From the Chicago Tribune: A top Democrat pressured fellow progressives Tuesday to support –
rather than fight – a far-reaching budget deal that includes cuts to
entitlement programs after resolving the upcoming fiscal cliff.
“We can't be so naive to believe that just taxing the rich will solve
our problems,” said Sen. Richard Durbin of Illinois, the No. 2 Democrat
in the Senate. “Put everything on the table. Repeat. Everything on the
table.”
The assistant majority leader’s speech at the influential Center for
American Progress comes at a pivotal moment in budget talks between the
White House and Congress. Progressive and labor groups have warned
President Obama against cuts to Medicare, Medicaid and other government
programs and to instead focus on raising tax revenue in the
administration’s negotiations with congressional Republicans.
In remarks that strayed from his prepared comments, Durbin told the
story of a labor leader who questioned his interest in serving on that
2010 panel, asking, “What is a nice progressive like you doing in a
place like that?”
Durbin responded by saying it was better to have a seat at the table,
a position he reiterated as he tried to prevent a schism among
Democrats’ traditional allies while talks continue toward the year-end
deadline.
“Progressives cannot afford to stand on the sidelines in this fiscal debate and deny the obvious,” Durbin said.
Already, a coalition of liberal groups is running ads warning Obama
against striking a deal with Republicans that would slash social safety
net programs while allowing tax breaks for wealthier households to
continue. http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/chi-durbin-urges-progressives-to-back-entitlement-cuts-in-fiscal-cliff-deal-20121127,0,3123621.story
Durbin is talking the talk but can you trust an Illinois politician and trust him to keep his word?
Me either.
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