Well now. Progressives to deliver +1 million petition signatures on Tuesday telling the President..

[JoePhilly]

13. Um, no.

I've listened to folks here on DU explain for 4 years how Obama is about to make a deal to cut social security. Started before the Simpson Bowles commission held its first meeting.

Every couple months, during any financial negotiation ... the hair-on-fire OPs start. "Obama is going to CAVE and make a deal to cut SS". And each time, I (and some others) say. "Its not going to happen." And it doesn't.

It was supposed to happen during both debt ceiling fights, both Bush tax cut battles, fiscal cliff. Did not happen. And won't happen.

There is no reason for Obama to withdraw the proposal. Politically, the petition is far more useful if he leaves the proposal in place.

The proposal puts Boehner in a box. He can't accept any deal with tax revenues in it. The GOP House can't pass a bill that includes them. Hell, if Boehner tries to accept the proposal even just verbally, the GOP House will try to replace him as speaker.

The other reason Boehner is in a box here is that accepting Obama's proposal would go against the GOP's ultimate goal of killing Social Security. Boehner can't agree to Obama's "reform" because if SS has been reformed, the GOP can't argue it needs to be re-reformed. Boehner can't accept a deal of any kind that does not destroy SS, and chained CPI would not do that.

Some Dems in blue areas will run as protectors of SS, others in reddish / purple areas will run on "we worked to find some compromise". And the GOP will have nothing to say at all.