Obama's Latest Demagoguery (tags)
Obama
Leaked TPP Trade Bill Healthcare Annex (tags)
trade
Congressional Budget Deal Betrayal (tags)
class war
Labor Needs to Recalibrate and Fight (tags)
While the U.S. media has been obsessed with the in-fighting between Democrats and Republicans, as well as the recent government shutdown and the global/domestic ramifications of a possible government default, little attention has been paid to a looming disaster confronting working people: Obama is again threatening to cut “entitlement” programs, meaning Social Security and Medicare.
Obamacare Rips Off Americans (tags)
Obamacare
SF Labor: Calls on Labor Movement to Mobilize in Washington, D.C. August 24 (tags)
In Support of the SCLC and King Center call for a March and Rally in Washington, DC on August 24, 2013 and in Support of the July 2 Northern California Demonstration to Demand a Massive Federally Funded Jobs-Creation Program and No Cuts to Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid
class war
Obama's Neoliberal Budget (tags)
class war
Obama's War on Social America (tags)
injustice
Who Will Save Social Security and Medicare? (tags)
Before Social Security and Medicare existed, the elderly were either completely dependent on their children or were left to beg in the streets. These programs thus remain sacred to the vast majority of Americans. They allow the elderly dignity and independence instead of poverty and insecurity.
Obama’s Still Shopping for a Grand Bargain (tags)
President Obama’s recent closed-door sessions with Republican congressmen to reach a “grand bargain” has roused suspiciously little attention in the mainstream media. What scant reporting has occurred presents the following narrative: President Obama is a “middle ground” politician attempting to breach political divides with erstwhile Republican opponents. In reality these meetings are not between political opposites, but kindred spirits; perfectly matched ideologies that differ only in implementation, and only by degrees.
Paul Ryan's At It Again (tags)
class war
Austerity USA Begins March 1st (tags)
U.S. politicians have cried wolf over austerity long enough for the public to ignore them. A perfect time, then, for politicians to actually unleash the wolves. Barring an unlikely last minute deal, here’s a short list of some of the massive, national bi-partisan-created austerity cuts, according to the New York Times.
What the 1% Heard During Obama’s State of the Union Speech (tags)
When President Obama speaks, most Americans hear what he wants them to hear: lofty rhetoric and a “progressive” vision. But just below the surface the president has a subtly-delivered message for the 1%, whose ears prick up when their buzzwords are mentioned. Obama’s state of the union address was such a speech — a pro-corporate agenda packaged with chocolate covered rhetoric for the masses, easy to swallow, but deadly poisonous.
Obama’s Shakedown of Medicare (tags)
In a political era of corporate dominance it was inevitable that doublespeak would become the official language of Washington, DC. Now “cuts” to social programs are referred to as “savings,” while the destruction of these programs is “reform.” This is the essence of President Obama’s doublespeakish “Race to the Top” public education “reform,” as well as his yet-to-be-announced deficit plan based on Medicare “savings.”
Obama
New York Times Wages War on Medicare and Social Security (tags)
class war
Fiscal Cliff Doublespeak Duplicity (tags)
class war
Labor’s Call to Action: The Grand Bargain Betrayal (tags)
The labor movement is in terminal crisis. After decades of declining membership, the union movement has been targeted for destruction: private sector union membership is near eradication, and now the corporations are on a public-sector mopping up mission, using the city, state, and federal budget deficits as an excuse to target public sector unions. Obama’s Race to the Top education policy specifically targets the nation’s most powerful union workers, the teachers.
Will Unions Fight Fiscal Cliff Cuts to Medicare and Social Security? (tags)
With pro-Obama election posters still visible in most union halls across the country, the President has already taken steps towards selling out not only labor unions (again) but all working people. But this isn’t the “ordinary” sellout that working people have come to expect from Democrats — this is an attack of historic proportions.
Will the Democrats Tax the Rich to Avoid the Fiscal Cliff? (tags)
Literally the day after the election a sudden “urgency” gripped the nation: the imminent danger of the so-called “fiscal cliff” — the national automatic tax increases and spending cuts due in January. The media screamed that the suddenly approaching fiscal cliff would trigger a recession, forcing Democrats and Republicans to consider a “grand bargain” budget deal to avoid disaster.
BTL:Romney-Ryan: The GOP's Ticket to Slashing The Nation's Social Safety Net (tags)
Interview with Dean Baker, co-director of the Center for Economic and Policy Research, conducted by Scott Harris
How President Obama Created (tags)
Paul Ryan is suddenly a household name after becoming Mitt Romney’s vice presidential running mate. Before that, Ryan had only become right-wing leadership material in the last year, based on his proposed national budget that hacks away at the core of many national social programs, including Medicare.
