The Commentariat -- Dec. 19, 2012
Cliff Notes
CW: we just heard President Obama totally deflect a reporter's questioning why he would agree to cut Social Security benefits; he is simply not going to answer that question. His "we all have to give a little" excuse is just malarkey. I hope Nancy Pelosi & Harry Reid, both of whom have been fierce defendants of Social Security, will just say no. But unless that was a "trick answer," the President, as contributor Raul wrote yesterday, is a disgraceful sell-out. ...
... Update. Looks as if Pelosi is good with the President's plan. This really is disgusting.
Lori Montgomery & Zachary Goldfarb of the Washington Post report on the President's remarks about the fiscal cliff negotiations. Not a word about the Social Security cuts or rise in taxes for the lower middle class. "President Obama urged congressional Republicans Wednesday to return to the bargaining table over the year-end 'fiscal cliff,' saying the two sides are far too close to the big budget deal they've been seeking for the past two years to give up now.... Earlier in the day, the White House said Obama would veto Boehner's Plan B bill."
Ezra Klein has a good summary of the last 24 hours of President Obama's steady march to the precipice. Monday, the White House "delivered an offer to House Speaker John Boehner that included genuine concessions. They brought their revenue request down from $1.6 trillion to $1.3 trillion. They dropped their demand that the Bush tax rates expire for all income over $250,000 a year, offering a new threshold of $400,000 a year. They brought their debt-ceiling demand down from no more debt ceiling crises ever to no debt ceiling crises for two years. They agreed to some form of chained CPI as a way to cut Social Security benefits. On Monday night, Boehner rejected their offer, and on Tuesday, Boehner unveiled 'Plan B' -- a proposal to walk away from the talks, vote on a plan to make the Bush tax rates permanent for all households with income under $1 million, and then go home for the holidays.... Boehner -- and, more to the point, Boehner's House members -- increasingly see weakness in the White House's negotiating position." CW: yeah, so do I. ...
... Update: here it all is in chart form. Thanks to contributor Dave S. for the heads-up:
Ryan Grim of the Huffington Post does a good job of explaining, in plain English, what Obama is up to here: "President Barack Obama, with his latest fiscal cliff offer, proposes extending the Bush tax cuts for everyone earning less than $400,000 a year, and paying for it by increasing taxes on the middle class and cutting Social Security and Medicare.... Obama's concession to Republicans is opposed by a majority of Americans...."
Almost every elected official just spent an entire election season saying they wouldn't cut the benefits of those 55 and older. The truth is the chained CPI hits everyone's benefits on day one. It hits the oldest of the old and disabled veterans the hardest. If it wasn't being bandied about as being 'on the table,' I would guess that it was created as an office joke to see who could create the most noxious and offensive policy possible. -- Alex Lawson of Social Security Words, an advocacy group
CW: we owe thanks to reporters & news organizations who are highlighting this scam -- and so far, that ain't the New York Times. I did see one short blogpost (not indexed) by Annie Lowrey on it in yesterday's online Times, but the only other Times writer who has mentioned it, & again that's only in his online blog, is Paul Krugman. You might think the paper was trying to provide cover for Obama & Boehner. The AARP, which has spoken out forcefully against the chained CPI when it has been proposed in the past, is silent now.
Jonathan Weisman of the New York Times: "... a protracted meeting of the House Republican Conference on Tuesday night made it clear that passage of Mr. Boehner's ['Plan B'] proposal would be difficult.... [Minority Leader Nancy] Pelosi was leaning hard on House Democrats to stay united in their opposition.... The White House came out strongly against the speaker's plan. The White House press secretary, Jay Carney, said that it could not pass the Senate...."
** New York Times Editors: "There is no doubt that if Mr. Obama were a more combative negotiator, he would not have gone for the chained index. It reinforces the incorrect notion that the big budget problem is overly generous benefits. But Social Security is not to blame for the deficit and health care spending, mainly for Medicare, is driven more by lavish payments to drug companies and other providers than by payments to beneficiaries."
