NYT: Benefits programs face bipartisan efforts to cut them

[Go2Peace]

GOP, Democrats no longer fighting over whether to tackle programs, but how to do it

In a significant shift driven by bipartisan concern about the looming long-term debt, Republicans and Democrats are no longer fighting over whether to tackle the popular entitlement programs — Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security — but over how to do it.

In the presidential race, Gov. Rick Perry of Texas, the Republican front-runner of the moment, took the debate over entitlements to a level never before seen from a major candidate, calling for the end of all three programs as currently structured. In his debate with Republican rivals Wednesday, he amplified his claims that Social Security is a Ponzi scheme and a “monstrous lie” to younger Americans counting on the money for retirement. On Thursday, he circulated similar past criticisms from his chief rival, Mitt Romney, who defended Social Security in the debate.

............

To the chagrin of many in his party, this summer Mr. Obama proposed changes in Medicare and Social Security that once would have been unthinkable for a Democratic president during his unsuccessful talks with the House speaker, John A. Boehner, for a “grand bargain” on cutting deficits. In return for the Republicans’ agreement to raise taxes after 2012 for the wealthy, Mr. Obama indicated that his party would support slowly increasing the eligibility age for Medicare to 67 from 65 and changing the formula for cost-of-living increases in Social Security to a less generous one that some economists consider more accurate.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/44448329/ns/politics-the_new_york_times/

[MannyGoldstein]

1. Well then fuck them all. Just fuck them.

Social Security is absolutely fine for at least decades, probably forever. The only reason to touch it is to steal the $2.6 trillion (and growing) Trust Fund for the wealthiest Americans.

Shame.

[Hydra]

2. Well, duh

Consider it raising taxes on the poor without "Raising taxes." If you make it nearly impossible to collect SSI by raising the age or cutting the benefits or both, you have a massive slush fund and nobody complains that the taxes are regressive.

Theft is what politicians and the uber-wealthy do best. Expect them to get more creative until every ounce of work is wrung out of everyone.

[ThomCat]

3. So many people cheering for a plan to screw the poor and disabled.

:(

How can anyone listen to that speech and not realize that he's planning to build his jobs program on the backs of seniors and people with disabilities.

He's going to cut Medicare and Social Security.

He's also going to fund his program with a Payroll tax cut, but that payroll tax is what funds medicare and social security.

By cutting the payroll tax he is going to cause a funding shortage. Then, because there is a funding shortage he'll be able to say that Medicare and Social Security are having a funding crisis and need to be cut some more in order to "save" them.

This is a coordinated plan being implemented to destroy Medicare and Social Security, step by step. Do people not see this? :(

[sad sally]

4. Did you catch this part of the plan?

...full 6.2% employer contribution waived on the first $50 million net increase in a company's payroll - say what? Funding shortage on the horizon. Remember hearing just a week ago that the disability part of SS would be bankrupt by 2017? It's going to be sooner, I fear.


"Businesses would get the same 3.1-point reduction on taxes they pay on the first $5 million of their payroll, a limit that skews the benefit toward smaller firms. The full 6.2 percent employer contribution would be waived on the first $50 million net increase in a company’s payroll."

[ThomCat]

5. Yes. That's why I'm convinced that he's fully planning to end

medicare and social security by the end of his second term.

He clearly wants to have such a huge funding hole that he can "justify" the republican dream of privatizing the whole deal.

I've said many times before that when republicans have wanted something mean and ugly for years it is always "Moderate" democrats that do the dirty work of delivering it. :(

The way Clinton delivered NAFTA and Welfare "reform", Obama is going to keep delivering "Free Trade" agreements, privatized education "reform," privatized retirement benefits, and mandatory privatized insurance for absolutely everybody.

He's not a democrat. He's a corporatist republican who fooled us. x(

[hifiguy]

19. The ultimate Trojan Horse.

That is what the Current Occupant is. Nothing more and nothing less. We have been royally, totally and finally scammed. As only Nixon could go to China, only a nominally Democratic POTUS could gut and destroy the New Deal and the Great Society. And that is exactly what we are watching unfold.

[amborin]

21. +10000

all part of the plan it seems

[woo me with science]

6. [phone]

"Do people not see this?" They either don't see, or they don't care.

Either way, millions are left with nobody to defend them.

:puke: :nuke:

[durablend]

15. Doesn't matter to the OAS

Came out of the president's mouth, so it's just more total awesomeness. The details aren't what's important, it's that he looked SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO dreamy when he said it!

[woo me with science]

7. WAKE UP, AMERICA. WAKE UP, DEMOCRATS.

I never thought I would see something like this praised on DU.

:puke: :nuke:

[Bluebear]

13. +++++++++

[woo me with science]

8. Kick. Who is left to defend the poor, elderly, and disabled?

[CountAllVotes]

11. good questions

and you my friend along with others will defend the poor, elderly and the disabled. These groups of people cannot likely do it themselves as they wouldn't be in this boat to begin with. It is up to those of us that can do that must! Thank you! :thumbsup:

:dem: :kick:

[Butch350]

17. WE THE FUCKING PEOPLE!

Who defended your backside from bullies in grade school - the president or congress?!

[Bluebear]

"that once would have been unthinkable for a Democratic president"

Fired up! Ready to go!

[Enrique]

10. still unthinkable, imo n/t

[Bluebear]

12. I guess we are relics

[Bluebear]

9. .

.

[myrna minx]

14. This is so chilling - as well as his plan to deregulate business, but will

keep the bare minimum to keep us "safe". Gee thanks. If this "magic wand" EPA decision this past week is any signal of what he deems important - :scared:

[bluethruandthru]

16. Time to find candidates who support real strengthening of SS...and that includes presidential

candidates. Obama's betrayal of core democratic principles knows no bounds. Unfortunately, too many in the party are blindly following him.

[hifiguy]

18. Hmm, I wonder where the apologists and cheerleaders

are on this thread?

Truth is truth and we are completly screwn. It is eminently clear that the main difference between many Dems, and the Current Occupant in particular, and the protofascist Repukes is how fast they will drive the middle class off the cliff and into the sea.

Where have you gone Franklin Roosevelt?
Our nation turns its weary eyes to you....

[Bluebear]

20. +

[FLAprogressive]

23. They're too busy reveling in yet another speech......actions mean nothing to apologists.

[ibegurpard]

31. the apologists and cheerleaders support this

and are trying to find ways to spin it into something that it is not

[woo me with science]

22. Kick. nt

[kenny blankenship]

24. Repukes want this because they hate the poor; Democrats because they think "it will be a STIMULUS!"

A stimulus to corporations to send them many bundled donations and to think of them as friends, just like the Republicans.

It comes to the same thing. And to hell with them all.

(Democrats talk about jobs and stimulus. Then they join in, or initiate even, attacks that weaken social spending programs invented and won by Democrats with blood, sweat and tears. Subtracting money from benefits programs is ANTI fiscal stimulus, you fucking idiots! You either don't understand your own party's historical policies, or you are bald faced liars who're just sleazing your way into bed with corporate power and sticking the knife into your constituents' backs. Either way I don't care anymore. The Donkey Party is dead and gone.)

[Bluebear]

25. Kick

[William769]

26. K&R.

[undeterred]

27. People will die. That is all there is to it.

[Bluebear]

28. Oh well as long as we "win"

[theaocp]

29. a kick I wish I didn't have to give

[woo me with science]

30. Kick, because we cannot ignore this. nt