One of those who facilitates deals

He's actually to the LEFT of Obama.

Overall, for progressives, he's generally NOT been a target...

as far as I'm concerned. His voting record looks okay, but he'll sell out progressives and moderates in a heartbeat. I've written to him often about his "soft" politics and his "see, we're as bipartisan as we can be, just trust us!" bullshit a number of times. Not even a form response from him. We're not about being purists, but this man is not up to challenging Republicans. He's one of their soft targets in getting some bullshit going through the party's offensive line.

Medicare and Medicaid on the table? Looks like they've just been proven wrong.

What I recall is that people said Social Security is off the table, because it's not part of the budget.

It has always been understood that something would be done with Medicare, because it is in financial trouble. That's my recollection. But the AGE of eligibility should not be raised because that will leave seniors without health care.

That article says, "But Durbin ruled out raising the age of Medicare eligibility as a potential reform.

"We've got to make sure that there is seamless coverage of affordable health insurance for every American," Durbin said. "My concern about raising that Medicare retirement age is there will be gaps in coverage or coverage that's way too expensive for seniors to purchase."

Sounds like $#!T stirring to me.

Bad Dems, bad!!

There are obvious differences on social issues but both parties are corporatist pigs at heart. We need to face the fact that most of these guys are NOT on our side at all. At least the Republicans are straight about wanting to destroy us. It's clear execution with them and death by a thousand cuts with the Democrats.

We need a workers party. All we have now are Reagan style Republicans (minus the progressive caucus and Bernie Sanders) called Democrats and total fascists called Republicans. It's really depressing.

Watch what happens on the so-called fiscal cliff, we're going to get fucked, as always. We hold all the cards but we'll fold the hand.

say this again, they can't cut entitlements without hurting the poor and middle class. When it actually affect people, they will find out actually what Congress did. Nobody in that Congress depend on those entitlements because most of them are millionaires. The actual people that spend money are the poor and middle class because they need those benefits. You take away their spending power, then it will hurt the economy. What Congress will actually do is keep up the failed Policies of the Bush Administration but only double down on it.

The poor and middle class did not create the Deficit over the last twelve years. It was the Congress and Republican Administration created it. The failure for the Democrats, is they went along with it, just like the decision on Iraq. We have not raised taxes ever since Bush came into office. No spending was increased until the recession. On top of that we committed ourselves to two Wars under Bush. Not only this, we spent Billions of dollars shoring up security. That is where most of the current debt came from.

President Obama had to increase unemployment benefits because people lost jobs. He also had to increase food stamps to help these people. Those steps were needed. The stimulus bill helped the economy but it was not enough, contrary to the Republicans' claims. It only lasted one year too. Not one of these measures damaged the economy and made very little effects on the Deficit. What hurt the Deficit more, was continuing the Bush massive tax cuts and Obama doubling down on it with another tax cut for the middle class and poor to help them in troubling times.

So the logical step made by voters in the election was to approve President Obama's plans and not Mitt Romney's. Those steps are to end the Bush tax cuts for the wealthy. There is no proof over the last twelve years, the wealthy has created jobs with those tax cuts. Instead they created more wealth for themselves, even taking American businesses offshore. That is why the President told voters, that he wants to end this. He wants to give them incentives to produce more businesses in this country.

So what is so hard for them to understand that? It leaves you to believe most of them really do believe rape is not rape and science is Black magic. You create jobs in America, and you get a tax cut. What is so hard to understand? Spend your money, create jobs in the U.S. and you will get rewarded. That is the same performance philosophy you apply to teachers. The poor and middle class need jobs and money to spend, which will be good for your businesses. The more of them move upward, will decrease Government dependence. Hello rich people, there would be less people qualified for the food stamp program, you are sermonizing. Ending all those Wars will also bring down the deficit.

Spending money on education will also train your future employees. Building up schools and repairing roads will also benefit your businesses. Do these wealthy people even understand this or do they really believe Romney's math?

I've been a Socialist since my twenties. I've always been without a party to represent my core beliefs. I only vote for the dems because they're the lesser of the two evils....sometimes. When I read shit like this, I start to wonder.

"We need a workers party" Amen!

"But Durbin ruled out raising the age of Medicare eligibility as a potential reform.

"We've got to make sure that there is seamless coverage of affordable health insurance for every American," Durbin said. "My concern about raising that Medicare retirement age is there will be gaps in coverage or coverage that's way too expensive for seniors to purchase.""

It has been known for some time that something would be tweaked in Medicare, because it's in financial trouble.

I hate to see Medicaid cut...they don't get much, to begin with. And doesn't this interfere with the ACA which includes some Medicaid increases?

or the drug plan W Bush pushed through ...

I don't know the Medicare Drug plan, but here in Ontario, Ontario Drug Benefit is quite regulated...

The only way any seeming good is done in this country is if the right people's accounts grow and their profit centers power increased.

putting out your negotiating points and undermining them before negotiations even begin.

These idiots don't know how to bargain!

I repeat, we are not powerless.