To urge President Obama not to cut Social Security, you can sign a Daily Kos petition here. and Bold Progressives has a petition here.
... AND in a related, predictable development out of Right Wing World, -- Concussiongate! Alexander Abad-Santos of the Atlantic: "... conservative pundits ... are now churning out a theory that Hillary Clinton is lying about her concussion to avoid having to testify about Benghazi." They want a note from her doctor. I foresaw Concussiongate; now I predict that should Hillary's doctor send a note, we will learn that s/he is just another of the Hillary conspirators.
The Washington Post's hawkish Editorial Board doesn't like former Sen. Chuck Hagel (R-Neb.) for Secretary of Defense because "Mr. Hagel's stated positions on critical issues, ranging from defense spending to Iran, fall well to the left of those pursued by Mr. Obama during his first term -- and place him near the fringe of the Senate that would be asked to confirm him." CW: Good to know.
Frank Rich, on Our Great American Gun Culture. ...
... Garry Wills in the New York Review of Books: "The fact that the gun is a reverenced god can be seen in its manifold and apparently resistless powers. How do we worship it? Let us count the ways." And he does. Thanks to contributor Denis N. for the link.
CW: Reader Kay S. likes this opening segment from Rachel Maddow's Monday show. (The Dick Cheney part is enough, on its own, to recommend the segment. I'm not much for labeling people "evil," but Cheney....) Kay S. also suggests we may need a "Million Mom March" on Washington to get Congress off the dime:
... Here's the main page of Demand a Plan to End Gun Violence, sponsored by the Mayors against Illegal Guns. The page includes a petition, plus links or leads to other action you can take. ...
... Here's the Jewelry for a Cause Website which Mayor Booker mentioned. ...
... NOT to be confused with this Georgia jeweler: "Customers who purchase diamonds worth $2,499 or more from the Cobb County stores will get free hunting rifles." Diamonds are forever, but....
... Peter Baker of the New York Times: "To his core supporters, this is a moment that will define what a second-term Obama presidency will look like -- whether it will be closer to the soaring aspirations that set liberal hearts aflutter in 2008 or more like the back-room deal making that characterized the four years that followed. Advocates on the left have long lamented that Mr. Obama was too quick to compromise [and now for the "she-said" side of the "he-said/she-said" perfectly balanced equation], even as those on the right see him as a champion of a radical agenda." ...
... Peter Baker: "President Obama has ordered Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr. to lead an interagency group to develop a multifaceted response to last week's mass shooting at a Connecticut school, a White House official said. Mr. Obama will appear in the White House briefing room alongside Mr. Biden on Wednesday morning to announce the assignment but an aide said they will not announce any major policy decisions."
... Michael Shear & Adam Nagourney of the New York Times: "The reaction to the Newtown shootings spread to corporate America and to California on Tuesday, as a private equity firm said it would immediately sell the company that made the assault-style rifle used in shootings, while California lawmakers announced an effort to regulate the sale of ammunition more tightly. CW: this article is a good roundup of today's developments in reaction to the Newtown school shootings. One little-known fact, briefly mentioned in the article, is that the California State Teachers' Retirement System, a huge pension fund, is invested in Cerberus, the company that owns the .223 Bushmaster used in the massacre. Cerberus announced earlier it was divesting itself of the Bushmaster manufacturer. ...
... Adam Liptak of the New York Times: "Despite the sweeping language of a 2008 Supreme Court decision that struck down parts of the District of Columbia's strict gun-control law, the decision appears perfectly consistent with many of the policy options being discussed after the shootings in Newtown, Conn." Read the whole article; it ain't as simple as the lede might suggest.
... "The Money behind the Massacre." Dan Primack of Fortune has more on the California teachers' significant investment in weaponry. ...
... CW: My husband, who once taught at Berkeley, gets a small pension from the teachers' retirement system, so you might say I, too, own a Bushmaster. We're all guilty.
