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eridani

(51,907 posts)
Fri Jun 1, 2012, 03:36 AM Jun 2012

Pelosi will be going for austerity in the lame duck session

Tell her that this is NOT acceptable!

Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), House Democratic Leader
http://www.democraticleader.gov/contact
Office of the Democratic Leader
H-204, US Capitol
Washington, DC 20515
(202) 225-0100 - ph

Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL)
309 Hart Senate Bldg.
Washington, DC 20510
202-224-2152 - ph
202-228-0400 - fx

http://ourfuture.org/blog-entry/2012052230/december-surprise-rubin-pelosi-wall-street-dc-dems-are-pushing-post-election-a

On a recent Meet the Press face-off between Democrats and Republicans, a politician claimed we urgently need to cut government spending. He embraced a plan to slash vital government programs and gut retirement security, while actually cutting taxes for the rich. The only tax hikes in his plan were targeted toward the already-devastated middle class.

Then it was time for the Republican to speak.


Who'd have thought it? Progressive stalwarts like Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi and Sen. Dick Durbin are pushing the same radical austerity plan as Jamie Dimon, CEO of troubled megabank JPMorgan Chase, and Robert Rubin, the Clinton Treasury Secretary who represents everything that's broken about the Wall Street/Washington axis.

Pelosi's long been considered the House's liberal lion, and she's dedicated her career to public service. Rubin, on the other hand, used his time in office to deregulate Wall Street and loosen merger rules to allow the formation of Citigroup. Then he made a massive fortune working in Wall Street's deregulated environment as a senior executive for ... Citigroup.

Pelosi and Durbin, along with Rubin and Dimon, are pushing a misguided austerity plan that's being planned as a "December surprise" for the American people. Anybody who cares about our economic security - or the future of the Democratic Party, for that matter - should be trying to stop them.

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Pelosi will be going for austerity in the lame duck session (Original Post) eridani Jun 2012 OP
knr against any who support plans for austerity. nt. chknltl Jun 2012 #1
Yikes. BlueIris Jun 2012 #2
"even if we lose we will win the hearts of our enemies." Rick Santorum jtuck004 Jun 2012 #3
"Who'd have thought it?" deutsey Jun 2012 #4
Yeah... chervilant Jun 2012 #6
Same here. n/t AnotherMcIntosh Jun 2012 #10
Are they not listening to Paul Krugman at all? tclambert Jun 2012 #5
Ha! chervilant Jun 2012 #7
I'lll keep saying it until I turn blue (well maybe not that long) sendero Jun 2012 #8
Nothing's Shocking RandiFan1290 Jun 2012 #9
Good catch. n/t AnotherMcIntosh Jun 2012 #11
Subservient?!?!?!? Inuca Jun 2012 #26
My message to Ms. Pelosi: ProfessionalLeftist Jun 2012 #12
Thanks--ring changes on it and send it once a week eridani Jun 2012 #34
Pelosi sent me two emails just yesterday.. 99Forever Jun 2012 #13
I used to really like Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi.... bvar22 Jun 2012 #14
portrait of the bought-and-paid-for nashville_brook Jun 2012 #16
Unrec. This is election season. Why bash Democratic candidates? FSogol Jun 2012 #15
By all means, chervilant Jun 2012 #17
Anyone who didn't vote in 2010 or won't vote in 2012 is not a Democrat. FSogol Jun 2012 #19
how do you feel about people that vote, but don't vote the way you'd like them to vote? frylock Jun 2012 #27
It is their right to vote for whoever they want. Not up to me to dictate that. n/t FSogol Jun 2012 #30
Wow... chervilant Jun 2012 #31
"Our party is hemorrhaging members" - Completely disagree. n/t FSogol Jun 2012 #36
Really? chervilant Jun 2012 #38
Two words. Supreme Court. n/t eridani Jun 2012 #35
Now that, chervilant Jun 2012 #39
Rec, because if they want to push a fucking republican agenda Autumn Jun 2012 #20
Be honest. If you dislike Pelosi to this degree, then there is no living politician FSogol Jun 2012 #21
Try reading. I never said I didn't like her, because I do like her. Autumn Jun 2012 #22
+1 truebrit71 Jun 2012 #24
Thanks. I don't need to listen to anyone saying I have to accept Autumn Jun 2012 #25
it's ALWAYS an election year ffs.. frylock Jun 2012 #29
fuckin-A! frylock Jun 2012 #28
I remember the day when all Democrats had "high standards". But we let too many Repubs rhett o rick Jun 2012 #32
I have no further use for these people. kenny blankenship Jun 2012 #18
i don't judge politicians based on a blog. an opinion piece. spanone Jun 2012 #23
Meet the Press is a blog? eridani Jun 2012 #33
A blogger who is cherry-picking quotes and mentions "Meet the Press" doesn't FSogol Jun 2012 #37
Didn't notice any qualifying information that would change the meaning eridani Jun 2012 #42
So Simpson-Bowles is the new starting point for negotiations? pa28 Jun 2012 #40
Here comes the fiscal cliff, folks. girl gone mad Jun 2012 #41
 

jtuck004

(15,882 posts)
3. "even if we lose we will win the hearts of our enemies." Rick Santorum
Fri Jun 1, 2012, 05:52 AM
Jun 2012

I mean Joseph Goebbels.

