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Subscribe to RSSHouse Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., said Tuesday that she backs President Barack Obama's newest proposal to avert the fiscal cliff, defying some progressive Democrats who object to an included cost-of-living calculation that could effectively cut entitlement benefits to Social Security recipients.
Rep. Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., shares her thoughts the mass shooting in Newtown and the fiscal cliff negotiations on Capitol Hill.
Asked by NBC's Andrea Mitchell if she believes she can rally enough Democratic support to pass the White House's plan, Pelosi responded "Yes, I do."
"I believe the president has demonstrated great leadership in what he put forth," she said, arguing that the White House plan would help avert the cliff, create consumer confidence and avoid a credit rating downgrade.
Pelosi pushed back on progressive opponents of one compromise measure that would modify the way cost-of-living increases are calculated to determine Society Security payments. While some in the Democratic Party say that the change -- called "chained CPI" -- would effectively cut Social Security payments, the minority leader said Tuesday that the effects on poor recipients would be minimal once all of the specifics of the deal are worked out.
"The details of this are not all ironed out, but they all mitigate for helping the poorest and neediest in our society, whether they are [Supplemental Security Income] recipients, whether they're 80 and older, or whether they're truly needy," she said.
But, she added, she would join some of those progressive Democrats in opposing an increase in the Medicare eligibility age.
Kevin Lamarque / Reuters
U.S. House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi speaks to reporters in the Capitol in Washington December 13, 2012.
Pelosi also came out against House Speaker John Boehner's "Plan B" proposal earlier Tuesday to push a standalone measure that would address tax rates for earners under $1 million.
"Plan B, I would call it 'Plan Befuddled," she said of Boehner's suggestion, adding that the measure cannot pass both houses of Congress.
'It's a tactic, but it's not a serious proposal," she said.
Republicans have pointed out that Pelosi herself suggested in May that tax rates should be maintained for all earners under $1 million, the same threshold that Boehner offered today.
Pelosi said Tuesday that her own proposal was in part a way to "smoke out" the opposition in getting Republicans to agree to at least some rate hikes, a move that they have now made in -- Pelosi argues -- a victory for the president.
"I'm glad he's taking up some of my suggestions," she said of Boehner. 'My next suggestion would be to put something on the table - as we were suggesting then to smoke out the Republicans - at what level would you raise the rates on the wealthiest people in this country? Not 'would you raise them at a million dollars?' That was the point of that exercise."
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Obama won and has the mandate. Why is he acting like the wimpy cowardly scarecrow? Why the lack of backbone?
He has been bought by Wall Street.
Look at the democrats anti-middle class record:
Gutting Welfare,
Billions for Bankers,
No Help for Workers,
No Help for Foreclosure Victims,
Republican Healthcare Plan,
More attacks on Civil Liberties,
Afgan Surge,
No Prosecution of Wall Street Bankers,
Drone attacks on Civilians,
Support for Iraq Invasion,
Libya Intervention,
Syria Intervention,
Wall Street Bankers in Administration,
No help for Black Unemployment,
No Jobs Program,
Gitmo still open,
NAFTA.
Now he is trying to set up an entitlement austerity trigger for the 2014 elections with his criminal Wall Street friends. Trying to rob the Left and force us to vote democratic against our own interests and earned benefits, so wealthy 1%ers can offshore my 40 years of paid-in premiums. Pelosi isn't getting this former democratic voter to go along with her cowardice. Cut Defense spending 3.7 trillion. They owe it from the Bush Wars. Remember YOU WON!
The real situation. Both capital parties are waging war on workers. One is openly against workers while the other masquerades they are for workers. Good Cop/Bad Cop metaphor. Obama's symbolic grand bargaining away of the New Deal and the great society was made in the Roosevelt room at the White House. This was done so the wealthy could savor and celebrate their purchase of worker benefits from democrats.
The plan they devised is two parts.
Part 1.
Claim a big victory for democrats by bargaining higher rates for the top 2%ers.
In 2013, means test Medicare from a benefit program to a poverty program like they did welfare. Follow that with means testing for Social Security until only benefits are paid at poverty levels.
Part 2.
Its a hollow victory, to deceive worker democrats, into thinking they won against the wealthy. However, its temporary, in the fall of 2013, after entitlement programs have been gutted; tax rate reform will bring the rates paid by the wealthy below today's 35% rate.
Its a diabolical evil betrayal and theft of one's hard work and planning. A deliberate planned austerity for workers, while wealthy people unworthy of the sacrifices made for them, unconscionably exploit the American Worker.
Can Pelosi and Obama be stopped in the House? Harry Reid as recently as three weeks ago said that Social Security was off the table in the year-end deficit talks.
Obama is NOT a progressive. He is a center-right corporate democrat.
