1. Because while the SS Trust Fund has a healthy surplus, its been used to give the Rich Tax cuts. They'll have to pay these "loans" from the SS Trust fund back, in the form of more taxes.

2. And there's a joke:
Facing bad times I was told
"Cheer up, things could be worse"
I cheered up, and things got worse.

Because Obama isn't really a Democrat. If he were, he'd be leading the fight against the right instead of accommodating or actually assisting.

I will vote, although I can't really justify doing so. I will end up voting against the worst candidates. I haven't see a good candidate at the state (NY) or federal level in decades.

I'm sure they'll go to the mats just like they did with the ACA.

(Sorry, can't help it with the one-liners.)

It's a step in the right direction, but it probably won't keep Obama from championing more tax cuts, or even tampering with SS.

The logic is simple: if he does what the caucus wants (which, agreed, is the right thing), he will lose all the GOP plus the blue dogs and more conservative Dems. He will be defeated. His approvals will tank and it will become even harder to get anything done before 2012.

Conversely, if he throws (big, meaty) bones to the Repubs, then he will carry all the Dems anyway (the Caucus will have to go along, just like they had to on the public option), plus maybe some Repubs.
He will be able to claim a victory. Putting aside the issue of whether it really is a victory, the fact is, he will be able to go on TV and claim one. For anyone who thinks that is not the gold standard in DC (regardless of the reality), they need to pay a lot more attention.

In the gravity-free, up-is-anyway-you-want-it universe inside the beltway "as if" matters more that "what is". "Defining the debate" is more important than accomplishing any real work.

Someone here wrote recently that it is becoming increasingly difficult for America to govern itself in any way that makes sense in the real world.

And that is exactly the dynamic we will see played out in this coming election cycle.

lifts all boats, Republican or Democrat. Until there are enough politicians who fear public retribution more than they lust for big money, the game will continue as planned. Public sentiment is just a datapoint on a powerpoint slide until that public is actually willing to do something about their concerns. This can be marches, riots, solidarity across voting blocks, very large protests, funding and backing non-conventional choices for elections, whatever - something active. Online petitions are nice, but not enough. Strongly worded blogs can spark discussion and greater movement, but again not real change by themselves.

As long as the public sits on their asses, the big money will win. Because it never rests, never stops flowing, the politicians can count on the money trough like the rising of the sun every day.

For me, the first step is refusing to vote for any Dem who is a Blue Dog or otherwise not in line with my beliefs this fall. Will it cause me pain? Yes, but it will cause them more pain and I think I can last longer than they can hold out.