Sucks to be us. Obama caved. And the Social Security theft is already being sold as a way to pay for the Rich Boy tax cuts (h/t Digby, who has a great article up). Bloomberg:
Lawmakers may embrace plans by President Barack Obama’s debt commission to curb the costs of Social Security and $1 trillion in tax breaks even as comprehensive deficit reduction hinges on whether both parties seek confrontation or accommodation.
Gee, who’da thought? (Sucker.)
Note this list of names, from Digby. Suspects all:
This view about Social Security is backed up by Peter Orszag, recently departed from the administration (and reportedly headed to Citi), Dick Durbin, the president’s proxy in the Senate, ex-labor leader Andy Stern along with numbers of Democratic Senators, signaling that Social Security really is on the menu.
Orszag is a known quantity, a made man. But Durbin and Stern still have some cred. Watch them carefully, especially Durbin. He’ll be re-burnishing lib-cred shortly. Don’t be dazzled.
You knew this was a war, didn’t you? Gird up; it’s (sadly) the times we were born to. Others have had it this bad; it just bad luck. When the Romans marched in, everything changed, and no one got a vote on it. Sucks to be us, but hey.
Note of hope — watch the House. If they have to re-vote on what the Senate vomits up, things could get interesting. Got a local “Democrat” representative? Sharpen those quills (politely, of course) and write.
GP
UPDATE: Cave confirmed. Sam Stein of Huff Post is on Countdown now (hosted by the intelligent Sam Seder) calling the deal a “capitulation.”
UPDATE 2: Conyers is opposed, and Sanders (via The Ed Show) may filibuster. One can only hope.