Unfortunately the true democratic party died when the corporate democrats took control with Clinton. They have essentially become moderate republicans as that party descended into insanity.
With negotiation tactics like this, who needs the extreme right or left to thwart the search for common ground?
Social Security COLA increase for 2013 is 1.7%
Part B premium (paid to private insurance) increase for 2013 is 5%
At this rate, eventually Part B premium will be more than SS check.
Speaking usually from the "Right" Position... This looks like it is finally going somewhere. Both sides seem to be compromising......Hopefully they can get this done. Post after post I have called this President out on his lack of Leadership..... I think he is actually starting to Lead here....something that has sorely been missing for the past 4 years. Like I always say ...The Buck stops with the President! Good or Bad...
The Republican plan is working, protect the rich and make Obama own any pain caused on the poor. Congratulations Mr. President, your the new owner of Social Security cuts. Oh, and they aren't through with you either. How many other millstones are you going to let them hang around your neck? Sucker.
Stan, I really dont think Obama cares. People need to seprate the myth of Barrack Obama from the reality. Obama's behavior should have been expected. This is the same thing he did in 2008. He ran as a populist/progressive. One elected he swung to the right. He is just doing the same thing today.
In truth Obama, Pelosi, Boehner, and the rest of the political class couldn't care less about the average American. They have grown wealthy off of public service. Even if they experience financial trouble they never have to worry about their retirement. There is always an incredibly generous taxpayer supported retirement plan with guaranteed governemnt healthcare waiting for them.
Keep telling yourself that. Or did you honestly believe the we could address our fiscal cliffs on President Obama's reelection promises?
President Obama won the war of the Presidential Election, but his message didn't represent the reality of American politics.
Messaging is a dangerous thing. Even Ambassador Rice said, "...she had not meant to be misleading but was relaying intelligence that she had been provided."
American
transparency exceptualism disceptualismacceptualism.MJ....Nobody has stepped up and said they gave that intelligence to Amb Rice....nobody....How can you get Intelligence ...if the reports never existed?
mike-Pa
Of course not. The buck stops nowhere in our leadership today. And if our intelligence was that bad and/or slow, then we should get out of the business.
But as a citizen, did you believe Ambassador Rice's statement after what you saw, heard, and learned in the five days after the attack?
I never once believed it...Remember the President said it plain as day the next morning (or so he says) in the Rose Garden , it was a Terrorist Attack. Didnt he say that in the Debates? He is always sure to remind us ...He means what he says and says what he means.....I am sorry MJ ...I never believed this Administration at all on this tragedy. It was more important for him to win an Election than it was for him to tell the American People the truth about 4 Americans and how they died. How about you? What do you think?
Most senior citizens vote straight Republican.
Republicans ran on cutting Social Security and Medicare.
You get what you vote for, seniors!
leftis...
You are absolutely right! And instead of taxing the rich... how about the feds focus on stimulating JOBS and small business!!!!
As far as I'm concerned, our government is totally out of hand when it comes to spending, fighting wars, AND spying on their own people. They think they rule us, and they treat us as such instead of thinking of what a privilege it is to be a government servant. Now, we are their servants. What the heck is going on in this country??????? I am totally ashamed of the tyrannical empirical antagonizing bully this country has turned to be. It shouldn't surprise anyone when we end up fighting a war in this country. It is coming. There is absolutely no doubt in my mind we are headed for a horrible war. You read it here first. And I can't tell you how sorry I am to be saying it.
I never once believed it... Remember The President said it plain as day..(so he says ) that it was a Terrorist Attack... Didnt he say that in the debates? ...And he was sure to remind us...He means what he says and says what he means...... I am sorry MJ...I never believed this Administration at all on this tragedy. It was more important for him to win an Election than it was to tell the American people the truth...How about you? What did you think?
I agree with you. The handling of the whole situation seemed to be geared towards damage control, rather than true leadership stepping up after a tragedy. And as an American, the smell associated with the handling of Benghaze was embarassing.
So much for transparency and American Exceptualism. We may have to go with American Acceptualism.
To all the mental democrap people out there who post on here, lets get a few FACTS straight:
1. Yes the idiot won rel-ection, but it didnor give him a mandidate to run everything & anything thru Congress like he did the first 2 years in office. Anybody remember the health care bill: o no one read it before they voted on it & now democraps want to stop the tax on medicial devices from going into affect. You voted for it, now own it! How about the stimulus bill, again no one read it, but all democrpas voted for it & it has done nothing to help jobs or unemployment.
Democraps still want to blame President Bush for everything. Listen up folks HE'S BEEN OUT OF OFFICE SINCE Jan 20th 2009! The current idiot-n-chief has added more to the national debit in 4 years than President Bush did in 8 years.
