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Dear Craig,
At a press conference this morning, President Obama confirmed news reports that he has offered Republicans a deal on the debt ceiling that includes trillions of dollars in cuts to Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid.
Unfortunately, President Obama has preemptively caved to Republicans (who have a longstanding desire to destroy these programs) when he should be drawing a line in the sand to protect programs that are immensely popular with a broad majority of the American people.
We can't be silent and allow President Obama to cave to Republicans, and put some of the most important and successful programs in our country on the chopping block.
Republicans, sensing total victory, are overreaching and have so far rejected the deal in hopes of getting massive cuts with no tax increases.
If President Obama sees a massive pushback from the progressive base, it may give him the political cover necessary to back away from this horrible deal.
Republican pundit David Frum had it right when he said, "The debt ceiling negotiations have amounted to a succession of retreats and concessions by President Obama."1
The debt limit negotiations don't have to play out this way. There's absolutely no reason why negotiations about the federal deficit had to take place in the context of looming financial catastrophe if the debt ceiling isn't raised.
By insisting that the debt ceiling vote be tied to long-term deficit reduction, the Republicans simply took the financial health of this country hostage. And rather than repudiating that strategy or calling the Republicans out for it, President Obama responded as though he could win the Republicans over through appeasement.
We are now seeing the results of this negotiating failure. And the best thing we can do right now is speak out to prevent President Obama from making a catastrophic mistake.
The simple fact of the matter is that Republicans are willing to tank the economy for their perceived electoral benefit. And they're willing to drive our economy into another recession rather than raise taxes on the Koch brothers. If anything we should be expanding these programs, not cutting them during this time of extreme economic duress.
President Obama needs to stop trying to play the reasonable negotiator when the group he's negotiating with does not have the best interests of the country in mind. If these news account are true, President Obama will enable Republicans to push through a radical agenda to cut Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid — a feat that even George W. Bush couldn't pass despite a Republican Congress.
President Obama needs to stand up for something other than "the spirit of bipartisan compromise" with the most extreme and irresponsible elements of the Republican Party. Tell President Obama he needs to draw a line in the sand, for his own sake and for the good of the country.
Thank you for speaking out.
Matt Lockshin, Campaign Manager
CREDO Action from Working Assets
CREDO Action from Working Assets
Footnote:
1 "Obama plays nice, GOP turns tough," David Frum, CNN, July 5, 2011.
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