Pelosi Says Democrats Have 'Very Good Chance' to Win Back the House in 2012

[TomCADem]

Source: ABC News

House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi told ABC News in an exclusive interview that Democrats "have a very good chance of winning the House" majority in the 2012 elections, pointing to Medicare as the key issue that could propel her party back into control of the lower chamber of Congress.

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What we're about is policy," she added. "What we want is to change the view that the Republicans have that it is OK to abolish Medicare to make seniors pay more for less while we give tax breaks to big oil. That's not a formula that I think works for the middle class."

Pelosi said that cuts to seniors' benefits are "absolutely" off the table in the ongoing deficit reduction negotiations, but suggested that Congress could improve Medicare by working to eliminate fraud and also by giving the Secretary of Health and Human Services unilateral authority to negotiate for lower prices for the endangered entitlement program.

"When you talk about Medicare, the first thing I would do if I ruled the world would be to allow the secretary of HHS to negotiate for lower prices. That would save tens of billions of dollars," Pelosi said. "The last place we need to go -- we don't ever have to go there -- is to what the Republicans are doing: Eliminate Medicare make seniors pay more for less as you give tax breaks to big oil and say that's how we have to reduce the deficit. We don't subscribe to that."


Read more: http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/exclusive-pelosi-democrats-good-chance-win-back-house/story?id=13737681

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As if more proof was needed that there is a vast difference between Republicans and Democrats with Republicans trying to turn Medicare into a voucher program, and Democrats fighting to preserve Medicare. The question is whether Republicans will be held accountable for their ongoing insistance on protecting tax cuts to the rich and oil companies at the cost of providing Medicare benefits.

[onehandle]

1. Looking forward to the return of Speaker Pelosi. nt

[LiberalLoner]

2. Me too. Please, God, let her be right. Let this happen. Please save America. n/t

[backtomn]

20. Can it be.......

....."Speaker Any-Democrat-But-Pelosi". She had her chance and her performance speaks for itself.

[hootinholler]

9. Personally I would prefer a Speaker Frank. n/t

[armodem08]

17. Not me... Especially after Dodd/Frank!

He's a good guy on social issues, but he's sold out on financial matters. He's got one of the highest totals of financial industry campaign contributions in the House, aside from Republicans anyway. He can stay where he is...

[Scuba]

3. They damn well better. MEDICARE MEDICARE MEDICARE

[blueclown]

4. Thanks Nancy for putting up a fight against Medicare privatization.

At least somebody is doing so.

[TomCADem]

7. Plus Obama and Democratic Senators Such As Dick Durbin

White House today makes is not backing down in calling the Ryan plan what it is, a voucher plan. Dick Durbin's strong stance on Medicare is what caused Tom Curbin to abandon the group of six talks, since Coburn wanted to go even further and cut Medicare benefits right now.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x4870323

[Javaman]

5. I would agree, but...

if the senate or any dem, let alone the President, breaths on SS or Medicare, they might as well flush that thought down the toilet.

the sucker punching of the dems by the repukes with the "we-will-vote-for-the-debt-ceiling-extension-if-you-cut-into-medicare" is where I see the dems, who shouldn't do a damn thing, giving up ground out of fear.

if they do, they are finished.

Right now the Dems hold a nice swell of support, even from senior repuke voters and some halfwit ball lickers, but never let it be said that the dems passed up a chance to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory.

[Kingofalldems]

6. Uh oh...freepers not liking this one

Time for some bad news to put us in our place.:shrug:

[Le Taz Hot]

8. Oh, goodie.

More hand-picked Blue Dogs. Uh, whoopie? :shrug:

[BadtotheboneBob]

10. And the converse of that statement is...

... well, you know. Who was it that said, "It's the economy, Stupid"? One can flog the Medicare horse for all its worth, but the twenty and thirty-somethings aren't as concerned with that as much as they are jobs, jobs, jobs. While it's true we older folk vote in higher numbers than the youngsters, there could be a nasty electoral surprise awaiting in '12 if there's a double-dip recession and the employment situation worsens. Hope for the best, expect the worst, I always say...

