Biden was never going to curb entitlements. The whole thing was an election ploy to gin up some votes. Given that Biden has won the vast majority of votes from people 45 and over, the voters have not been vpconcerned in the least over this issue.

Demanding a $200-$500 a month boost until this has passed, and they need to promote it now, and before trump tries to bribe them to vote for him, but the seniors are being ignored with being helped financially from this crisis.

And anything. Drones, TARP, NAFTA, ACA, stimulus, budgets, NSA reform, Detroit bailout, yadda yadda, if it came from a Democratic admin whether Clinton's or Obama's, he was all over it every time he opened his mouth. So the net effect was that his pushback on any particular issue became negligible background noise. And SS reform was only ever a negotiating ploy and we knew that.

. . . endlessly.

I believe that changing the COLA formula was part of the proposed "Grand Bargain" and would have occurred had Republicans not gotten cold feet.. The forces for "entitlements reform" were generally ascendant then and included a lot of Democrats in good standing. Those backing the changed COLA equation were strenuously arguing that it was in fact not a cut, since benefits would continue to rise under it (but at a slower pace).

The so called budget hawks on the right now are cowed into silence because a popular (with their base) Republican President is exploding the deficit, but they will return with a vengeance once Trump is out of office, and they will be supported by plenty of "sober Democrats".

No, they didn't want to lose their seats, and that was that. So most of us look at the outcome and don't get hung up on the stratagem. Bernie looks at his TV and demagogues on a false issue. That's my beef with Bernie.

because no U.S. soldiers were killed during Iran's retaliatory missile attack and thus an escalating spiral was averted. "See, there never was any danger.."

I will repost this Washington Post reporting which you failed to respond to below:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/obamas-evolution-behind-the-failed-grand-bargain-on-the-debt/2012/03/15/gIQAHyyfJS_story.html


"That night, Obama prepared his party’s congressional leaders. He warned Senate Majority Leader Harry M. Reid (D-Nev.) and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) that he might return to the position under discussion the previous Sunday — that is, cuts to Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid in exchange for just $800 billion in tax increases.

The Democratic leaders “kind of gulped” when they heard the details, Daley recalled...

...Dan Pfeiffer, the White House communications director, recalled that the president and his team felt the weight of the global economy “on our shoulders.”

“Is there political benefit to coming to a big budget deal with John Boehner? Sure,” Pfeiffer said. “But every other political and message imperative was thrown out the door to prevent a disaster and do the right thing for the country. That’s why we were willing to do things we wouldn’t normally do.”

Reluctantly, Reid and Pelosi agreed to do their best to support the plan...

...Two day later, July 24, one week after the Sunday morning meeting that sparked such optimism, the president found himself trying to turn back the clock.

Working late into the evening, Obama asked someone to get Boehner on the phone. His message: I’ll take your last offer.

“Mr. President,” Boehner answered, “we don’t have time to reopen these negotiations.”

have no intention of doing into the mix; it is how works.

it appears.

And he's very good at saying it, I'll give him that. Doesn't have much to do with facts on the ground though. Or anywhere else at this point.

Facts matter

....the fact that HE said the same thing as Biden.

Sanders' people on twitter are still retweeting that misleading ~30 second video of Biden, a snippet of a 2-3 minute speech on the floor of the Senate.

Sanders has had an immeasurable effect on shaping the current Democratic Party platform. He and Elizabeth Warren have been instrumental in helping to steer our party toward the left, to remind our politicians that the Democratic Party is a party for the people. I appreciate his focus on the minimum wage, on healthcare for all, on the affordability of higher education, etc. I hope he’s able to stay involved for a long time, we need his voice.

primarily due to their acceptance of corporate and big money in campaigns. Bernie also showing how it should be done in his refusal to accept corporate donations. He represents people, not corporations. Wish all the Democrats would follow Bernie’s lead.

I have never taken sanders seriously or considered sanders to be a serious candidate due to his complete lack of legislative accomplishments. sanders has no significant legislative accomplishments in the real world and is relying on a magical voter revolution to get his agenda adopted. Good luck with that

I really like this ad from Biden

Link to tweet

for Sanders...and anyone who understands compromise which clearly Sanders does not knows you put stuff on the table that you have no intention of voting for in order to work towards a deal...chained CPI is an example...the fact that Sanders didn't understand Joe's point shows why Sanders was largely ineffective in Congress.

I believe that view is now convenient historic revisionism:

"Obama’s evolution: Behind the failed ‘grand bargain’ on the debt"
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/obamas-evolution-behind-the-failed-grand-bargain-on-the-debt/2012/03/15/gIQAHyyfJS_story.html

"That night, Obama prepared his party’s congressional leaders. He warned Senate Majority Leader Harry M. Reid (D-Nev.) and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) that he might return to the position under discussion the previous Sunday — that is, cuts to Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid in exchange for just $800 billion in tax increases.

Would they support him?

The Democratic leaders “kind of gulped” when they heard the details, Daley recalled.

By this time, Obama had become the face of the bitter debt-ceiling talks and his poll numbers were dropping. His allies on Capitol Hill cringed at his predicament but also at what he was asking them to do.

Dan Pfeiffer, the White House communications director, recalled that the president and his team felt the weight of the global economy “on our shoulders.”

“Is there political benefit to coming to a big budget deal with John Boehner? Sure,” Pfeiffer said. “But every other political and message imperative was thrown out the door to prevent a disaster and do the right thing for the country. That’s why we were willing to do things we wouldn’t normally do.”

Reluctantly, Reid and Pelosi agreed to do their best to support the plan."

which is what this was.

Link to tweet

This is not a good issue for sanders when sanders is guilty of the exact same conduct in the real world

Link to tweet

Link to tweet

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I heard Sanders explain that the adjustments he had called for were to expand Social Security, one can believe that or not. Bottom line for me is that public pressure has to continue to build to protect AND expand Social Security. Biden will not be hurt in the fall by any of the exchange last night about Social Security, and we the people benefit from all efforts to lock in all of our potential candidates for any federal office with forward looking pledges to that effect.

My comments here no longer reflect any jockeying for a leg up in the primaries. Posts regarding our candidates can't be posted in General Discussion. I accept that Biden will be our nominee and I have no problem with supporting him.

Link to tweet