Paul Ryan's Socially Destructive Agenda (tags)
class war
Medicare Privatization Plans (tags)
Medicare
Bipartisan Deal to Slash Medicare and Medicaid (tags)
class war
Coming: Big Austerity Cuts (tags)
class war
Supercommittee Strikes Out (tags)
debt crisis
Call Your Senator at 1-866-251-4044 to Save Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid (tags)
We the 99% are outraged that the 1%, represented by mostly their fellow 1% members, the US Congress, are considering, through their Super Committee, to cut Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid. You can stop it now by calling 1-866-251-4044 where you will be connected to your US Senators. For more information, see strengthensocialsecurity.org
Billionaires for Bush are back? (tags)
Dressed in tuxedos and top hats, members of Billionaires for Wealthcare piled out a sleek black Cadillac Escalade to "thank" Schweikert for supporting the wealthy and even attempted to give him a present during the meeting.
Debt Ceiling Debate Charade Masks Planned Entitlement Cuts (tags)
criminal plan
Video: Senate Stops Medicare Disaster (tags)
In a floor speech shortly before Wednesday's Senate vote, Sen. Bernie Sanders focused on the impact on Medicare. "It would end Medicare as we know it by giving senior citizens inadequate vouchers..."
Republicans Win Without a Shutdown (tags)
The first fight over the federal budget in 2011 is over, and the Republicans have won. For at least the past 30 years Republican ideas — that government is bad, that the private sector is always more efficient than the public sector, that wages and benefits need to be cut to make America's workers "competitive" with the rest of the world, and government spending needs to be cut even if it risks turning the current recession into a full-fledged depression — have ruled. Progressives need to understand the depth of the Republicans’ triumph in order to begin the task of reversing it.
"We will not abandon our committment to Social Security" (tags)
"This is my vision for America-a vision where we live within our means while still investing in our future; where everyone makes sacrifices but no one bears all the burden; where we provide a basic measure of security for our citizens and we provide rising opportunity for our children.."
Republican Plan to End, Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid (tags)
ending vital rights
On the Chopping Block: Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid (tags)
cutting entitlements
BTL:Deficit Commission Co-Chairs Propose Deep Cuts to Social Security Benefits (tags)
BETWEEN THE LINES - A four-time winner of the Connecticut Associated Press Broadcast Award for Best Feature in the non-commercial category, this syndicated, half-hour program provides a platform for individuals and spokespersons from progressive organizations generally ignored or marginalized by the mainstream media. Between the Lines covers a wide range of political, economic and social topics.
Obama Team's Deficit Cutting Proposal: Benefit the Few, Harm the Many (tags)
Obama's Robin Hood economics
Democrats Continue Assault on Senior Citizens (tags)
Despite numbers showing how once Democratic senior citizens voted Republican in the elections, Democrats Propose Yet Another Idea to Alienate Senior Citizen voters.
Coming Soon: Corporate Town halls Against Social Security (tags)
In the old days the U.S. government used different tactics to trick the population into accepting policies that only the elite wanted. For example, it took legions of hired speakers (propagandists) to travel the country and to explain to people the “necessity” of fighting WWI and WWII. Movie stars were put on the government payroll, too, dazzling and awe-striking working people into buying war bonds and constantly cheerleading the war effort. Not much has changed. Although the corporate-controlled media is a highly effective tool to influence the public to accept wars-for-profit (Iraq and Afghanistan), some policies are so unpopular they require the old tactics be revived.
"“The some 3,000 (corporate) lobbyists in Washington, whose dirty little hands are all over the bill, have once more betrayed the American people for money.” “The bill is another example of why change will never come from within the Democratic Party. The party is owned and managed by corporations.”
How Obama's Health Care "Reform" Kills Health Care (tags)
It’s difficult to understand a subject when those explaining it are motivated not by truth, but profit. In the case of health care, both Democrats and Republicans have huge financial incentives to obscure, mislead, or lie. Instead of common sense and honesty directing the debate, bags of money facilitate the conversation, funneled in from the health care industry via lobbyists into Congressmen’s pockets. This is the real reason that Obama’s “health care summit” was full of free-market jargon, staged debate and fake rage.
The Democrats are Coming After Social Security (tags)
It’s official: the Democrats are coming after Social Security and Medicare. How refreshing that all the backroom scheming and political conspiring is finally out in the open. Before, the corporate elite had been having this conversation in private, via right-wing think tanks and business journals. Now, mainstream media is promoting these ideas, including the Democrat’s media mouthpiece — The New York Times. In a three-page editorial, entitled The Truth about the Deficit, The New York Times gives its solution to the country’s debt problems. The main idea is summed up here:
KPFK/KPFA/Pacifica/Free Speech Radio News Send their Middle Finger to Senior Citizens (tags)
The Pacifica/KPFA/KPFK/Free Speech Radio News report talking up "progressive" efforts to enact Obamacare, Monday, January, 25, 2010, has brought to a boil long simmering discontent and disgust with the contempt and disregard of the network and programmers for issues of senior citizens.
