if he thinks that those of us barely staying alive can give more. He is the problem.

In the election, most Americans said we're done taking sucker punches from the Nordquist righties. I wish Plouffe would work on the prosecuting people profiting from their public office issue. Certainly this MUST be illegal. Then work on prosecuting the bank mob. Then maybe the right would finally give up their ambitions to drown the government. It ain't going to happen in time otherwise in order to save the rest of us from the poorhouse. Ed is great as ever. Obama, wake up.

He is not standing for what Democrats SHOULD stand for, and it is bound to influence them.

when Medicare and Medicaid reach the spending that defense does then he might be correct
I would think that when you spend over 50% of expenditures on military that is what is driving the deficit

for continuing to give them money and votes.

for I am not an idiot

And please tell me how you would change it ...........

but if you continue to vote for the same choices, and expect different results, it's one or the other. I'll take your word that you're not an idiot

I said OK, but then you're probably insane. One of the underlying themes to the camapign was, "Rmoney's going to cut SS, I'm not". It is now clear to see that that was a lie. I was fooled. I am done being fooled. If the president wants to cut SS and Medicare benefits, he can proceed without my support. I wish him well. I am done being played as an idiot

Especially since Repukes are never ACTUALLY going to remove abortion rights? What else is left to differentiate the Repukes from the Dems in DC?

that's all we need to know.

Sorry but these people are crooked, crooked, CROOKED.

as a % of GDP is 25% lower than in 2009.

As long as the USA retains its own currency, it's doubtful the country could ever go broke.
Other countries and some of their citizens are lining up to buy our t-bonds even though they yeild next to nothing.

This jerk sounds like he's angling for a job at the Heritage Foundation or Stanford's Hoover Inst.

If he's a Democrat why on earth would any wage earner want to be a Democrat.

One of the biggest reasons we are in such a financial bind is TAX CUTS. Republican economics says when you don't have enough money coming in to pay the bills, the only acceptable response is to take in even less money.

This may be the dumbest fucking thing ever come up with by the mind of man, and in a rational world anyone who came up with this theory would be wrapped in duct tape and dropped off a bridge.

The logical solution to fix the budget crisis is to bring in more money by getting rid of some of these tax cuts (my recommendation is to go back to the Kemp-Roth rates, which must be good because they were signed by Reagan), but the Right won't accept that.

Here's how you recognize a rich Republican: given the choice of paying $1 in increased taxes or $10 to entities outside the government, they will gladly shell out the $10.

If you create a job you get to deduct or depreciate salary, training expenses and equipment.

Therefore, if you want jobs to be created in vast numbers, raise the corporate rate to 45%.

Obama is doublecrossing seniors. There is plenty of waste in the military budget to pay for Medicare and Medicaid.

The waste is in the military, not in the programs for seniors.

We paid our taxes when we were working. We have adopted healthy lifestyles that prolong our lives -- as recommended by our government. We can't get jobs even when we try because age exacts a toll no matter how much exercise you do, no matter how healthy your eating habits.

We paid our taxes. Does Exxon pay its? We paid at the high tax rates the rich now refuse to pay.

Go back to the tax rates of the Clinton era (which we paid) and cut the military budget.

And if that doesn't work, find a way to tax imports from other countries to pay for social programs here.

We reached the point of diminishing returns with our defense budget long ago. It's time to get some balance in this country.

Many of us seniors worked hard to get Obama elected. If he isn't there for us, we won't be there for him in 2014. It's as simple as that.

now. There was no doubt in my mind that Obama was doublecrossing seniors, I firmly believe the payback from everyone, including all Parties, will be far greater than any of us can imagine. David Ploufe is a fascist and a traitor.

President cutting back on programs that people have paid into all of their lives, I mean how would that be fair?

I need to stop talking about this stuff for a day,maybe two. Have a nice Christmas. When things get bad and it is a definite that Obama is betraying us, this place will come alive and those that were duped the most will be the angriest.

The military certainly needs trimming but there is a point between having a strong defense for America and destroying that safety net...

as for the social safety nets there are so many things that can be done to preserve the benefits that people have earned, paid for and have certain rights to.

I suggest a medicare and Social Security bill of rights.

