Centrist Group Third Way Poll Uses Loaded Question: Lumps Social Security and Medicare
The Morning Plum: Left warns Dems not to cave on fiscal cliff
By Greg Sargent
So how far are Dems willing to go in making concessions on entitlements in the fiscal cliff talks? The general sense in liberal and labor circles is one of cautious optimism tempered by an awareness that a cave is always possible.
A coalition of unions SEIU, AFSCME, and the NEA has released new ads today pressuring Dems not to give in to GOP demands for deep spending cuts. The ads which target Dem senators Mark Udall, Michael Bennet, Claire McCaskill, Jim Webb, and Mark Warner in their states make the key point that the best way to reduce the deficit is to invest in job creation and grow the economy, and they demand that the senators protect Medicare, Medicaid and education. They insist that Dems continue to stand up for us, rather than cut programs that families rely on most.
This comes as some self-described centrist Democrats are already making noise about not necessarily supporting the Obama plan to raise taxes on the rich. And the centrist group Third Way, in a message intended to generate inside-the-Beltway chatter, released a new poll supposedly showing support for a bipartisan deficit deal.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/plum-line/post/the-morning-plum-left-warns-dems-not-to-cave-on-fiscal-cliff/2012/11/20/5eb5e59a-32ff-11e2-9cfa-e41bac906cc9_blog.html
Q.59 Some Say Social Security and Medicare are in financial trouble. In your view, do Social Security and Medicare have major financial problems, minor financial problems, or no financial problems?
Major Problems 53%
Minor Problems 36%
No Problems 6%
Don't Know 6%
http://content.thirdway.org/publications/617/Third_Way_Memo_-_Post-Election_Poll_Obama_Voters_Say_Lets_Make_a_Deal.pdf