Steve Benen: "In the wake of the massacre in Newtown, Conn., Texas Gov. Rick Perry (R) believes local school districts should be allowed to arm teachers and administrators. Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell (R) is thinking along the same lines." CW: I find myself wondering, "What would Mitt do?" Sandy Hook is one more reason we should thank the fates and all those freeloading, gift-seeking moochers who stood in line for hours to make sure Mitt will not be standing at the schoolhouse door issuing carry permits.
Todd Purdum of Vanity Fair: "I can't help wondering if the bullets of Sandy Hook Elementary will be for [President] Obama what the snarling dogs and high-pressure fire hoses of Birmingham, Alabama, were for John F. Kennedy in 1963: the human tragedy that will force him to take a political risk, simply because it is right."
USA Today: "The National Rifle Association has put out a statement saying it is 'prepared to offer meaningful contributions' to prevent more violence like that which occurred in Newtown, Conn., last week. The organization said it will hold a news conference in the Washington, D.C., area on Friday. Additionally, the organization broke its silence on social media, and put its Facebook page back up Tuesday afternoon, timed to the statement's release."
Lawrence Downes on "how thoroughly [Sen. Daniel Inouye] blended the virtues of political courage, dedication and modesty." ...
... Here's the piece from Badass Digest, by Devin Feraci, titled "The Time Daniel Inouye Pried A Grenade From His Severed Arm." The text of Inouye's Medal of Honor citation is here.
Time magazine names President Obama Person of the Year. Here's the cover story, by Michael Scherer. Time staff interviewed President Obama on December 12. Here's the text. Time also has a terrific slideshow of 125 photos by White House photographer Pete Souza.
John Burns & Stephen Castle of the New York Times: "A report into the sexual abuse crisis that has shaken the British Broadcasting Corporation was strongly critical on Wednesday of the editorial and management decisions that led to the cancellation of a broadcast last year that would have exposed decades of sexual abuse, some of it on BBC premises, by Jimmy Savile, who had been one of Britain's best-known television personalities.... The report was strongly critical of several news executives.... But it adopted a largely sparing tone in its review of the role played by the broadcaster's former director general, Mark Thompson, who ... became president and chief executive officer of The New York Times Company last month."
Local News
Chad Livengood of the Detroit News: "Gov. Rick Snyder vetoed legislation Tuesday that would have allowed gun owners with extra training to carry concealed weapons in public schools.... Snyder based his veto on the fact the bill wouldn't allow schools and other public locations to opt out of its provisions." CW: as I predicted a few days ago. I also predicted that if, down the road, the state legislature fixes the glitch which gave Snyder the out, he will sign the revised bill. We'll see ...
... Nonetheless, Snyder looks downright enlightened compared to other Republican governors like wingers Perry & McDonnell. We should not forget former Fox "News" star John Kasich of Ohio. Jessica Wehrman & Joe Vardon of the Columbus Dispatch: "Members of Ohio's Republican congressional delegation resisted stiffer gun laws yesterday in response to questions from The Dispatch, and Gov. John Kasich indicated he would not veto a recent bill that would allow guns in the Statehouse and [capitol] parking garages.... 'I'm a Second Amendment supporter, and that's not going to change, Kasich said.... Kasich supported the original federal assault-weapons ban while serving in Congress in 1994, but he has since said that support was a mistake and he was wrong.... Three were killed in a school shooting at Chardon High School, near Cleveland, in February." ...
... Meanwhile, it's reassuring to know how sensitive America's Worst Governor, Rick Scott (RTP) of Florida is. Aaron Deslatte of the Orlando Sun-Sentinel: "Gov. Rick Scott and [Republican] state legislative leaders say it's too soon for politics -- that families should be allowed to grieve and Florida schools should reassess their safety precautions in the wake of last week's Newtown, Conn., school massacre."
News Ledes
New York Times: "Republicans in the Senate, seeking to substantially trim a Hurricane Sandy aid package being sought by Democrats, are planning to unveil a $23.8 billion emergency spending plan to finance the recovery efforts of states devastated by the storm. The move by Republicans comes as the Senate has opened debate on a $60.4 billion aid bill brought by Democratic leaders. Democrats largely based their proposal on one that President Obama sent to Congress nearly two weeks ago."
