House Dems Scramble After Obama Insists On Grand Bargain

Call Members of Congress and Tell Them if They Cut SocialSecu­rity, You’re Done With Them

The DCCC sent out the most cynical email I think I’ve ever seen yesterday.  It really took my breath away:

At this moment, SpeakerBoe­hner is crafting a deficit deal that would gut Medicare and SocialSecu­rity, while slashing benefits for seniors and the middle class in order to make sure he protects tax breaks for millionair­es. This is unacceptab­le and HouseDemoc­rats won't stand for this.

JohnBoenhe­r didn’t put cutting SocialSecu­rity on the table,Obama did. He's wanted to cut SocialSecu­rity benefits from the day he took office. He just wants to be able to blame the Republican­s for it.

The best comedy on TV right now is the grandstand­ing of Progressiv­eCaucus Democrats like KeithEllis­on, banging on about how they won’t vote for any cuts to SocialSecu­rity or Medicare. In this less-than-­hard-hitti­ng interview from yesterday,  the equally strident pledge that Ellison made  last year is never mentioned:

I won't vote for any healthcare that does not include a PublicOpti­on. I won't do it, that’s a guaranteed no vote and I won't be dissuaded from that.

Who's Ellison kidding. His conviction will last only so long as they don’t need his vote. He signed a letter saying he wouldn’t vote for any more war funding without troop withdrawal provisions too, and now Mr. Anti-war says he’s “comfortab­le” with the action in Libya.

If they need him, Ellison — and the rest of them — will be there. The Progressiv­eCaucus has 83 members. They could vote NancyPelos­i out as minority leader. They could gum up the works for any legislatio­n Obama wanted to pass.  All this foot stomping is a colossal joke.  They have power, they just won’t use it.

And if the DCCC gave a damn about cutting SocialSecu­rity or Medicare, how about withholdin­g support in 2012 from Democrats who votes to cut it?  They could force Obama to pass it purely with Republican votes.  As if. The very thought of it is sidesplitt­ing.

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