Economic Experts Counter Right-Wing Bias Of Deficit Debate

This podcast features highlights from a news conference call by a group of progressive leaders seeking to counter the largely one-sided debate about how to reduce the federal deficit being promoted by Wall Street billionaire Peter G. Peterson and other deficit hawks. Roger Hickey, co-director of the Campaign for America’s Future, is joined in the call by Robert Kuttner, The American Prospect, Demos, and author of the new book, "A Presidency in Peril"; Heidi Hartmann, economist and President of the Institute for Women’s Policy Research; and Dean Baker, economist and co-director of the Center for Economic and Policy Research.

Hickey said that the experts were part of a broader coalition that is seeking to "pull this deficit discussion back on the basis of reality" rather than on the false assertion that reducing the deficit required drastic cuts in Social Security, Medicare and other safety-net programs.

Hear the full news conference call here, and read Bill Scher's account of the call here.