Last Thursday I led a group of people to Washington, DC to attend a National Nurses United rally in support of a financial transactions tax (FTT) and to meet with two of Senator Bob Casey’s legislative aides. Some of the people with us are heavily involved in Occupy Philadelphia. Others were HCAN, MoveOn or Neighborhood Networks supporters. They all are either sympathetic to or take part in Occupy Philly events.
There were 1500-2000 spirited people at the rally. It was nice to meet some folks at the Occupy DC camp. And our meeting with Senator Casey’s staff members impressively showed me why the Occupy Movement is so incredibly importance to this country right now.
Meeting with Senator Casey’s Staff
Senator Casey is sympathetic to our goals. His staff said that he would look at the FTT and that it fits with his support of taxing the wealthy. His aide, Jennifer McCloskey told us that he continues to oppose cuts in Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid, which fits with his long record of fighting for working people and the middle class. (He’s also won of the nicest office holders I’ve ever met.)
But, despite all that, when we asked Ms. McCloskey whether the Senator would oppose a Super Committee Recommendation to cut Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security even if it has a fig leaf tax increase (no one thinks we will get more than a fig leaf from the Republicans), she said he won’t announce his position until the Super Committee report.
It’s common for Senator Casey not to announce his position before a specific proposal is put forward. So I’m not too worried about where he will come out. But I’m very concerned about the idea—which seems pretty common in Washington—that people in this country care more about Democrats and Republicans reaching a deficit reduction budget deal than anything else.
I’m going to write more about how deluded this view is. There I’ll explain why I told Senator Casey’s staff that voting for such a deal would be a political error of colossal proportions. I’ll also explain why such a deal is really bad public policy.
Piercing the DC Bubble or why the Occupy Movement is so important
But for now, all I’m going say is that the Occupy Movement is important precisely because it will help us stand up against the right tending delusions that seem to take up most of the air in the Washington, DC bubble.
There are some opinion polls that suggest that a majority of people want Democrats and Republicans to work together. There are other polls that show that a majority of people are concerned about the long term deficit. And, of course, there are polls that show overwhelming support for resisting cuts to Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security and for raising taxes on the rich.
How is a Democratic progressive to resolve the advice of these conflicting polls, especially when Republicans will not vote for more than a fig-leaf tax increase (and maybe not even that)?
One of the first lessons I learned as a budding political scientist is that it is almost impossible to measure the intensity of feeling with a poll. Polls simply can’t tell you what’s more important to people—securing health care and retirement security for all or accepting cuts in these programs in order to reduce the long term deficit.
There is a huge cadre of people who want to cut a deal: corporate lobbyists—many of them former Democratic officials; instinctive compromisers; and journalists of the David Broder school, which holds that the center is always right, no matter how right the center has drifted.
The only thing that can stand up to these cadre is an army of people who say no to deals and compromises that will hurt working people and the middle class and that are unnecessary to dealing with our long term deficit.
The Occupy Wall Street movement is that army. There are people we met in DC who are on our side and who are moved by this movement. They know that it’s the only thing that can pierce the DC bubble, let the gas of deal making out, and refill it with fresh air that reflects the real priorities of Americans.
So, whether you are active participant in Occupy Philly or a casual observer, I hope you will find a way to support it. I wish it had arisen when we were fighting for the Affordable Care Act. But I’m very happy that, at this moment of great danger for our country, it has arisen and fighting for working people and the middle class.