Progressive Caucus proposes budget 'deal for all'  Speaking to a
near empty room, members of the Congressional Progressive
Congress unveiled the broad strokes of its vision for America's
budget: protecting Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid,
raising taxes on the wealthiest, creating middle class jobs and
reducing defense spending.  "We're reframing the debate," said
Caucus Co-Chair Rep. Keith Ellison, D-Minn., emphasizing that
the House should have a wider range of choices than Rep. Paul
Ryan's, R-Wis., budget and the Simpson-Bowles economic
suggestions.  Rep. John Conyers, D-Mich., called the debate
between the Ryan budget and Simpson-Bowles suggestion a "false
choice." He praised the modest defense cuts proffered by
Simpson-Bowles, but objected to the plan's treatment of middle-
class entitlement programs, worrying about an increase in cost-
sharing for medicare recipients.  "This nation is built on the
middle class," said Rep. Charlie Rangel, D-N.Y. "If we don't
have them active, they can't buy, if they