The Devastating Consequences of a Corporate Health Care Bill (tags)
Wading through the endless debate over health care has exhausted the patience of most Americans — the zigzags, obscure language, and long-winded discussion is inherently repulsive. But now the dust is starting to settle, and the Congressional vision for health care in the U.S. is emerging. Instead of being “progressive,” it will amount to a massive, corporate-inspired attack on American workers, the elderly, and the poor.
Universal Single-Payer Healthcare Coverage: An Economic Stimulus Plan (tags)
Imagine - doing the right thing is economically beneficial.
AARP's Tradition of Betrayal (tags)
they choose profits over member interests
Obamacare Targets Entitlements (tags)
the plan is to make America Guatemala
Nineteen Arrested in NYC as Campaign for Single Payer Begins. (tags)
Tuesday 29 September 2009 10:55 EST Nationwide Sit-in campaign underway. "Patients, not Profit, Medicare for All!" At the sit-in at Aetna, 19 citizens and health care providers were arrested for single payer health care. More actions coming throughout the nation.
HCAN Demo at Blue Cross Anthem for Healthcare Reform (tags)
Report about the demonstration in front of Blue Cross headquarters in Los Angeles, on September 22nd. Part of a national protest called by Healthcare for America Now.
How to Lower the U.S. Deficit Without Killing Social Security (tags)
When it was recently announced that the federal deficit was $2 trillion higher than previously estimated, corporate vultures — after years of high-altitude circling — began their descent. The dying entity they’re after is the U.S. social safety net — Social Security, Medicare, etc. Years of waiting have finally paid off; the long awaited pretext for scavenging has arrived in the huge federal deficit.
Orderly Town Hall Meeting Explores Public Option (tags)
Civility and Decorum Take Precedence at Ward A.M.E Health Care Forum/Discussion
It's Official: Healthcare Reform is Dead (tags)
The “transparent government” that President Obama guaranteed during his electoral campaign has become yet another broken promise. On August 14th, the Huffington Post revealed a memo containing details of “the deal” that Obama cut with health care mega-corporations in secret White House meetings. And although the White House denies the authenticity of the memo, the details are consistent with earlier reports from other national media outlets.
Obama has lost "single payer" (tags)
He should go back to teaching.
Congressmember Davis Speaks at Orderly Town-Hall Meeting (tags)
Elsewhere in the country Democratic Congressmembers are being heckled and sometimes driven off the stage when they try to hold town-hall meetings to explain the health-care reform bill the House is currently debating. Not in San Diego August 11, where Congressmember Susan Davis was able to hold a meeting in peace and discuss the issue in a polite, civil manner. This was largely due to the strategy of the sponsoring organization, the Hillcrest Town Council, which admitted their own members and Hillcrest residents first -- thereby assuring Davis a mostly liberal audience that wouldn't try to disrupt her meeting.
On Krauthammer, Obama and even Bush (tags)
Has Obama's Shelf-Life Expired?
Health Care Reform, Obama Style (tags)
health care reform
Democrat Obama Cutting Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid (tags)
Before he even takes office, the ruling class' selected president, Democrat Barack Obama, announced his plans to cut Social Security, Medicarre and Medicaid. He did not say anything about cutting US aid to Israel, which receives $15 million a day from US taxpayers to murder Palestinians and steal Palestinian land and gas fields because he is 100% pro-Israel.
Obama Declares Social Security a "central part" of his deficit-reduction plan (tags)
What will it take for progressive Democrats and KPFK talks show hosts to realize that they lost the election?
Get Rid of Medicare Enrollment Penalties (tags)
Lifetime Penalties? Many newspapers recognize the absurdity that seniors are being forced to pay penalties for late enrollment under the Medicare Prescription Drug Plan; however, there is another similar and even larger issue no one seems to acknowledge or address.
Bush to give Medicare money to Druglords and Warlords
$2.9 trillion US budget for 2008 - Thats $9,666 for every man, woman, and child in the USA (tags)
Wow! $2.9 trillion for the 2008 budget. Hmmmm thats $9,666 for every man, woman and child in the USA. And since children don't pay taxes thats about $19,332 for every adult in the USA. Which means that mythical family of 4 will pay $38,664 in taxes.
