Becka show: Hagel on SS reform: 9 March 05

[pdurod1]

I heard Chuck say he (in his proposal) would raise the retirement age from 67 to 68 and almost in the same sentence say he didn't want to cut benefits. Uhh, whiskey, tango, foxtrot???

[Erika]

1. You need to contact him

and start nailing these swarmy people. Make them speak the truth, regardless of party.

[TheFarseer]

2. That wouldn't cut benifits per se

it would reduce the number of people who can receive benefits. That's certainly one solution but I think there are better ideas out there.

[Skylewalker]

3. Media coverage

I was at Hagel's speech too and coverage of the event was just horrible. Viewers and readers alike got no sense at all of the generally negative reception that private accounts received. I wrote about it on the Nebraska politics/media blog I'm trying to start up:

http://newnebraska.blogspot.com

As for the rising retirement age being a cut in benefits, I'd agree. But at least on this end, Hagel was being somewhat up-front with only a minor bit of self-contradiction. The same doesn't apply with the Private Accounts plan, which is poorly justified with nothing but soundbytes to back it up while being so full of hidden costs that no American but the New Deal-hating ideologue would ever support it with the full numbers before them.

Unless, of course, the Bush Administration knows something the rest of Americans don't. Oh, they love it when we think that - already milked a war out of it. Who says we won't be fooled again?

Meet the new boss,

KLM

[newyawker99]

4. Hi Skylewalker!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast: