Vice President

A Deficit Pitch Without Social Security--The Only Chance of Winning

Josh Rosenblum — Wed, 07 Sep 2011 09:36:45 -0400

This past Friday night in Washington, a New York Mets pitcher threw the type of pitch President Obama must use in his march to stop any new proposals to cut Social Security if he plans to make it through the game of the deficit talks and his reelection. In the recent past the President and his teams have pitched a slew of failed curveballs that would cut our Social Security. The number 43 Mets pitcher R.A. Dickey helped beat the Nationals 7-3 with his slow velocity, highly unpredictable knuckleball. The 44th President and his multitude of committees have taken an approach to cutting the deficit that replicates a tied baseball game, with no end in sight. Could knuckle balls from a President battling to win the game, save the economy, and win reelection save the tied ball game called the deficit debate? Let’s take a look at the tape.

R.A. Dickey has been pitching great this season, and has the best earned run average of the starters on the Mets but you wouldn’t know it by looking at his record of 7-11, which reflects injuries on the Mets but also the poorest run support from hitters out of all the Mets starting pitchers. It’s unclear to Mets fans why Dickey hasn’t gotten the run support he so deserves, just as it’s unclear to the general public why we haven’t gotten the support Social Security deserves from the administration.

If the President throws a Social Security curveball that cuts our benefits to the GOP team trying to beat him, he ought to get ready not to receive any run support, not just from Democrats and the left, but also from the independents and moderate Republicans his advisers are so intent on courting again. By attempting a pitch that doesn’t appeal to his base, independent voters, and moderate Republicans, he may lose the game, the season, and ultimately his Presidency.

But President Obama can still throw an amazing Dickey-like pitch to the GOP’s deficit, defeat the nonsense, not cut Social Security benefits, and win reelection. If Obama fights for Social Security, America’s fans will cheer for him and we’ll give him all the run support he needs to win in 2012.

Social Security has remained one of America’s most successful programs for 76 years. Before it existed and since it’s existed, Wall Street and right-wing conservatives have been telling us how much it stinks, hoping we might one day believe such lies through repetition. Even popular Republican President Dwight Eisenhower recognized how cutting it would be plain “stupid.” But that’s exactly what each of the deficit groups have attempted to do, each throwing their own curveball that would lead to Social Security cuts.

The President started his deficit pitching rotation with the grizzled, often irrelevant old-timers Bowles and Simpson, who proposed to cut Social Security with the indifference of players who knew their time had passed. He then hoped the journeymen Gang of 6 could take on the deficit, but the bipartisan group of men never seemed to materialize on the playing field. Obama’s team, “America,” never got far in the batting order without loading the bases against the “GOP Deficit” team, which lead up to another call to the bullpen. An enthusiastic reliever, Vice President Biden came charging on to the field to lead his bipartisan “gang of dudes” with every intention to save the game, and no ability to corral the Republicans who calmly watched every one of his pitches thrown for balls float by and hit every strike for an intentional foul ball, upping the pitch count until Biden’s arm had vanished.

Then came the President himself, rolling up his sleeves and bringing back the long vanished player-coach, determined to get the save for America, but giving the GOP a few hits and intentional walks in the process so he could get the job done. He’s out on the field and he appears determined to win for America, at any cost to his future as a pitcher and as our President, but the fans are hopeful he’ll win for his future and ours.

The President even told us about his curveball to the GOP, who seem determined to fight against America, 1 minute in to this video, when he acknowledges that he’d offered the Republican Speaker a deal to cut Social Security, which suggests he may throw the same bad curve again if the Supercommittee wants to take it up.

In the next couple of weeks President Obama may let loose with another Social Security curveballl, telling us we need a COLA cut for Social Security. But America isn’t certain whether player-coach Obama would put the important program on the chopping block again for the Supercommittee and the GOP Deficit. This pitch to the GOP Deficit leads to one place—a lost game for the President, and a lost future for Democrats. But a well-placed knuckleball that leaves Social Security out of the ball game and out of the deficit talks would help America and Obama win. If the President throws a slow, hanging knuckleball that’s tough for Republicans to hit but that his own team can cheer for, he’ll win the hearts of Americans including Democrats, independents and reasonable Republicans, whether the Washington Republicans try to screw over America again or not with attempted cuts to Social Security.

An Uprising Leader for VP

David Sirota — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 12:32:25 -0400

SEATTLE - As the vice-presidential speculation intensifies, we cannot lose sight of just how intense the populist uprising is in our country today - and how it is, fundamentally, a backlash to conservative economic policies and liberal capitulation in the face of those policies. This is what the cover of my new book, THE UPRISING, metaphorically depicts - and what the cover of this recent edition of The Economist portrays, as well (they look alike, don't they?). And this is why my new newspaper column this week says that Barack Obama should not pick Hillary Clinton for vice president - but an anti-Clinton.

It is undeniable that Hillary Clinton - whether you like her or not - represents Clintonism, a brand of politics that is about trying to appease Big Money while pretending to serve ordinary people. It is politics that tries never to answer organized labor's age-old question: which side are you on? Of course, even with such "third way" nonsense, practitioners of Clintonism always end up taking a side - money's side - whether it's championing NAFTA, deregulating the telecommunications industry, voting for the bankruptcy bill, supporting the war in Iraq, or shredding important Wall Street laws like the Glass-Steagall Act.

