Getting Progressive Candidates on the Record Against Safety Net Cuts Getting Progressive Candidates on the Record Against Safety Net Cuts
Politico has a very interesting story this morning that gave voice to what a lot of progressives in Washington have been nervously worrying about: the possibility that a freshly re-elected President Obama could sell his base down the river only weeks after the election during fiscal cliff negotiations. (Liberals fear grand bargain betrayal if President Obama wins.) The concern is that he tried it before: Obama reportedly offered House Speaker John Boehner a deal during the debt ceiling negotiations that would have made all Bush tax cuts permanent while also raising $800 billion in additional tax revenue, and also cut both Medicare and Social Security benefits. Just last month, he told the Des Moines Register editorial board that “I am absolutely confident that we can get what is the equivalent of the grand bargain that essentially I’ve been offering to the Republicans for a very long time.” Optimists would point out that Obama has nevertheless taken a much more progressive approach since the dark days of the debt ceiling debacle. He released a debt plan last year that was much, much better than what he offered Boehner—it repealed Bush top tax rates and largely stayed away from safety net benefit cuts. But ultimately, Obama cannot implement a deal alone. He has to get members of his own party to vote for it in Congress—so regardless of the president’s disposition, there are many pressure points in Congress for progressives who want to keep Democrats from cutting the safety net. To that end, the Progressive Change Campaign Committee has been seeking out Democrats running in tough races and getting them on board with a no-cuts agenda, in exchange for valuable financial and logistical support. At least eight House candidates are receiving PCCC support, along with four Senators or Senate candidates: Sen. Sherrod Brown, Elizabeth Warren, Tammy Baldwin, and now Representative Shelley Berkley, whom PCCC endorsed on Monday. On a call with volunteers this week—joined, quite notably, by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid—Berkley re-stated her position on safety net cuts: “As far as Social Security, my opponent is on record as wanting to privatize Social Security. I am opposed to that. There is a reason that FDR passed Social Security in 1935. That’s because older Americans, after they retired, they had no income, no way to survive, and their life expectancy was cut short. Same thing with Medicare. There was a reason in 1965 that we passed Medicare. Older Americans were dying and it wasn’t of old age. They were dying for lack of healthcare. So now we’ve created Medicare, created Social Security, I am going to stand and fight for both of these programs. They are very important to seniors and future generations of seniors. I will promise you without fear of contradiction, I will do everything in my power to strengthen and protect Medicare and Social Security and it’s going to be a cold day in the middle of August in the Nevada desert before I do anything that’s going to harm those two essential programs.” PCCC has provided 433,000 volunteer calls in support of their Senate candidates and raised over $1.3 million for them. MoveOn and the AFL-CIO are also organizing around a progressive grand bargain push. This is all crucial, because a massive, $30 million “Fix the Debt” campaign, backed by Wall Street money, will be pushing hard from the other direction.
Nov 2, 2012 / George Zornick
Millennial Turnout Crucial to Obama’s Re-election Millennial Turnout Crucial to Obama’s Re-election
Obama will carry the youth vote, but turnout is key, especially among young Latino voters in swing states.
Nov 2, 2012 / Zoë Carpenter
The Political Narcissism of the New York Marathon The Political Narcissism of the New York Marathon
Insisting on holding a sporting event in the midst of disaster is a microcosm of everything that’s wrong with American politics.
Nov 2, 2012 / Michelle Dean
Win or Lose, What Should Progressives Do Next? Win or Lose, What Should Progressives Do Next?
Regardless of who wins the presidential election, progressives need to devise a strategy for building a majority.
Nov 2, 2012 / Jamelle Bouie
October Jobs Report: There’s Work to Be Done October Jobs Report: There’s Work to Be Done
The presidential election will determine if Americans want investment or austerity, and Obama needs to act on his mandate if he wins.
Nov 2, 2012 / George Zornick
How a Romney Presidency Would Devastate National Parks and Public Lands How a Romney Presidency Would Devastate National Parks and Public Lands
The Republican ticket’s reactionary conservation policies would sell off America’s “crown jewels.”
Nov 2, 2012 / Richard Kreitner
Attacks on Labor Put Unions on the Defensive in Election 2012 Attacks on Labor Put Unions on the Defensive in Election 2012
Democratic candidates haven’t always had labor’s back—but Republicans are intent on ending collective bargaining altogether.
Nov 2, 2012 / Josh Eidelson
Matt Romney’s Russia Trip, a Preview of Romney Family Crony Capitalism? Matt Romney’s Russia Trip, a Preview of Romney Family Crony Capitalism?
Matt Romney’s trip to Russia may not only undercut his father’s campaign rhetoric but also invite scrutiny of Romney family business interests.
Nov 2, 2012 / Lee Fang
Did Mitt Romney Break the Law by Failing to Disclose Delphi Investments? Did Mitt Romney Break the Law by Failing to Disclose Delphi Investments?
Romney had good reason not to tell the public about his investments—but he should have told regulators.
Nov 1, 2012 / George Zornick
A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Election A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Election
Due to the media's horserace coverage of the presidential election, most of what the polls capture is merely noise rather than real signals of changes in voter attitudes.
Nov 1, 2012 / Eric Alterman