Do taxes need to go up. Yes across the board. And it's not 98% of Americans who loose out if taxes only go up on the top 2%. The bottome 48% of Americans PAY NO FEDERAL INCOME tax to begin with. And it's not a tax cut that you get if any bill is passed. All it would do is keep tax rates AT THE CURRENT LEVELs for middle Americans. A tax cut would actually have to involve the tax rate decreasing for you idiots. That what a tax cut means: A DECREASE IN THE TAX RATES! The rich already pay more than thier fair share. The top 10% of wage earners pay 70-80% of the Federal Income Taxes collected now. So, please stop calling it, you want them to pay their fair share, they already do. Just say you want them to pay more! And while at it, pay more yourself, you free loading idiots!
A perfect example of what passes for intelligence inside the right-wing media bubble!
Harbinger-2218646
And President Obama and Rep. Pelosi vowed to never touch those entitlements; and yet we have benefit reductions. Certainly that needed to be done, but the Democrats didn't have to "swear" otherwise.
What, are you new? Blah, blah, blah, vote for me, blah blah blah, thanks for your support, but we're changing the script. That is a bipartisan comment.
dave,
I would sure like to pay 14% tax rate on $20 million than 10% on 50,000, wouldn't you?
There is zero chance that Pelosi can keep all her lies straight...of course working with Obama and Reid keeping one's lies straight isn't a priority...
She needs to take up golf. President Obama's playing has improved his timing, trajectory control, spin control, and his ability to recover from any lie.
***
Raising taxes does not cut the deficit, raising taxes raises spending. Spending cuts reduces the deficit. Spending for Medicare, welfare, unemployment, food stamps and free cell phones must be cut.
***
General Motors will repurchase 200 million shares of its own stock currently held by the U.S. Treasury, with the White House announcing plans to sell off its remaining 300 million shares within the next 12 to 15 months.
The automaker will $27.50 for the shares it will acquire, a 7.9% premium over the $25.49 closing price on December 18, 2012 – but that is also a sharp discount from the $33 price set during GM’s initial public offering in November 2010. And it means taxpayers will lose billions on the sale.
Wonder how much of this money found its way into Obama, Pelosi and Reid's pocket...whoops I forgot Bush pocketed the bucks...
GM should pay a larger premium as it hasn't paid taxes on its "record profits" of billions.
I hate to say this but I agree with Pelosi, lets go off the cliff and start the sequestration also, don't approve any borrowing increase and lets let the government shut down all but essiential services. Perhaps people will relize that they can get by without all the BS governmental services and they will go away for good. (Most likely not but, one can always hope.)
Quit spending money that we don't have.
XBOX games don't kill people. This has nothing to do with video games, and everything to do with mental health. Oh wait, wrong article.
tax the trust fund accounts of the left wing OWS crowd sitting around on their kiesters at harvard/yale in their 20's. 30's & 40's at 80%-unearned income-force them to work in the fields like Mao did to the chinese bourgeoisie.
tax george soros (aka bearnie schwarts)at 90% hollywood idiots& sports morons at 95%
cut govt spending 25% and give Post Office 50/50 to FDX & UPS and have them make money for a change-no new gummint spending until 17 trillion debt is zero. the 1930's depression created the "greatest generation" time to go back to square one.
told you adam lanza was on psycho-tropic drugs. one of the liberal public school systems riddlin babies no doubt. go after the school shrinks and hollywood violence....not the 2nd amendments right to bear arms shall not be infringed. would be like messing with the libtards 1st amendment of separation of church and state.(ok as long as its the govt religion of secularism)
bring it on man, bring it all down man! lol and why not! this country needs tough love. is Nancy Pelosi still flying around in govt G-5's running up 100K bar tabs? ROFLMFAO
I'm still trying to figure out how cutting 1 trillion over 10 years is considered a huge accomplishment. We have a 1.3 trillion dollar a year deficit! this tax increase won't make a dent, these tiny spending cuts won't make a difference. Until we can combine revenue increases(whether it be tax increases or an increase do to an economic recovery) and spending cuts that equal 1.3 trillion a year we are doing nothing to help our problem. Its time to suck it up and make some real changes, they may be painful but well worthwhile in the long run
That's just it, the 'cuts' are meaningless. I doubt that they would even really materialize.
What we need is 20% cuts across the board in the first year just to prove that the feds are serious about cutting the deficit.
And any manager who can't find 20% in waste alone just isn't trying and needs to be fired.
The real tragedy in this entire story is the fact that Pelosi just admitted to playing games with our future. Regardless of your political bent, you have to be disgusted when you think that these sorry politicians are not worried about any of the repercussions of their actions. They become instant millionares once elected and then bought by the special interests and then are not beholden to you or me. Nope, only to the folks who are now paying their tabs. Disgusting!