You Mean It Might Not've Been Another One of Obama's Copouts?

[bmh4d0k3n]

Paul Krugman is a Political Rookie. Or How Barack Obama Left John Boehner Holding the Teabag, Again.

Monday, August 01, 2011 | Posted by Deaniac83 at 6:45 AM

Comments

[txvoodoo]

It's legit, and yes, the Medicare cuts are to providers. There's an argument to be made that those might trickle down, but it wn't necessarily happen, especially if they're cuts eliminating inefficiencies, which are rampant. I've been going over my mom's medicare statements and...yeahhhh.

[baked_goldfish]

Of course, Obama doesn't always seem too good at defending the things he's done right; maybe he's afraid of tipping off the Republicans

I've been thinking for a while now that it's more that he's decent at playing a long game and keeping his cards close. Remember how the new health care law will basically open Medicaid up to millions of middle class early retirees in 2014, and when people noticed that loophole - after the bill was signed - the administration was just like "lol u mad?"

"lol u mad?"

[evildevil]

I swear, is like he is playing mind games to a new level...

[homasse]

Y'know, I sincerely hope that's the case.

[ladypeyton]

I think I agree. I just wish he was better at managing the media coverage in the short run.

The fact that the next debt ceiling deal will have to be struck at the same exact time the Bush tax cuts are set to expire is actually brilliant. I just hope that our economy doesn't bottom out before that time.

[stevie_jane]

See, that's really clever (defense cuts are on the table, the main social safety net bits will be largely untouched) but the Dems still aren't shouting about it from the rooftops. Meanwhile the Republicans are pretending they got everything they wanted even though the TP fucksticks voted against the whole thing.

When those Bush Tax Cuts expire, it'll be golden.

Cuts fucking suck but if 50% are from Defense they could be workable.

[homasse]

I'm waiting for those tax cuts to expire. Frankly, I'm kind of shocked the Dems aren't touting that, because people WANT the rich to be taxed.

[bnmc2005]

LOL forever.

[crossfire]

You can do what I did: read the bill, not understand much of it, then go and read analysis articles. Granted this took a few hours, but I spread it out over a few days and I read a lot online anyway. I just swapped out a JavaScript or HTML 5 article for a budget article. No biggie.

[makemerun]

People keep saying Pell grants were "increased" but um, they just weren't cut. Isn't that the case?

Or is this a situation where they were set to go back down to a lower level, but that was stopped? Because everything I'm reading says they're staying at $5,500 a year, and Grad students are getting fucked.

And excuuuuse me if I'm not jumping up and down at this ~amazing political opportunity~ down the road to finally hold corporations responsible and whatnot, because I've been hearing the same BS since OHMAHGOD SUPERMAJORITY AND DEM PREZ and Repubs have called the shots the whole way (don't even talk to me about health reform, the public option was the fucking compromise from Universal, okay. The Republicans got a shitton more out of that deal than they should have.)

Every time Dems give Republicans a victory, they say WELL IT'S BECAUSE NEXT TIME IT'LL BE AWESOME and then they capitulate the next time. Over and over. So whatever. Not holding my breath.

[dafairyness]

Pretty much, regarding Pell grants. From what I understand they just opened the program up to more people, which means yaaaay money for more people, but it also means a lot less people are going to be maxing it out.

But I could be wrong. This whole business makes my head hurt.