Next, I suggest that the President and Congress get a handle on the out of control healthcare costs, costs are the driving factor... I was disappointed with the healthcare reform because it did not address doctors and hospitals pay scales sooner or later those costs have to be factored in the out of control costs of medicine addressed should all for the programs to continue.

talking about is that if Obama cuts entitlements, the Republicans will go against him in force, physical force. The Democrats will send emails and text messages and maybe parade around a park with some garish signs. But that's it. It will be a coming together of the Parties to a certain extent. I am waiting. I think it will happen later this week or in January. I will be putting as much money as I can in fighting the cuts to entitlements as will many of my neighbors. We will be ready.

on the other side and I used to defend this crap but I just can't anymore. I hope Obama doesn't try and make any cuts to social safety net programs and if he were to try, I would hope that Democrats would stand up to him, I already know the right will try and force him to cut those programs so they will be onboard most likely.

a week or so ago.

You paid in you deserve the insurance benefits that you get it is a political non-starter to argue against that.

I paid my way, as did many others. I only ask for a return, or a refund, plus interest on my 40 year investment.

I actually wrote to Social Security and said I would take .25 cents on the dollar for everything I had paid in and they said to suggest it to Congress.

Come on, Congress collects a retirement and health care benefit with only one term in office. Why should I take less than Romney on my investment?

1. The fact of having a right to something.
2. The amount to which a person has a right.

That's the definition of the noun 'entitlement'. So when you say you want a return on your investment, and state that you paid for it, that means you are entitled to it. You are saying you are entitled to a return with interest on what you paid in. You are saying you have an entitlement.
Did someone tell you that is a bad word, or that it means something else? What did you think it meant?

invested, like any other stockholder, in my future, and yours. Please, bury this term entitlement.

can shove his cuts to Medicaid and Medicare up rich ass. If we can't get some real Democrats calling the shots why bother with the whole charade of democracy. Tax the rich, cut the f-ing war machine.

taxing the rich part....

I hope they did not blindly accept his talking points.

The Democratic leadership tearing away the safety net will insure that they don't regain control of the House in 2014 and probably result in the repukes taking over the Senate as well.

It is very disturbing when I hear Democrats buy into the Republican framing--

>>> Republican "sacrifice" = We ask rich people to pay a little more

>>> Democratic sacrifice = Impose more cuts in addition to the trillion already imposed on the poor and middle class in the president's first tem

Both Parties Sacrifice by asking the millionaires and billionaires who donate to their campaigns to pay more. (Democrats shouldn't be denied that sacrifice just because Republicans have allowed the Koch Brothers to inflame and fund an activist fringe of their party that primaried-out their most experienced and more moderate legislators.)

Plouffe should be smart enough to frame things much better, more in keeping with the election victory.

Republican sacrifice =
(1) Approve a $700 billion jobs program to reinforce our infrastructure and green our power grids in keeping with the magnitude of climate change we have seen, even though putting people back to work will improve the economy and make the Democratic administration look good.
(2) Agree to cut the military budget by 35%, with a serious cost benefit analysis of the privatization of military services versus returning to pre-Dick Cheney days of doing more in-house.

Democratic sacrifice =
(1) Dare to remind Republicans of the big cuts already made to programs that help the poor and middle class. Remind them that that round of austerity did not improve our economy. It was only the little bit of stimulus the president was allowed that helped us.
(2) Propose a tiny transaction tax on Wall Street trading, even though Democratic legislators depend on their campaign contributions too.
(3) Gather the courage to propose a constitutional amendment that corporations are not people.
(4) Democrats could accept smaller scale spending, and cuts to the military, but that still buys into the Republican framing that they are the fiscally responsible party when they have already proven how reckless they are by running up deficits while their administrations are in power, and then railing against them when they lose the presidency.
(5) Give up playing along with Republicans on raising the debt ceiling being a meaningful dispute.
(6) Dare to remind Republicans that Democratic Ideas Won, even though media pundits may call you peevish and want to pretend that austerity is the way to go. A majority of people voted for the president because he promised not to impose austerity and trumpeted his stimulus programs. The pundits know austerity has not worked and they have the information to understand that government spending is a good investment in our economy. We need to stop pretending.

Plouffe IS smart enough to frame things better, so I believe it was part of the party's talking points. And yes, it is disturbing.

I just hope there are enough of us to push to preserve, strengthen and extend our social and ecological safety nets.