Democrats press Barack Obama on Medicare

For once I am in agreement with the Democratic leadership. I hope the President does not cave or even give the appearance that he caved at all on Medicare. If he does, he will have a hard time convincing his base that he is fighting for them. This is when he has to show his true leadership skills and take over the conversation. He has to place the Republicans on the ropes.

House Democrats pressed President Barack Obama on Thursday to keep his word and stand firm on Medicare as negotiations with Republicans over raising the debt ceiling heat up.

Multiple Democrats said entitlement programs were a key topic during their meeting with the president at the White House on Thursday afternoon. They also said that taxes were “on the table” in the debt negotiations.

“We must preserve Medicare, we must protect Medicaid, and we must have revenue raising,” said House Minority Whip Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) after the White House event.

Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, who opposed renewing the Bush-era tax cuts for the wealthy in December, also said raising taxes you should be part of a deal. “Creating jobs and growth will be one way to reduce the deficit, again putting revenue on the table is another way to reduce the deficit and making the cuts we need to make, which we are fully prepared to do and we’re determined to do,” Rep. Pelosi said.

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