Social Security and Medicare cuts threatened again

Signing of the Social Security Act.

It's my understanding that Ronald Reagan was the first to use the term "entitlements" in reference to Social Security and Medicare. Since then political leaders have chosen to use "entitlements" to cover their suggestions to gut programs to aid the poor and the elderly. Well, yes, Democrats toss the term around as well, including President Obama. Guess what? Those "entitlements" are on the precipice again as Congress considers a new budget.

In response to Zach Carter at the Huffington Post, yes, it's legitimate for the public to worry whether the Democrats will cave on Social Security and Medicare:

WASHINGTON -- Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) on Sunday opened the door to Social Security cuts as part of a budget deal with congressional Republicans. But Durbin pushed back against GOP calls for entitlement cuts as the negotiating price to curb or extinguish the economically damaging sequester cuts.
"If this is the bargain that the Republicans are now pushing for, that we have to cut Medicare to avoid cuts at the Department of Defense, they need to take a step back," Durbin said on "Fox News Sunday."
Congress is currently negotiating a new budget, with a December deadline. The talks were mandated by last week's deal to raise the debt ceiling and end the government shutdown. 

Also speaking on "Fox News Sunday," Sen. Roy Blunt (R-Mo.) explicitly offered up trading some of the short-term cuts mandated by the Budget Control Act, known as the sequester, for long-term Social Security and Medicare cuts. He argued that Republicans had the tactical advantage on such an exchange.

"If you're in a divided government and you're arguing against the law, you're at a disadvantage," Blunt said, noting the failed GOP effort to defund Obamacare that resulted in a government shutdown. "The Budget Control Act is the only thing we've found that actually controls spending."

Blunt said that if Democrats aren't willing to negotiate over "entitlement savings versus some additional spending," to ease the sequester, then Democrats will have to live with the sequester cuts.

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What’s This? Obama Has A ‘My Pet Goat’ Moment Before He Even Takes Office?

Photo credits: AP

Over at RealClearPolitics, Steve Chapman describes Obama’s “My Pet Goat” moment last Thursday in his response to Pat Fitzgerald’s review of the Blagojevich saga concerning the Illinois governor’s attempts to sell a U.S. senate seat to the highest bidder.

Comparing the reactions of Blagojevich’s fellow Illinois Democrats to Obama’s response to the latest indictment of a high-ranking public official in the Land of Lincoln, Chapman says Obama failed to rise to the occasion:

“The reaction from fellow Illinois Democrats was swift and severe. Lt. Gov. Pat Quinn demanded that the governor step aside. U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin urged the legislature to call a special election to fill the Senate seat. Atty. Gen. Lisa Madigan proposed to ask the Supreme Court to disqualify the governor from carrying out his duties.

‘“But Obama had a ‘My Pet Goat’ moment, freezing up in the face of the shock. ‘I don't think it would be appropriate for me to comment on the issue at this time,’ he said. ‘It's a sad day for Illinois.’ You'd have thought the Bears had failed to make the playoffs.

‘“That was the first day. The second day he was only slightly less tepid, with his office issuing a statement saying, ‘The president-elect agrees with Lt. Gov. Quinn that under the current circumstances it is difficult for the governor to effectively do his job and serve the people of Illinois.’

‘“Would it be ‘difficult’ for Blagojevich to serve the people? Yes, kind of like it was ‘difficult’ for the Titanic to continue its voyage. Understatement is one thing. What Obama exhibited was more like lockjaw.”’

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