Congresswoman Susan Davis, (D-San Diego)
Last night, President Obama agreed to a deal with top Republicans that is widely seen as a big victory for the Tea Party.
It has trillions in spending cuts that will hurt poor and middle-class families and no taxes on the rich. It also lines up Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid benefits for future cuts.
Nancy Pelosi said “none of us may be able to support it” — but many Democrats are making up their minds in the next few hours.
Can you call your Representative, Susan Davis, right now? Tell her to vote NO on this bad deal — Click here for her number and a script.
Here’s what folks are saying about this deal:
Rep. Emanuel Cleaver (D-Missouri, Black Caucus Chair): “This deal is a sugar-coated Satan sandwich. If you lift the bun, you will not like what you see.”
Paul Krugman, Nobel economist: “The deal itself…is a disaster, and not just for President Obama and his party. It will damage an already depressed economy…The worst thing you can do in these circumstances is slash government spending, since that will depress the economy even further.”
Robert Reich, former Labor Secretary: “Anyone who characterizes the deal…as a victory for the American people over partisanship understands neither economics nor politics. The deal…puts the nation’s most important safety nets and public investments on the chopping block…the largest threat to our democracy is the emergence of a radical right capable of getting most of the ransom it demands.”
Rep. Davis needs to hear from constituents right now. Click here for her number and a script.
The Progressive Change Campaign is organizing this.
P.S. Paul Krugman also points out that if this deal goes down, President Obama can do “legal maneuvering to sidestep the debt ceiling, using any of several options.” This includes the Constitution’s 14th Amendment, which allows the president to unilaterally pay our nation’s debts.
{ 12 comments… read them below or add one }
Where have all the democrats gone? Without revenue in the deal what are we to think? The one-sided nature of this deal is clear to a blind person.
Gee, it is sure clear now who was against any compromise, both the far left and the far right. Any of my representatives who votes against the plan after the last two weeks should pack their bags. President Obama has signed off on this deal and I expect his party to follow his lead or they will own the risk of default.
So Susan who will you follow? Will you follow our President or a failed Keynesian economist who produced no jobs. Will you end this crisis or vote for default?
RB – is this a compromise? Seems what passes for the ‘far left’ is the near middle. Really, think about it. The GOP – yes the GOP ran up hugh bills and shifted major wealth to their backers. So, in the words of John Dellinger, you go to where the money is – but these folks celebrate selfish greed and refuse to pony up. So we the people argue over the numbers – over theories of cost and who pays. In this grand debate do we see anyone standing up for what’s good for the country – for all the people, for our institutions and well being? In the end isn’t it about morality? Imagine a scene; a light snow is falling, a party can be seen through the obulant windows of the New York’s top restuarant. Tables are stacked high with food and drink. The help fight for the left overs but outside, dozens of starving faces watch; frozen in disbelief that they will be left to starve to death in the cold. It was the winter of 1872. The party thrown by Jay Gould cost $50,000 – profits from a campaign of lies and deception that laid waste to the stock market, but made Jay Gould and Dimond Jim millions. That winter in New York City thousands starved to death. Where’s the morality in the balance scale of numbers. Why is it in a nation that claims to be Christian that the human factor and compassion are left out of the equation? The GOP celebrate greed while the democrats sit in silence. They offer nothing in the way of leadership; to follow Obama is to follow the GOP.
“Imagine a scene; a light snow is falling, a party can be seen through the obulant windows of the New York’s top restuarant. Tables are stacked high with food and drink. The help fight for the left overs but outside, dozens of starving faces watch; frozen in disbelief that they will be left to starve to death in the cold.”
Sounds like one of those 2011 re-elect the President fund raising parties aimed at extracting $1 billion for his campaign. And I am sure Dellinger with his philosophy would be in congress, if alive today.
It is a cynical world – but worse yet, heartless.
JEC- it is way that utter heartlessness is “defended” that takes my breath away.
A compromise would have included at least SOME revenues in the deal. Democrats were not averse to cutbacks, but revenues must be included. They are not. This is no compromise. It is complete capitulation to the Tea Party.
There is only one side that was unwilling to compromise, and that is the Republicans.
First thing this morning I fired off an email urging the Congresswoman to vote ‘NO’ on the debt deal. I think I’ll make a phone call as well…….
When people talk about ‘cuts’ in this deal, they are speaking a language only understood in Washington DC. While we have not yet seen the bill, the reported ‘cuts’ are decreases in the future rates of increased spending, not ‘cuts’ in the current government budgets. Next years budget and spending will be larger than this years budget and spending.
What the President and Democrats got in this compromise is no decreases in current government spending. What the President and Democrats got in this deal is the biggest increase in the debt limit ever.
Does not this ‘deal’ actually kick it down the road? At this point the fight lays the foundation for what’s to come. I think most people understand that. RB, the budget is a disaster – has been since George W. threw away a surplus and destroyed a balanced budget. This is the price for his years. The Democrats got nothing, they gave everything – Bushes bankrupt tax cuts remain.
By the way, Susan Davis did the right thing…..and voted yes.
http://www.house.gov/susandavis/press2011/pr080111.shtml
There was a better alternative: Obama invoking the 14th Amendment. There is no doubt that this country needs to get control of its deficit and debt, but this bill was not the way to do it, and the “Super Congress” is destined to be a dismal failure.
Cut waste and inefficiencies out of Medicare, but do not cut benefits. Do the same with Medicaid, but don’t further burden those who are already being crushed by the times. By all means cut defense spending. And for God’s sake, PLEASE include a significant revenue element! It’s the only way to do this fairly and right.