Obama Says GOP Is Holding People's Checks Hostage

CBS: "Obama says he cannot guarantee Social Security checks will go out on August 3."

President Obama on Tuesday said he cannot guarantee that retirees will receive their Social Security checks August 3 if Democrats and Republicans in Washington do not reach an agreement on reducing the deficit in the coming weeks.

"I cannot guarantee that those checks go out on August 3rd if we haven't resolved this issue. Because there may simply not be the money in the coffers to do it," Mr. Obama said in an interview with CBS Evening News anchor Scott Pelley, according to excerpts released by CBS News.

...Mr. Obama told Pelley "this is not just a matter of Social Security checks. These are veterans checks, these are folks on disability and their checks. There are about 70 million checks that go out."

On one hand, I'm glad to see the President underlining precisely what's at stake and laying responsibility clearly at the feet of the Republicans and their ideological rigidity.

On the other hand, I'm like, "No shit, dude. That's why you shouldn't bother negotiating with these assholes IN THE FIRST PLACE."

Concessions to the inflexible doesn't make them bend. It just leaves you with a weaker position.

And, make no mistake: "We will stand the line and defend Social Security and Medicare against Republican attempts to destroy them" is a stronger position than "We offered to help them destroy Social Security and Medicare, and they STILL wouldn't budge!"