I would like to hear your ideas on why my REPUBLICAN Senators oppose Chained CPI.

[caseymoz]

10. Damage the Democratic agenda?

It's not like Obama is standing for re-election again, and it's his name that's attached to this disaster. I think damage to the Democratic agenda will stop with him.

Republicans don't "like" Chained CPI for any other reason except it's offered as a deal for raising taxes. Since they aren't going to raise taxes under any circumstances, they might as well come out and say they're against Chained CPI rather than suffer political damage they can avoid. In other words, their opposition isn't real in any sense. It's a wise political posture.

No, I really think opposing Chained CPI is not going to damage any of that other stuff. What will truly damage the Democrats is if they vote for Chaines CPI. That would be damaging. You can expect rock bottom turnout from Democrats in 2014 if House Democrats embrace it.

Here's the best we can hope for: the current deadlock lock on the sequester breaks decisively against the Repubs in 2014. The cuts are undercutting too many of Republican supporters in the lower classes and the upper age group. Those voters are going to be a lot more open to voting Democratic. In the meantime, though, the Dems can't give away the store. Enacting CCPI will lose the dems more votes than they will gain.

I want to add though that Obama's offer seems like bullshit to me. Democrats in Congress aren't going for Chained CPI. Even if enough Repubs don't see it in their political interest to turn down Chained CPI, the dems in the Senate will certainly block it. So, Obama shouldn't really be the one negotiating now. That's up to the Dems in Congress.

So, I don't know what the hell he's doing.