll numbers but do they not realize how much positive feedback there would be if the president pledged not to cut Social Security, to move his focus from the stupid greed-driven, purist free market driven austerity policies and to address the real emergency in this country?