Sanders Warns Obama Not to Agree With GOP on Social Security Benefit Cuts

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The report begins: "Sen. Bernie Sanders, the Independent from Vermont, is pressing President Obama to keep his campaign promise not to cut Social Security benefits in a possible deal with Republicans."

Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), 03/11/09. (photo: WDCpix)

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+24 # Michael G 2011-01-16 10:54

Odd isn't it that all the negative that the negative comments are snarky ad hominem rarher than on topic?

+37 # tomo 2011-01-16 11:17

Sanders does well to "fire a shot across the bow" of Obama's agenda. Never underestimate Obama's capacity for forsaking his announced principles. It's infinite. Obama announces principles simply to announce them. They have nothing to do with actual behavior. We may have had more malignant presidents than he, but we have never had a president more spineless. Capitulation on Social Security would fit perfectly with all his other sell-outs and capitulations.

+33 # Bob Cassidy 2011-01-16 12:15

Sen. Sanders, I wish we could get more visibility on things you say. Maybe you have to run as President to get media coverage.

+14 # AML 2011-01-16 14:59

Obama needs to have the courage Clinton did when the GOP tried this stunt. Once again he seems to be caving when he should stand firm.

+4 # rf 2011-01-17 04:28

Clinton was another money Democrat...a Dem in name only...can you say Blue Dog?

+23 # giraffe 2011-01-16 15:19

Reduce the deficit by stopping the killing machines (called War on Terror) in Afghanistan and Iraq) - for those dollars alone will save main street.

The governmnet is making those wars "privatized" by hiring more Blackwater, Haliburton, Kellog, etc. who are profitting. The warriors make little money and come home with physical/mental scars for life.,

Wake up America - before it's too late.

The Bush rhetoric of fighting for national security reasons was a BIG FAT LIE and the lie continues.

Sen. Sanders - get the few Congressional people who are on the side of Main Street to form a coalition = FOR THE PEOPLE. You have people like Anthony Weiner, and a few others who speak (as you do) for the government that spells democracy -- not for the BIG $$.

Our only chance is for you few to unite and go public, We the people will support you -- BELIEVE ME. We need your leadership (not alone but as a group)

+17 # futhark 2011-01-16 15:52

What Obama doesn't seem to understand is that when entering negotiations, one must take a hard-line on maintaining one's position and not yield to the opponent until well into the negotiating process and then only slightly and incrementally, always getting some concession from the other side. The Republic Party knows this, which is why it continues to dictate government policy with a legislative minority. From reliable reports, Barack Obama caved on the "public option" on medical insurance at the start of the negotiations, in the interest of "bi-partisanship". Well, he's got to realize that he wasn't voted into office by people who wanted a tepid bi-partison half Democrat Party, half Republic Party Administration.

+5 # rf 2011-01-17 04:32

Obama doesn't bargain...he is getting exactly what he wants to get...stop fooling yourself...he really is this conservative because he ALWAYS and Consistently gives in...no administration is that stupid...it is deliberate!

+3 # tomo 2011-01-17 10:37

rf: Well said! Millions of us observed Obama in 2008 over months and months. The man is not stupid. I think ALL Democrats and liberals and progressives should stop feeling sorry for the guy and realize he's in the game to take a dive. He's throwing the fight. He's a Trojan Horse. [The only extenuating circumstance I can think of that would keep this from being a total act of cynicism and betrayal is that he has somehow been given "an offer he cannot refuse." You know; something like: "You are in the cross-hairs!" or "We know where your children go to school." That kind of thing is becoming popular these days.]

+32 # Chuck Wilkerson 2011-01-16 16:06

I am a 72 y.o. Naval Veteran. All I exist on is my Social Security. Without it I would be out on the street. My Social Security deposit pays for our groceries for the month. Please defend Social Security from these rich and greedy GOP people, who feather their nests on the backs of the rest of we American citizens!!!!

+11 # Patricia Chang 2011-01-16 22:11

It never fails to fascinate me how the people ranting on and on about destroying Social Security are people who do not depend on it. For the most part, they are wealthy, greedy and callous. Most are Republicans. Only the most gullible and foolish will listen to them. As for Obama, he is joined at the hip with Wall Street, and always has been. He sold us a load of snake-oil and will keep on selling it. He is an elitist and a corporatist. Scratch the top layer off of any of his major reforms, and you will find appeasement to the Fat Cats. He chose the Dog Food Commission; and did so as a back-up to his duplicity. He feels himself far above the average person; and I doubt that he has any genuine empathy. Look at how he has handled the foreclosure crisis. His main concern is the real estate business and the banks. He has done little of substance to help those who are losing their homes; and even those who have been swindled!!! The Far Right Republican Party offers no choices whatsoever for intelligent, compassionate citizens. Unfortunately, there is no choice from the Democrats, either.

+3 # tomo 2011-01-17 14:50

Well said, Patricia! "Obama is joined at the hip with Wall Street." It was such a slick sell, I was slow to see what was going on. We actually had two REPUBLICAN candidates running against each other in 2008--and it looks like we picked the one who was less honest and further to the right.

+4 # Lee Black 2011-01-17 08:43

Are you all writing YOUR senators and President Obama?

+7 # Todd Williams 2011-01-17 09:35

I love the comments by "Sunshine Connie." Another Tea Party Genius? And how about that "Dennisk?" I wonder about that person's IQ. Bernie Sanders is a very intelligent person, a true liberal, and a real gentleman to boot. How dare the Tea Party- type crackpots malign a true American patriot. Hey, nothing shocks me anymore. I am truly disgusted.

+9 # amye 2011-01-17 11:19

Folks, lets all remember that the Social Security fund is completely paid for by employees and their employers! There is no government financial support for SS! The Federal government just acts like the bank taking in the payroll taxes and then paying them out when you retire! Sure, the government does establish the rules and laws that govern SS, and administers it, but thats it! Its already paid for!

+1 # ER444 2011-01-18 00:56

And guess what??? It works !! How about a single payer system based on the same principles. That would save billions and help millions. And then change the law so that people who earn over $250,000 a year pay social security on the total amount like every other citizen. Social security would be set for years. The last change... rescind the Bush tax breaks for the richest 1% of the country. The Tea Party is screaming about the possibility of having to raise the debt ceiling, how about increasing revenues ??? Is that so hard to understand ?? Where is the problem ???

+3 # sfrider 2011-01-17 11:37

It's time to wake up, America: Excess regressive Social Security payroll taxes have been helping to fund non-Social Security expenditures of the Federal government for the past 20 years. In doing so, they have enabled under-collection of general revenue taxes, including those upper bracket income taxes, to the tune of $2.5 trillion. The alleged $2.5 trillion balance in the Social Security Trust Funds does nothing to assure the future viability of Social Security because it consists entirely of IOUs from the US Treasury that must be paid back from general revenues if and when needed to pay benefits. In fact, it is worse than nothing because by enabling past and current under-collection of general revenues it has essentially doubled the pain that will be perceived in the future when those general taxes will need to be raised not only to cover contemporaneous expenses of the Federal government but also pay back what has been borrowed from Social Security. The Reagan adjustments to payroll taxes, legislated in 1983, were a Trojan horse, and the longer the fallacy is maintained the greater the damage to the future of the Social Security system.

0 # Anarchist 23 2011-01-20 11:53

I have been voting since 1968-40 years as of the last general election. At this moment in time, I really think-what´s the effing point?

At least I have another country lined up!

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