Left Side of the Aisle #70 - Part 7

Outrage of the Week: Treasury Secretary Erskine Bowles?

This is less a present outrage than a possible future one.

If Obama is re-elected, there likely will be something of a shake-up in the cabinet. That's actually pretty normal; there are often changes between a first and second term. One of the people expected to leave is Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner.

And who is it that the DC media people with the White House access say is going to be tapped to replace Geithner? Erskine Bowles.

Name ring a bell? If not, how about the "Simpson-Bowles" plan? Remember in the spring of 2010 when Obama appointed this commission to develop a plan to cut the deficit? A commission dubbed the "cat food commission" because it was stacked with people whose focus was on cutting social programs and so-called entitlements such as Social Security and Medicare? And how when the commission couldn't agree, the co-chairs, Alan Simpson and Erskine Bowles, issued their own report? Yeah, maybe a glimmer of recognition.

Here's the point: That report, the "Simpson-Bowles" plan, had as a central concern cutting Social Security. Erskine Bowles has been campaigning to slash Social Security and Medicare for 15 years, perpetually spinning the standard falsehoods about how they are about to go under, and now the word is that Barack Obama wants him to be the Secretary of the Treasury during his second term.

When will the Obamabots get it through their thick skulls that Barack Obama wants to cut Social Security? He wants to cut Medicare. He wants to cut Medicaid. He's even groused that he doesn't get enough credit for his willingness to do it! All he wants in return is some token tax hike on the rich. That's the meat of the so-called "grand bargain" on spending, taxes, and the deficit.

Would Bowles get approved if nominated? He's loved by the right and by Wall Street and was on the board of directors of Morgan Stanley, so yeah, he'd be a safe bet to sail through, especially since those same fans are well aware of his desire to see the elderly sent back to picking though garbage to survive.

And if the word on the street is right, that's who Barack Obama wants to be the next Secretary of the Treasury. And that would be - and the very fact that it could be seriously entertained is - an outrage.

Sources:
http://news.firedoglake.com/2012/08/10/erskine-bowles-to-treasury-rumor-picks-up-steam/
http://news.firedoglake.com/2012/08/09/obama-frustrated-he-doesnt-get-credit-for-wanting-to-cut-social-security-and-medicare/