President Barack Obama was very clear when he demanded Republicans stop playing games in the payment of the national debt (that the Republican Congress budgeted according to their constitutional duties) and with America's credit - which is protected by constitutional amendment:
"We're not going to play that game next year. If Congress in any way suggests they're going to tie up negotiations over debt ceiling votes and take us to the brink of default once again as part of a budget negotiation, I will not play that game."
John Boehner and Republicans are playing that game:
House Speaker John A. Boehner has offered to push any fight over the federal debt limit off for a year, a concession that would deprive Republicans of leverage in the budget battle but is breathing new life into stalled talks over the year-end "fiscal cliff."
Now it turns out Obama will play that game if Republicans are determined enough to let negotiations over The Fiscal Cliff of Doom© go into the new year.
This is the sound of Obama and Democrats caving in to Republicans on Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid in a sign of both bad policy and bad politics:
WASHINGTON, DC -- President Barack Obama has agreed to curtail future cost-of-living increases for recipients of Social Security and softened his demand for higher taxes at upper income levels as part of accelerating talks with House Speaker John Boehner to avoid a "fiscal cliff," people familiar with the talks said Monday.
Obama's willingness to reduce future cost-of-living increases in Social Security, government retirement and numerous other programs marked another clear a concession to Boehner.
Why are talks accelerating over this phony fiscal speed bump designed by Republicans?
Why is Obama giving concessions to rejected policies proposed by a vanquished party and its weak and threatened leader?
Why is the President playing a game of the debt limit that he said he would not play just days ago?
And why, once again, are the elderly, the poor and the sick going to have to pay for the 2 Wars and unnecessary tax cuts for Corporations, Billionaires and Millionaires that combined to give us this "unacceptable" national debt?
Never underestimate the lack of principle of the Democrats representing you in elected office.
I suggest you call all your reps right now to stop this political travesty. |