![\"pccc_pledge_on_fb_01\"\n](\"http:\/\/www.progressivefox.com\/wp-content\/gallery\/loyaltoafault\/pccc_pledge_on_fb_01.jpg\"\n\t\t "\\"pccc_pledge_on_fb_01\\"\n")
\n \t<\/a>\n\t\t <\/div>\n Having the nominal leader of the Democratic Party himself opening the door to the possibility of Medicare cuts, even if it’s just some sort of negotiating ploy, undercuts the efficacy of a key campaign message that Democrats need to be able to run on in 2012: opposition to the desire of Paul Ryan and the Republicans to cut Medicare.<\/p>\nSo, when the Progressive Change Campaign Committee began circulating a petition<\/a> that it hoped would stiffen Obama’s spine in these negotiations, I signed on. And I posted a link to it on my Facebook wall as well, hoping that others of a like mind would sign the pledge, too.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Here’s what the petition said:<\/p>\n \nPresident Obama: If you cut Social Security, Medicare, or Medicaid benefits for me, my family, or families like mine, don’t ask for a penny of my money or an hour of my time in 2012. I’m going to focus on electing bold progressive candidates who will fight to protect our Democratic legacy.<\/em>\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n Some local Democrats were not pleased with the idea of such a pledge, among them noted Democratic explorer John Atkinson. Atkinson\u2014who spent much of this year exploring IL-03, hunting for Dan Lipinski’s seat, until he lost his map and decided to do a little exploring in the newly discovered IL-11\u2014thought the PCCC pledge was “ridiculous.”<\/p>\n Now, Atkinson chose not to elaborate on what, exactly, he thought was ridiculous about all of this, but I think we can safely assume that he has no objection to Obama putting cuts to Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid on the table. And this should come as no surprise. He is, after all, an insurance industry executive<\/a> when he’s not off \n\t\t No doubt, John Atkinson trusts the President to do the right thing here. Didn’t Obama deliver health care “reform” in just the form that the insurance industry wanted it? Mandates, with no public option, to say nothing of single-payer? And consider this: what would cuts to Social Security and Medicare mean for the \n\t\t\n \t<\/a>\n\t\t <\/div>\n exploring the world of politics. The insurance racket has made him a very wealthy man. So wealthy that he has, in recent years, showered Democratic candidates with campaign contributions. So many contributions, in fact, both out of his own pocket and raised from others, that he has been rewarded by the Democratic Party, in turn, with seats<\/a> on the Democratic National Committee’s National Advisory Board<\/a> and National Finance Committee<\/a>. <\/p>\n