The Fiscal Cliff Is a Lie

[NorthCarolina]

45. How do you convince an entire public that cuts to Social Security and Medicare are unavoidable

without a "fiscal cliff" boogeyman? We are witnessing a grand deception that has been been scripted in advance, and is now being played out in DC and by much of the media. Likely it will even include some posters here on DU who will be at the ready to reassure folks that the cuts are not so bad considering the "dire circumstances" that forced them upon us. Transparent kabuki to some of us, but for many folks it is sufficient and believable. I have a sister in law that used to talk about Soap Operas she watched regularly as if they were stories about a neighbor or family member. Some have difficulty in separating reality from fiction, and that is the bedrock of their plan.

"It is the president's position that when we're talking about a broad, balanced approach to dealing with our fiscal challenges, that that includes dealing with entitlements," White House press secretary Jay Carney said Tuesday, referring to the mammoth benefit programs.

Centrist Democrats in the Senate argue that fellow Democrats must be willing to consider cuts to Medicare and Medicaid:

"It has to be both – a significant revenue increase as well as spending cuts," said Sen. Max Baucus, D-Mont., chairman of the Senate Finance Committee.

Sen. Kent Conrad, D-N.D., who is retiring as chairman of the Senate Budget Committee, said rising health care costs in Medicare and Medicaid are helping to drive future spending, making them an essential part of a long-term deficit-reduction package.

"I've been part of every bipartisan group here. We've always put everything on the table," Conrad said. "If you're going to solve this problem, you're going to have to deal with where the spending is and the revenue can be raised."