I get those two confused.

tclambert

(11,087 posts)
5. Are they not listening to Paul Krugman at all?
Fri Jun 1, 2012, 06:37 AM
Jun 2012

The guy who's been right about everything? The guy who cites the history of when we did all this before? And what happened in 1937?

chervilant

(8,267 posts)
7. Ha!
Fri Jun 1, 2012, 06:41 AM
Jun 2012

They don't want to listen to Krugman! Nothing should stop their hedonism; nothing! The Amassing Wealth Juggernaut is much more important than the Hoi Polloi!

At this point, I wonder if social order will disintegrate as our global economy tanks...

sendero

(28,552 posts)
8. I'lll keep saying it until I turn blue (well maybe not that long)
Fri Jun 1, 2012, 07:05 AM
Jun 2012

Both parties are doing the bidding of the rich. You can slice it and dice it all you want, when it comes down to economic policy there is almost no difference between the Democrats (who never saw a banker they didn't like) and the Republicans (who never saw a banker they didn't like).

The Dodd-Frank (Democrats, yes?) bill is a JOKE that is going to do NOTHING WHATSOEVER to stop the next leg down of this bullshit. Obama and Clinton are defending Bain Capital. They all get their money from the same place and that is all that matters.

Inuca

(8,945 posts)
26. Subservient?!?!?!?
Fri Jun 1, 2012, 04:12 PM
Jun 2012

COmpletely silly! Is it the 2nd picture, the fact that she dared to smile when Bush was near, whatever the context? Ot you mean that Boehner will never walk that way with Obama (unless it is suddenly revealed that they are both gay)?

ProfessionalLeftist

(4,982 posts)
12. My message to Ms. Pelosi:
Fri Jun 1, 2012, 08:20 AM
Jun 2012
It is my understanding that yourself and Dick Durbin, along with various Republicans, plan to drop somewhat of what's being termed a "December surprise" on the American people in December 2012. That surprise will allegedly be a new austerity program to slash the budget by slashing social and retirement programs while raising taxes on the middle class.

Let me tell you - from an economist - why this is not acceptable - and why it will not work for America:

"an economy is *not* like an indebted family"

"So what happens if everyone simultaneously slashes spending in an attempt to pay down debt? The answer is that everyone’s income falls — my income falls because you’re spending less, and your income falls because I’m spending less. And, as our incomes plunge, our debt problem gets worse, not better.

This isn’t a new insight. The great American economist Irving Fisher explained it all the way back in 1933, summarizing what he called “debt deflation” with the pithy slogan “the more the debtors pay, the more they owe.” Recent events, above all the austerity death spiral in Europe, have dramatically illustrated the truth of Fisher’s insight.

And there’s a clear moral to this story: When the private sector is frantically trying to pay down debt, the public sector should do the opposite, spending when the private sector can’t or won’t. By all means, let’s balance our budget once the economy has recovered — but not now. The boom, not the slump, is the right time for austerity.

So the austerity drive in Britain isn’t really about debt and deficits at all; it’s about using deficit panic as an excuse to dismantle social programs. And this is, of course, exactly the same thing that has been happening in America."

--Paul Krugman - an ECONOMIST (not a corporate/Wall St. schmuck or a politician)

With all due respect, Ms. Pelosi, I strongly suggest we listen to economists on this and not those with political or profitmaking agendas.

Thank you for considering my message.


99Forever

(14,524 posts)
13. Pelosi sent me two emails just yesterday..
Fri Jun 1, 2012, 08:31 AM
Jun 2012

... hitting me up for donations. I prefer she and hers take the "austerity" high road. They get nothing from me, just like we get nothing from them.

bvar22

(39,909 posts)
14. I used to really like Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi....
Fri Jun 1, 2012, 09:01 AM
Jun 2012

...when she was the Liberal Congresswoman from the 8th District in California.

Then, in 2006, she parlayed her Congressional Seat into a Seat at the RICH MAN's Table,
got an extreme Face Lift that stretched her brain to The Right,
and she has NEVER looked back.

Paulson with Co-Conspirators

[font size=5]Now THIS is Bi-Partisanship!
Better get Used to It!
Hahahahahahahahaha![/font]




You will know them by their WORKS,
not by their excuses.
[font size=5 color=green]Solidarity99![/font][font size=2 color=green]
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------[/center]

chervilant

(8,267 posts)
17. By all means,
Fri Jun 1, 2012, 11:55 AM
Jun 2012

let's keep alive that 'vote for the lesser of two evils' meme. I have a plethora of friends who intend to skip the election, because "Obama and Romney are both digusting." When I hear this from my Democratic friends, I worry that too many Democrats nationwide will opt out of the upcoming election.