Bush wants $800 of your money to help him kill (tags)
Bush wants you to pay $800 over then year and a half to help him kill Iraqi women, children, and freedom fighters. Think your getting your moneys worth?
Paul Krugman on Medicare D (tags)
The Bush administration turns out to be the reverse Midas, everything it gets its hands on from reconstruction of New Orleans to drug reform turns to crud.
Washington renews demand for cuts to Social Security, Medicare (tags)
The Bush administration, echoed by much of the mass media, seized upon reports released May 1 on the fiscal health of the Social Security and Medicare system to renew its demand for drastic cuts to these two major entitlement programs, thereby gutting retirement benefits and health care for older Americans. According to the reports, issued by the trustees of the programs’ trust funds, the Medicare Hospital Insurance Trust Fund is projected to become insolvent by 2018, due largely to rapidly rising costs of American health care outstripping the payroll taxes that fund the program. The report on Social Security indicates that this program will be able to pay out 100 percent of benefits until 2040, when the trustees predict the fund will be exhausted—a year earlier than previous projections. After that it would be able to cover 74 percent of promised benefits out of revenues until 2080, when it would decline to 70 percent.
Republican Abuse of Power: With This Congress, Democracy is dead (tags)
Even Newt Gingrinch says they have gone too far. "The House has become a place where trivial issues are debated passionately and important issues not at all."
Health activists urge ‘Health care for all’ (tags)
WASHINGTON — During its annual conference here Nov. 12-14, the Universal Health Care Action Network (UHCAN) issued a clarion call to defend Medicaid and Medicare.
Corporate America’s Plan for the Future: A Nation of Retirees Left for Dead (tags)
With few people paying attention, corporate America is doing away with retiree health benefits. Couple that with the ongoing attacks on Medicaid, and the picture for the next generation of retired Americans is not pretty. So where’s John Kerry?
The Bush Medicare Nightmare (tags)
Corporate Greed In Health (tags)
Some short notes from health care column in the Peoples Weekly World on corporate greed in health care.
Hey, They're Taking Slash-and-Burn to Extremes! (tags)
Republican leaders are deploying scorched-earth tactics, as if they ruled the nation 80-20, not 51-49, because cooperating with Democrats would cost even more votes from the conservatives.
Betrayed by Bush, GOP's anger is moot (tags)
Small-government Republicans have been stirred up by conservative talk show hosts like Rush Limbaugh and Sean Hannity. But when the election comes, the libertarian faction's anger will be "almost irrelevant... Are they going to vote for Howard Dean?"
CHERYL SEAL REPORTS: with Bizarro News Clips (tags)
Ashcroft persecutes liberals; dollar may melt down, Congress lets Bush reignite nuclear arms race, Bizarro news clips, etc.
BTL:Congress Passes Medicare Prescription Drug Bill Which Critics Call... (tags)
...a Gift to Pharmaceutical Companies and Moves System Toward Privatization.Interview with Gail Shearer, director of health policy analysis, Consumer's Union, conducted by Between the Lines' Melinda Tuhus
Let'em Eat Cake - Citizens Ripped-Off Big Time (tags)
"Let'em Eat Cake", that's the message from Washington/AARP, now identified as, American Association of Repugnant Pimps; per the Bill written-of, for, and by the pharmaceutical companies. I take exception to the fact that we are paying the salaries of legislators and for the upkeep of the marbled halls of corporate government. The executive board rooms of the pharmaceuticals, oil, gas, electric etc., would be better suited to the privatization of government on all levels. Let them pay for the heating, lights and perks.
kerry/lieberman didn't bother to vote on medicare (tags)
kerry and lieberman give seniors the kiss off
Do you Love Your Grandmother? SPEAK OUT NOW against the Medicare Bill - NOW! (tags)
Come on LA!! All those grandmas/abuelinas and granpas/abuelos are counting on you!!!!!
No 'Right' side to the Medicare bill? (tags)
Steve Moore, president of the Club for the Growth, and his group oppose the Medicare bill: "Our members just hate this bill. They really do. . . . We can't in good conscience support the largest entitlement expansion in decades."
BTL:Medicare Drug Benefit Legislation not a Cure-All for... (tags)
...Failing Healthcare System. Interview with Dr. Quentin Young, Physicians for a National Health Program, conducted by Between the Lines' Scott Harris
U.S. health care: Crisis, solutions, action plan (tags)
The United Steel Workers of America (USWA) hosted a national forum on the health care crisis at its headquarters in Pittsburgh on April 27.
Bush policies blasted At Home (tags)
George W. Bush attempted to win backing for his agenda of tax cuts for the rich and war on Iraq in his Jan. 28 State of the Union Speech. But mayors, governors, members of Congress and leaders of mass organizations sharply rejected his policies.