Dean Baker: "The Obama administration cannot be counted on to defend" social security

[Better Believe It]

The Obama Tax Deal: Giving the Hostage Takers More Hostages
By Dean Baker
December 10, 2010

As readers of this blog know, I was originally willing to support the package that President Obama negotiated with the Republicans. While I am not happy about giving tax breaks to rich people, President Obama extracted more concessions from the Republicans than I had expected in the form of extending unemployment insurance benefits, an expanded earned income tax credit, and most importantly a substantial reduction in the payroll tax.

However, after further thought and conversations with people around Washington (first and foremost, Nancy Altman, the co-director of Social Security Works), I have become convinced that this deal would be a disaster. Paul Krugman does a nice job laying out the limited benefits of the stimulus, but my greater concern is what happens to Social Security in this story. Effectively, this deal would give us a permanent two-percentage point reduction in the payroll tax in a Washington climate very hostile to Social Security.

The prospect of this tax cut being the basis for a renewed attack on Social Security could be dismissed if the program had defenders in high places, but this does not appear to be the case. Most of the Republicans would almost certainly like to privatize Social Security.

Unfortunately, the Obama administration cannot be counted on to defend the program either. In fact, top officials in the administration seem to view attacks on Social Security and its supporters as a way to prove their manhood. President Obama's decision to appoint two arch-enemies of Social Security to chair his Fiscal Responsibility commission certainly does not inspire confidence among supporters of Social Security.

Read the full article at:

http://tpmcafe.talkingpointsmemo.com/2010/12/10/the_obama_tax_deal_giving_the_hostage_takers_more/

[polichick]

1. Anyone who trusts this administration to defend social security is in complete denial. nt

[dennis4868]

3. denial of what?

Obama has only added social programs since he has been president....people enjoy looking for thins in order to attack Obama....time would be better spend going after the real villans.

[polichick]

5. All you have to know is who he chose to head up his debt commission...

...and that he's rubber-stamping a payroll tax holiday, something the right has wanted for years in order to undermine s.s.

[dennis4868]

2. This is all VERY speculative....

nothing that Obama has done is an attack on SS...

[redirish28]

7. I have to side with the article right now seeing what Obama has done lately

IF he does protect social security I will gladly eat my words. Right now I'm just expecting it to be gone by 2013

[leftstreet]

8. The article doesn't accuse him of attacking it. Questions whether he'll support it

If you read it through, that's the gist of it

[Beetwasher]

11. Yup, In Fact The Stuff That's NOT Speculative Is Obama's OWN WORDS Here:

http://www.usatoday.com/news/politics/election2008/2007-11-11-obama-social-security_N.htm

WASHINGTON (AP) — Democrat Barack Obama said Sunday that if elected he will push to increase the amount of income that currently is taxed to provide monthly Social Security benefits.

--snip--

This is the most likely place Obama is going with all this. He's going to push to raise or eliminate the cap and challenge the Repubs to put up or shut up. Let the REPUBS stake out the position FOR cuts, while he stakes out the position to eliminate the cap. In the end, they'll probably agree to raise the cap to a much higher level.

My speculation is more valid since I actually have the evidence of Obama's OWN words instead of fear mongering bullshit. But I don't expect the fear mongers to do anything except to continue to flout their boogey man.

[closeupready]

16. With all due respect, this is ridiculous.

He promised all sorts of things that he later DID THE OPPOSITE OF! Like, for example, a mandate. Closing Gitmo. They've also made no progress whatsoever on other promises.

If it were still early in his term, I'd maybe keep my mouth shut, but after everything we've seen of him, I'm afraid at this point I have to say that Baker is correct.

[Beetwasher]

17. No, What's Ridiculous Is The Bullshit Conspiracy Theories And Boogey Men

So NOW Obama is playing 23 dimensional chess to conspire with Republicans to cut SS???

So his WHOLE life up until the last two years was a sham so he could ultimately join ranks with the Repubs and cut SS. It's bullshit, idiotic conspiriatorial nonsense with no proof whatsoever. Yes, let's ignore his entire life working to help people and focus on a few cherry picked compromises. Ignore Elizabeth Warren. Ignore his suing BP. Ignore his veto of the Notary legislation. Ignore ignore ignore everything that doesn't fit the idiotic conspiracy theories.

It's fear mongering at its worst.

[Vinnie From Indy]

12. WTF do you call this tax deal?

Are you offering to readers of DU that you believe that the reduction in contributions to SS will be reinstated in two years?

America is truly becoming the land of the willfully ignorant and home of the brave.

Cheers!

[elleng]

19. HIGHLY speculative, and also highly un-productive,

except for those who really want to see a repug potus in '12 or have no idea how the system works, now that repugs are the 'intransigent' party.

[DirkGently]

23. What did he mean when he told NPR that SS and Medicare are the "spending" problems to address?

[WingDinger]

4. As is becoming all too clear, our champions are us. As it was intended.

Our complacency, and subordinance to dreams of saviours and champions, will not save us. It is up to us, as it always was. That is the lesson.

[angstlessk]

22. well 'US' cannot write legislation...we need either a revolution or people in congress

who are like us?

[FiveGoodMen]

24. Precisely

[Scurrilous]

6. K & R

:toast:

[TheWraith]

9. And some people will treat this froth-at-the-mouth nonsense seriously.

Like a populist Fox News, the internet lets anyone look like they're producing actual information instead of propaganda and hate.

[ProSense]

10. Is there any consistency? First

Baker was for the deal, now he's pushing the hyperbole of the day?

[Name removed]

13. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[polichick]

14. Good idea! The prez always signals what's coming next - this won't be a surprise. nt

[ProSense]

18. Dean Baker: In Defense of Giving Money to Rich People

Want to address the facts instead of making baseless accusations?

[Jamastiene]

21. Yup.

First they'll say it won't happen, then they'll defend the hell out of it when it does happen...time and time again. It's like a broken record at this point.

[TheCowsCameHome]

15. Such an easy target - big bad SS.

everyone's favorite villan.

We're screwn.

[w4rma]

25. Except it's not. It's an extremely popular program and anyone who attacks it gets burnt. Obama is

looking like toast to me.

[reformist2]

20. True or not, we are going to have to be vigilant for the next two years