(If you have *ANY* suggestions for ways to encourage angry and disenfranchised Dems--I have tried everything I can think of--I'm listening...)

FSogol

(45,524 posts)
19. Anyone who didn't vote in 2010 or won't vote in 2012 is not a Democrat.
Fri Jun 1, 2012, 01:25 PM
Jun 2012

They are nothing more than malcontents that want to whine their both-parties-are-the-same mantra while being too lazy to get off their asses and make changes. If someone hates politics and doesn't want to vote, that's fine, but if they remove themselves from the process, they lose their right to whine and complain. My friends (and I have them across the political spectrum) all vote. I refuse to listen to the whining of those who don't vote. What was it that Hunter S. Thompson said? "I piss down their throats and don't care if they like it?"

chervilant

(8,267 posts)
31. Wow...
Fri Jun 1, 2012, 10:30 PM
Jun 2012

Not helping, FSogol. Our party is hemorrhaging members, and the Party Platform is disintegrating. Are we supposed to suck it up and pretend that everything is copacetic?

(I have to wonder if any of your friends are ducking out of the voting booth, but alleging they've done their civic duty...)

chervilant

(8,267 posts)
38. Really?
Sat Jun 2, 2012, 01:39 PM
Jun 2012

I have three personal acquaintances who've said they won't be supporting the Democratic Party any longer. They've made noises about skipping the election entirely.

Let's say, for argument's sake, that every other Democrat in the nation has only one friend who's disenchanted with Obama and/or the Democrats. Maybe, we should say every fifth Democrat? That's still a lot of people who are considering leaving the party, if they haven't already gone.

(Patriotism...the last refuge, and all that...)

chervilant

(8,267 posts)
39. Now that,
Sat Jun 2, 2012, 01:49 PM
Jun 2012

along with the electronic voting machines, is the reason why the election is merely a distraction--to keep the Hoi Polloi deluded into believing we still have an active voice in who will be our President.

Would that we could work together--regardless of party affiliation--to rescue this democracy. If we could harness all that anger and resentment and divisiveness, and channel it into action...a girl can dream.

Autumn

(45,120 posts)
20. Rec, because if they want to push a fucking republican agenda
Fri Jun 1, 2012, 01:55 PM
Jun 2012

they should be bashed and bashed good . fuck that shit.

FSogol

(45,524 posts)
21. Be honest. If you dislike Pelosi to this degree, then there is no living politician
Fri Jun 1, 2012, 01:58 PM
Jun 2012

that will meet your high standards.

Autumn

(45,120 posts)
22. Try reading. I never said I didn't like her, because I do like her.
Fri Jun 1, 2012, 02:56 PM
Jun 2012

But any Democrat who is going to push a fucking ignorant repuklican point of view is going to be "bashed", as you so quaintly call it by me. I don't give a shit if it's election season or not. A good idea for people like you, would be to maybe try to raise your standards. I have no intention of lowering mine. That's as honest as I can be.

Autumn

(45,120 posts)
25. Thanks. I don't need to listen to anyone saying I have to accept
Fri Jun 1, 2012, 04:06 PM
Jun 2012

someone pushing the republican values and platform and keep my mouth shut because it's an election year. That's one of the most stupidest, piss poor excuses they have. If Democratic leaders lose an election, it's on their heads for going along with the idiot pukes.

frylock

(34,825 posts)
29. it's ALWAYS an election year ffs..
Fri Jun 1, 2012, 06:27 PM
Jun 2012

some folks would like limit our critcism to about a 3-hour window sometime in late november. FTS.

 

rhett o rick

(55,981 posts)
32. I remember the day when all Democrats had "high standards". But we let too many Repubs
Sat Jun 2, 2012, 02:12 AM
Jun 2012

into our tent.

kenny blankenship

(15,689 posts)
18. I have no further use for these people.
Fri Jun 1, 2012, 11:59 AM
Jun 2012

When they aren't actively colluding and shielding the criminal class that wrecked our economy and pushed the middle class to the verge of poverty and the pushed the poor into a living hell, they are endorsing and reinforcing Reagan-Thatcher predator ideology.

Two Republican Parties is two too many.

FSogol

(45,524 posts)
37. A blogger who is cherry-picking quotes and mentions "Meet the Press" doesn't
Sat Jun 2, 2012, 07:35 AM
Jun 2012

make your link "Meet the Press" related.

In most Universes.

eridani

(51,907 posts)
42. Didn't notice any qualifying information that would change the meaning
Sun Jun 3, 2012, 03:48 AM
Jun 2012

--of pushing for austerity by Pelosi and Durbin. This is not the only article reporting this.

pa28

(6,145 posts)
40. So Simpson-Bowles is the new starting point for negotiations?
Sat Jun 2, 2012, 05:06 PM
Jun 2012

Now both deficit reduction plans on the table contain massive tax cuts for the wealthiest. I treasure these moments of bi-partisan agreement.

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