New York Times: "Senator Barbara A. Mikulski of Maryland will become the first woman to head the Senate Appropriations Committee, after Senator Patrick D. Leahy of Vermont decided to pass up the chairman's job, their offices announced on Wednesday."
New York Times: "The United Nations Security Council was expected to vote Thursday on a resolution that would approve the deployment of a multinational African force in Mali, along with Western training and equipment for the Malian Army, to help retake the northern part of the country from Islamist militias. The resolution, drafted and offered for a formal vote by France, has widespread support among Mali's neighbors and other African states and was expected to gain unanimous approval by the 15-member Security Council."
New York Times: "The United States Patent and Trademark Office has dealt a blow to Apple in its legal battle with Samsung Electronics over smartphone patents, declaring that a patent that helped Apple win $1.05 billion in damages against Samsung in a jury trial should not have been granted."
New York Times: "Three State Department officials resigned on Wednesday after an independent panel severely criticized the 'grossly inadequate' security arrangements at an American diplomatic compound in Benghazi, Libya, where Ambassador Christopher Stevens and three other Americans were killed in an attack. The officials who resigned were Eric Boswell, the assistant secretary of state for diplomatic security; Charlene Lamb, the deputy assistant secretary responsible for embassy security; and Raymond Maxwell, a deputy assistant secretary who had responsibility for the North Africa region...." ...
... Story has been updated. New lede: "Four State Department officials were removed from their posts on Wednesday after an independent panel criticized the 'grossly inadequate' security at a diplomatic compound in Benghazi, Libya, that was attacked on Sept. 11, leading to the deaths of Ambassador J. Christopher Stevens and three other Americans." Washington Post story here.
AP: "The Treasury Department said Wednesday that it will sell its remaining stake in General Motors by early 2014, writing the final chapter of a $50 billion bailout that saved the auto giant but stoked a heated national debate about the government's role in private industry."
Reuters: "A bill to ban Americans from adopting Russian children won preliminary parliamentary approval on Wednesday in a retaliatory gesture for a U.S. law punishing alleged Russian human rights violators. Despite criticism of the measure by Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, pro-Kremlin lawmakers voted overwhelmingly in favor of the bill, and another that would bar Russian non-profit groups which receive funds from the United States."
New York Times: "President Obama declared Wednesday that he would make gun control a 'central issue' as he opens a second term, submitting broad new gun control proposals to Congress no later than January and committing the power of his office to overcoming political opposition in the wake of last week's school massacre."
Bloomberg News: "Robert Bork, the U.S. judge and legal scholar whose nomination to the Supreme Court by President Ronald Reagan set off a battle for the judiciary that lived on long after the U.S. Senate rejected him, has died. He was 85." ...
... Update. The New York Times obituary is here.
Guardian: "Swiss bank UBS made corrupt payments to brokers in an 'extensive and widespread' attempt to manipulate key benchmark interest rates which has cost the bank Sfr1.4bn (£944m) [$1.5BB] in fines from global regulators. The £160m portion of the fine levied by the Financial Services Authority is the largest ever imposed by the City regulator and surpasses the previous record -- the £59.5m imposed on Barclays in June for attempted manipulation of the Libor and Euribor rates."
Guardian: "The four European members of the United Nations security council are drawing up a strong joint condemnation of recent Israeli moves to expand Jewish settlements in East Jerusalem amid growing international censure. The unusual statement, expected this week from the UK, France, Germany and Portugal, follows blunt criticism from the US of Israel's announcement on Monday of plans to build an extra 1,500 homes in the settlement of Ramat Shlomo." ...
Reuters Update: "Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Wednesday his government would press ahead with expanding Jewish settlements around Jerusalem despite Western criticism of its plan to build 6,000 more homes in territory Palestinians seek for a state."