[Jennicut]

21. I don't know, I am in my 30's and the medicare issue is pretty high up there.

The threat of privatization should make all of us under the age of 45 worried. Who the hell knows what Rethugs would do to medicare if they got in full power. What would be left of it for Gen X and Gen Y?

[BadtotheboneBob]

23. Didn't mean to generalize...

Sorry... Good on you... Though, I do know many younger people that when I bring it up they just shrug their shoulders and act like I'm talking about alien life on Mars, or some such thing. Totally unaware and uninformed. Wish there were more like you...

[SomeGuyInEagan]

25. Remember, Bush wanted to privatize S.S. after the '04 elections ...

... spouting something about having political capital. And he had a Republican House and Senate.

But couldn't get it done.

I recall reading one of (now U.S. Senator) Al Franken's books afterward in which he wrote that he believed it came down to families talking over the dinner table. Although Bush's plan was to pay off those in retirement and close to retirement (55+, I think) by not touching their benefits, Franken believed that they (the 55+) weren't willing to sell out their children's and grand children's future for their own deal and made that loud and clear to those in the Congress. Where Bush and others through they could pit one generation against another, they were wrong.

But I agree about the jobs issue. If the employment numbers and personal savings/earnings rate does not start climbing over more than a few consecutive months, it could be tough slogging. Remember Poppy Bush had pretty high approval ratings about 18 months before he lost to Clinton in '92.

[harmonicon]

11. Did she also promise..

that legislating would be "off the table"? They had control for 4 years and did next to nothing.

[RedCloud]

12. If there is not a 200+ seat swing, they should be horsewhipped!

If you can take a deep red district on Medicaid and let the rich start paying their fair share that means at least 100 not so red or usually blue seats can be taken!

[JJW]

13. She can promise to end the war funding

Whoops she already did that and then took impeachment off the table.

[Nossida]

14. Hmmmmm

If the American people vote for those
2 faced religious republicans, they
deserve what they get. Massive tax cuts
for their super rich buddies? If middle
class republicans can't see whats going
on, then I hope they like living in the
streets.

Cantor, Boner, and that entire
Lot have sold you out. Think before you
Vote poor people. The republicans have
done away with the middle class.
I hope low income republicans will come
to their senses,but I doubt it.

[Action]

15. Never Forget

Anyone who is not rich (billionaire) and votes for the repubs is a total fool and/or a racist!

[Nihil]

16. They've been throwing away their "Very Good Chance" since 2008 ...

... or is everyone supposed to forget the numbers that they
had from the start of the administration?

Are people supposed to forget how "flexible" their commitments
have been over the intervening years?

Are people who voted for "change" supposed to forget not only
the continuing wars but the new ones too?

No ... I suspect that "the first thing" you would do if you
"ruled the world" would be to start working on excuses while
giving the actual rulers free rein ...

[AndyTiedye]

18. Redistricting Will Make this Much Much Harder

The districts will be gerrymandered to heavily favor the Repigs.

[SomeGuyInEagan]

22. Yup. Republicans understand two things: SCOTUS is a lifetime job and redistricting every 10 years

In Minnesota, they ran hard for the state offices in the 2010 election and were able to take both houses for the first time in 30 or so years. And now are in charge for redistricting that occurs every ten years.

[BlueIris]

19. I wish I could believe that.

But I don't. I think the Senate is still at high risk of "going red" again as well.

[LetTimmySmoke]

24. This is all going to depend on the Dems' spine and skill.

The GOP is acting crazy and looking to commit political suicide. The wild card though is the dems, who in my opinion are *modestly* more competent and responsive to the will of the people than the GOP.

[LongTomH]

26. Plan to run as if we're coming from behind!

I hope Nancy Pelosi is right; but, we need to expect:

1) Republican dirty tricks, especially voter suppression, and
2) Possible blowback from a double-dip recession.