As I've been traveling the country for the national tour for THE UPRISING, I can see just how intense the anger is at this kind of politics. Right now, for instance, I'm here in Seattle where the sharp edge of lobbyist-written globalization policies fuels fears of job outsourcing in the high-tech industry (read The Nation magazine's excerpt of THE UPRISING here to see what I'm talking about). It's the same thing all over the globe. As Bloomberg News today reports, the planet is in the midst of rejecting Clintonism's neoliberal economic agenda. "Fueling the backlash is a convergence of trade-related anxieties," the news service writes. "National-security concerns, worries about food safety and sufficiency, the desire to protect local jobs and the environment."

These policies - and the very politics of Clintonism - are what was soundly rejected in the Democratic presidential primary, as Barack Obama rode the progressive side of the uprising to victory. Now, as John McCain channels his own version of Clintonism - ie. pushing more NAFTA and endless war in Iraq - Obama can use his vice presidential selection to state that indeed the era of Clintonism is over, and the era of the uprising is on.

As my column this week shows, there are a number of progressive populists available as runningmates - whether senators like Sherrod Brown, governors like Brian Schweitzer or labor leaders like Anna Burger.

These alternatives to Clinton would help woo swing states or swing constituencies vital to winning the general election and reshaping the electoral map for a generation.

The question, of course, is whether Obama has the guts to make such a populist move. After all, Big Money is starting to get very scared about what's going on. As just one example, take a look at this Forbes magazine article in which business groups say they now fear a major resurgence of organized labor. That fear has already translated into major pressure on Obama - pressure that resulted in him appointing a Wal-Mart apologist and Wall Street-connected economist as his top economic adviser. You can bet the pressure will only intensify on him to pick an icon of corporate-worshiping Clintonism as his runningmate.

Pick up a copy of THE UPRISING to get the full picture of the populist revolt now impacting the presidential contest. You can read the whole newspaper column at the San Francisco Chronicle, the Denver Post, the Ft. Collins Coloradoan, In These Times, Credo Action, TruthDig or Creators Syndicate.The column relies on grassroots support, so if you'd like to see my column regularly in your local paper, use this directory to find the contact info for your local editorial page editors. Get get in touch with them and point them to my Creators Syndicate site. Thanks, as always, for your ongoing readership and help contacting local editors. This column couldn't be what it is without your help.

This is an ongoing blog series from the national book tour of The Uprising. You can order The Uprising at Amazon.com or through your local independent bookstore.

THE LIGHTER SIDE OF DICK BLOSSOM BABY a satire

alan stuart2 — Thu, 20 Mar 2008 00:52:39 -0400

Dick Blossom Baby returned from his travels spreading good will and cheer throughout the Middle East, as is his custom around this time each year. All of the countries he visits have long-standing traditions in place to ensure that he is never disappointed. Knowing that he is but a mere humble spokesperson representing his president whom he worships and adores there is a request that will not be granted, within reason of course.
Rumors have it, he finds soaking in the perpetual sparkling flowing fountains located in his favorite respite hide-away places only the rich and famous can attend, such as Jerusalem, Golan Heights and of course floating upon the Dead Sea.
He is often quoted as saying after these relaxing soaking trips that he feels as though his “batteries have been recharged” and that “walking in JC’s footsteps really kinds of gets to him.”
Always on the move, he delighted the people in neighboring Palestine where they greeted him as usual with throngs of well-wishers who that were so overcome with good tidings for him; in some places, the crowds were so overjoyed, at times they had to be moved and restrained behind chain link fences.
After constantly badgering his annoying keepers, they finally allowed him to go mingle amidst some of the shopkeepers in an outdoor market that had reminded him of one he had just yesterday walked thru unaccompanied in Bagdad and wanted to purchase some souvenirs. He was especially interested in those vests that all the young people seemed to be wearing in all of the countries he had been visiting, certain that all he brought them to would be delighted at their uniqueness.
Delighted over this outpouring of adoration he had one of his faithful dedicated freshly castrated Nubian associates contact the King of Arabia to postpone his arrivals there telling his aid ever so politely to “make up some fucking excuse or the other.” His new associate never having heard of such a thing, simply following instructions, called and left the message, verbatim.
Not daunted by such trivial things as schedules, Dick Blossom Baby left the confines of his security detail, bulletproof vehicles and even his “every ready battery charged defibrillator” behind to walk the streets of the Gaza Strip in search for a quiet Bistro to have luch with his friends.
The display of rockets bursting in the air over his head almost brought tears to his eyes that they had gone to all of this trouble just for him. Just the sight of the children and mothers running and screaming as they ran in his direction with open arms, really gave his heart that extra boost he so often needed.
The numbers of people shared tearful joyful goodbyes at the airport where yet again he was surprised in attendance. How he wished yet again he could read the language, the signs they were waving were so colorful and numerous, he just knew they had the kindest of messages. Atop the steps of Air Force Two he turned to wave his final good-bye when he saw what these wonderful people had done as a parting gesture his composure finally cracked and a tear fell down his check.
In the twilight that was now falling, all of the terrific people had taken off their outer jackets in this chill night air, lying them on the ground to spell out a farewell message just for him. He thought again about not being able to read what it said as he ducked and went into the plane then the door closed behind him and he forgot all about the message.
Had he bothered to look out of any the many windows, the message written very precisely so he would understand, it simply said:
FUK U GO HOM