John Nichols was a guest this morning on Madison radio station WTDY, and he did not hold back on describing the backlash President Obama will face after today's speech if, as I expect, it outlines cuts in Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security.
The podcast is here. Scroll down and look for "John Nichols - Obama Disappoints Again." You will not be disappointed.
Nichols begins by describing a conversation he had with a knowledgeable friend...
Years ago, a friend of mine who knew Barack Obama very, very well coming up in Chicago…Obama was at his house on a regular basis, they spent a lot of time together. And another friend of mine, everybody’s talking…”Tell me about Obama. What’s up with Barrack Obama? What’s the story there?”
And this guy says “Smartest guy in the room. He’s really, really bright, don’t ever doubt that. Super nice. Very pleasant with you , easy going. Good politician. Absolutely no core values. Doesn’t have anything he believes in except his own personal advancement….
“He actually believes that if he does well, then everything else will turn out well, so it’s not even totally immoral. He thinks he has good ideas.”
Nichols continues…
When you put that against the current moment…the great tragedy is not that he isn’t a liberal or is a liberal, or anything like that. The great tragedy is that in this moment, when it so very obvious how to play it, this guy has gotten into a very tight bubble in Washington and he doesn’t get it….
He does not understand the dynamic that is going on in America….
There is a simple choice. You either buy into the inside-the-beltway, Washington line that America’s broke, there’s no money for anything except for a third war in Libya or bailing out the next big bank. But no money for schools, no money for communities, no money for states, no money for health care, no money for transportation, no money for anything. And then you gotta cut, cut, cut.
Or you go with the people out in America who say they absolutely want to tax the wealthiest Americans, they want to hold corporations to account, they want to bring the troops home from these insane and pointless wars all over the world, then get the 100 million a day that goes to Libya, the 200 million a day that goes to Afghanistan, the 150 to 200 million a day that goes to Iraq…bring all that money home and start spending it here.
Nichols criticisms reflect what I've been feeling. I haven't seen or heard the President fight hard for anything in his first two years. He makes a little noise, then backs off. He doesn't fight from the gut.
Leaving Afghanistan and Iraq, stopping torture, closing Guantanamo, repeal of Bush tax cuts, health care reform...I'm trying to remember if he ever really pushed hard for any of those things. Health care was the closest, but there is nothing in that legislation that one can point to as a signature Obama victory. It's a big jumble of compromises, and I think the President likes it that way. He wants to be known as the Great Compromiser.
I have been working since I was 14. I'm now 51. If the President comes out and hints that Medicare and Social Security have to be "reformed", he has lost me. Honestly. I've been paying in for 37 years. I've kept up my part of the social contract, and if I have to watch the President I helped elect tear up that contract, I'm done with him. I'll probably vote for him again to keep the Paul Ryans out of the White House, but it will not be an enthusiastic vote.
Nichols has measured the pulse of America with 100% accuracy: America is not broke. End the wars, repeal the tax breaks, and invest in American infrastructure. Got it, Mr. President?
POST-SPEECH UPDATE:
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Indeed, to those in my own party, I say that if we truly believe in a progressive vision of our society, we have the obligation to prove that we can afford our commitments. If we believe that government can make a difference in people’s lives, we have the obligation to prove that it works – by making government smarter, leaner and more effective.
Another tongue-lashing for us evil progressives. Thanks, Mr. President. You look really moderate when you do that. Medicare, Social Security, and Pell grants only work if progressive can prove they are currently wasteful? This makes no sense.
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25% of the deficit reduction from increased taxes.
50% from spending cuts.
25% from savings on interest payments.
Remember, that's where he is starting his negotiations. Expect spending cuts to be much higher and tax increases to be much lower.
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I was looking for some clues about his core values (Yes, this is an example of confirmation bias, I know, but sometimes confirmation bias is accurate.) The thing he seems most passionate about is compromise. We have to find a way, we have to work together, we have to put aside our differences. America was built on compromise.
OK, but that doesn't put bread on the table.
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This is just convoluted doublespeak:
And if we’re wrong, and Medicare costs rise faster than we expect, this approach will give the independent commission the authority to make additional savings by further improving Medicare.
If you could "improve" Medicare and save money at the same time, why would you only do it if costs rise higher than expected? Why aren't you doing that now?