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Subscribe to RSSThe Washington Post front-pages, “President Obama is pressing congressional leaders to consider a far-reaching debt-reduction plan that would force Democrats to accept major changes to Social Security and Medicare in exchange for Republican support for fresh tax revenue… As part of his pitch, Obama is proposing significant reductions in Medicare spending and for the first time is offering to tackle the rising cost of Social Security, according to people in both parties with knowledge of the proposal. The move marks a major shift for the White House and could present a direct challenge to Democratic lawmakers who have vowed to protect health and retirement benefits from the assault on government spending.”
The New York Times adds, “The president’s renewed efforts follow what knowledgeable officials said was an overture from Mr. Boehner, who met secretly with Mr. Obama last weekend, to consider as much as $1 trillion in unspecified new revenues as part of an overhaul of tax laws in exchange for an agreement that made substantial spending cuts, including in such social programs as Medicare and Medicaid and Social Security — programs that had been off the table.”
“Republicans showed signs of flexibility to break a budget impasse yesterday, but the White House raised the ante - pushing for more deficit reduction and taking a pugnacious tone casting the GOP as defenders of corporate tax giveaways,” AP writes.
Business groups to Congress -- get it done. “Major business groups are urging lawmakers to reach a deal as soon as possible to raise the debt ceiling, reflecting fears that the country is drawing perilously close to default. The groups are gathering signatures for a letter that tells lawmakers and President Obama that the time has come to increase the debt ceiling. The document, which was obtained by The Hill, says defaulting on the nation’s debt would throw the stock market into ‘disarray.’”
Turning to yesterday’s Twitter town hall… “So much for 140 characters or less,” the Boston Globe writes. “A president, it seems, gets to respond to a tweet on his own terms.” Obama acknowledged that Twitter’s all about brevity: “I know, Twitter, I’m supposed to be short.” But, said White House Press Secretary Jay Carney: “He’s the leader of the free world. He decides how short his answers will be.”
The New York Times notes that Obama’s answers averaged 2,099 characters.
The Boston Globe reveals: “The elder Barack H. Obama, a sophomore at the University of Hawaii, had come under scrutiny by federal immigration officials who were concerned that he had more than one wife. When he was questioned by the school’s foreign student adviser, the 24-year-old Obama insisted that he had divorced his wife in his native Kenya. Although his new wife, Ann Dunham, was five months pregnant with their child - who would be called Barack Obama II - Obama declared that they intended to put their child up for adoption.”
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They can stop all aid to foreign countries ..close all bases outside the USA ..end the crusades ..and there will be enough money to fund Medicare & Social Security... Policing the globe is breaking us ..if i know this why doesn't the congress..If the congress was serious they could stop the funding all this foolishness !
Actually lifting the cap on ss and med taxes above 105k would work to... but that is considered raising taxes, and that is so vodoo... BS!
Cut in all and keep taxes where they are or lower them!
So lose revenue... for what sake? So the debt can be payed or balanced slower? And please don't say that the more money you give government the more they will spend. Such BS that is. Revenue is always needed, but you want to reduce revenue... I see you would be successful in a business. Taxes were higher in the 90's, gas was low, things were afordable to the average joe...
Tax, Baby Tax.
Need to watch C-Span in the mornings.......very good show called Washington Journal......no screaming, no talking over the other one and no hogging of time. When you actually listen to people we discover that getting this country under control financially is not that hard. The politicians have made it look that way but there are as many ways to do this. It comes down to who will pay for this mess......those same people, in all fairness, should and have the ability to pay for the "fix".......those Bush tax cuts alone added 1.3 trillion to an already overburdened budget.......plus the drug bill for Medicare, and two wars fought "off budget" meaning not paid for and you have enough money to make a huge difference. We can't do this in one year, but the Bush tax cuts alone over 12 years would take care of it, or in other words had they not occured we would be debt free by now. Clintons plan would have put us totally in the black by 2012...do you see now what happened?
Social Security can be kept solvent easily by raising the age limit without hurting anyone, now or in the future.
But I just read where Obama is giving the White House Staff raises up to 16 % ? I see a clear conflict with Obama's statement of " Shared Sacrifice by All " and giving Gov. employees raises that people in private industry other than top management increases like this.
Make no mistake that I reject the massive increases that CEOs and top management receive. The Boards of Directors should be squashing the ridiculous pay increases of top management .
But increasing the cost of the Gov. is a travesty. Our Gov. has grown faster than any other segment of our economy other than Food Stamps,, which is also Gov. spending.
It is quite clear that Obama is desparate to continue Gov. spending,, but his proposed Tax Increase will kill the economy and jobs. Once again , the Left's complete belief in Keynesian Theory is beyond understanding. At no time in history has Keynesian Theory ever worked.
Giving more money to Washington DC is theft . The US Government needs to be reduced by at least 25 % and the lifetime Health Care and Retirement Benefit packages eliminated. Why should anyone serve for 1 2 year term in the House,, not be re elected but receive a lifetime of benefits ? That is theft from all Tax payers.
Obama is way over his head economically but I do give him credit for moving to the Center,, but he really has no choice now. For the first time, he has to compromise and that is why Balanced Gov. and Bi Partisan solutions are the best actions Gov. is forced to make. Unlike Obama Care which is a disaster that will kill Private Economy and do nothing to stop the out of control costs of Health Care.
My hope is that the Supreme Court hears the Obama Care lawsuit in the near future and rules it UnConsitutional ,, and that Congress repeals and replaces Obama CAre with something resembling Paul Ryan's Plan. To date, Ryan has been dead on target with all his comments about spending, Obama care because he knows the Economics we face. Despite Obama's rude criticism of the Ryan Plan,, he now keeps moving in that direction .
This is NOT a Time for Politics ( ala Obama ) - this is time for Bi Partisan Economic Solutions . Whatever spending cuts are agreed on MUST BE REAL CUTS.. not like the last Debt Ceiling Debacle.
So what would be a "good" age for people to start drawing social security?! ...70...80...90? BS, the govt has taken from SS for entitlements from the 1960's. I can see lowering benefits/month, but raising the age requirement is just that..BS!
If cuts happen to social security I will have to either live in a tent or some cheap gypsy travel trailer. I see this will also ruin our hopes and chances to continue having a democratic president. I have always been behind Mr Obama, but if cuts happen to social security I will simply not vote for him this up coming election.
Social security should Not be on the table and Medicare the Oregon report prove without a shadow of doubt it is beneficial to the people who receive it and for those who don't have less heath, less income stability and less quality of life.
Leave SS and medicare, medicaid alone. We paid our dues and you need to keep your promise to us. Cut the real waste in government how come you have so much money to campaign with, and want to cut health benefits to the poor? You could offer some incentive to government workers to look for ways to find waste and eliminate it. We have been in a mode where government programs were over inflated, and most of the money as in charities went to administration cost and bureaucracy, the people that they were supposed to help got a pittance of that. RYAN`S PLAN SUCKS