CT Blue

Well, Obama is doing it for at least the third time in his presidency, though I’m sure I’m missing quite a few: proposing as an opening gambit a position that he should accept only as a last resort in any negotiation. Actually, what he’s now proposing, cuts to Social Security and Medicare, should be off limits, particularly in a time when banks are robbing us blind and corporations are sitting on piles of untaxed cash.

The politics of this is even worse. All Democrats can look forward to a 2014 campaign in which, should they show the slightest support for this, they will be accused of wanting to cut Social Security and Medicare, and, for once, Republican charges will be true.

But all is not lost.

We can’t necessarily count on the right to stop this out of Obama hatred. They may put it to a vote, as a trap and will then certainly run against the Democrats for voting to cut social security, should any of them vote for it. But progressives in Congress can stop the train before it departs by announcing their unalterable opposition to these cuts, by calling them cuts (thus undercutting the White House fallacious argument that they are merely adjustments to a formula) and saying they will not under any circumstances vote for them. That leaves the rest of the Democrats in Congress with a choice. They can back the cuts, and have to run on having done so, without even the solace of having been able to pass them, or they can run and hide. Republican attacks will be bolstered by the easily quoted statements of Democratic progressives. For once, this is a situation in which the Democratic left can call the shots, provided they can speak with one voice, or at least speak in harmony.

My bet is that Congressional Democrats will run and hide. Obama deserves to be left standing alone on this one. I for one am not impressed with the White House argument that this proposal to impoverish millions of Americans shows Obama’s courage and seriousness of purpose. If he wants to show those qualities, he should consider putting some bankers in jail and breaking up some too big to fail financial institutions.