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John McCain has been alternately saying he'll never privatize Social Security and then immediately proposing to do just that. At first it just sounded like the normal confusion from campaign press releases trying to say too many things in the same sound bite, but Nick Baumann at Mother Jones catches him in a revealing moment:
On Monday, during a town hall in Denver, John McCain proposed a radical "fix" for the way Social Security is funded. Responding to a questioner who claimed Social Security "will not be there" when current workers retire (which is wrong), McCain said this:
Americans have got to understand that we are paying present-day retirees with the taxes paid by young workers in America today. And that's a disgrace. It's an absolute disgrace, and it's got to be fixed.
As anyone who knows anything about Social Security understands, "paying present-day retirees with the taxes paid by young workers" is pretty much the functional definition of Social Security. Always has been. That's what John McCain is calling an "absolute disgrace."
Earlier McCain said he supports private accounts, but only as a "supplement" to Social Security, not as a substitute. That official campaign statement was apparently crafted to make it sound as if McCain was not endorsing the unpopular Bush/Republican proposal that did partially substitute private accounts for Social Security. Bush had proposed that part of our SS payroll taxes be used to fund private accounts, thus undermining the inter-generational funding for Social Security recipients.
But McCain's statement on Monday shows he's either misleading voters about his underlying support for substituting private accounts for Social Security or he's proposing "fixes" without understanding his proposal undermines Social Security's most fundamental feature. Either way, he just grabbed hold of America's riskiest third rail with both hands.
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The “privatization” of SS is a bloody smokescreen to enable the bastards to redistribute even more of our money upward. SS is solvent now and will be solvent for the next umpteen years as long as we stop robbing the bank. What is needed is to remove the cap on SS payments. The cap is now at $90,000, I do believe, and it should be removed, period. With no cap those of us on SS would not have to pay goddamn taxes and our SS cheques would be much higher. Why the super rich (anyone making over $90,00 in my opinion) are allowed a free ride is beyond me, besides super rich do not need an SS cheque.
‘Disgrace’ is about as close to any ‘grace’ as McGrease can handle, the
Un-social security of his frens being upper-most in his mind, wherever it may be…
I suggest that there are a great many things that McCain doesn’t understand.
Gee that ain’t complicated at all.
Why don’t ‘we’ try it?
Duh-uh.
Orrin Hatch on Washington Journal (C-span) “Hundreds of Billions” in law suits against telcos which they “must settle out of court since they can’t reveal classified information, it’s legalized extortion!”
bzzzzzrt!
OT - orrin hatch is on cspan explaining fisa modification to us rubes.
I think it’s about time we start stickin’ it to the rich rather than the other way round.
lol. i owe you a drink - so long as it’s not a coke. *g*
Ain’t no future, otherwise, SD.
This fossil just can’t keep his mouth shut. He hasn’t had an original thought since Christ was a kid.
or coherent thought, for that matter.
What a booby, Hatch.
Good morning Scarecrow, pups
When they ‘released’ McSame’s medical records, did they include the ones for his mental health? He sounds like he’s developing one of the dementias (but probably not Alzheimer’s).
Dear Ghu, the man is totally clueless ….
I am puzzled that my republican middle class friends who had or have senior citizen parents with no other income or safety nets other than social security or medicare are still firm republicans. Big disconnect going on there.
McCain says that he wants to ”fix” Social Security with bipartisanship, like Reagan & Congress did in the early 1980’s. If Social Security actually was ”fixed” that way, it’d be fine with me. They cut benefits a little (younger workers now have to be older than 65 to get the full benefit) and they raised the contribution workers & employers had to make.
If you suggested to McCain now that the perfect solution would be a mixture of raising taxes and cutting benefits, he’d have a tizzy.
It’s hard to understand how any halfway intelligent voter would support the privatization (even partial) of Social Security given the current gyrations of the stock markets, not to mention all the other “private” financial frauds that have been perpetrated in recent times.
A caller just explained he listened to Laura INgraham from 9-12, Rush from 12-3, Hannity 3-6, then Savage, the Hannity and Colmes, then O’rielly. He asked how could they keep the rest of us from being propagandized by the Mainstram Media? ROFL…
When Shrub went on his little barnstorming tour to tout privatization the whole country went apeshit. Does McSFB think we’ve suddenly changed our minds? Or that we’ve suddenly started to believe their endless line of bullshit?
I’m wondering if the caller has a life?
their entire purpose now is to bring back the robber baron economy, they do not want us investing in our future, they want nothing invested in tomorrow.
they are federalists, robber barons, libertarians, they are anarchists, no investment in infrastructure is worth it because the wealthy have their own infrastructure or will get the middle class to fund it anyway
here’s the solution to the social security problem;/
“LEAVE IT THE FRIG ALONE”
STOP using it’s assets to give tax gifts to the wealthy and their corporate pals, STOP funding it with middle class dolaras alone, BEGIN to fund it with EVERYONE’S income, this includes ALL the wealthy’s income, not just the first few hundred grand
AND RETURN ALL SOCIAL SECURITY ASSETS MISSAPROPRIATED TO THEW WEALTHY IN THE GREATES THEFT OF AMERICAN HISTORY, a theft they managed to call “tax reduction” when in FACT it was a tax INCREASE
and we DON’T need to “raise taxes on the wealthy”, what we need to do is GET OUR FRIGGING MONEY BACK, THE MONEY STOLEN BY THE REAGAN TAX INCREASES
Reagan DID NOT “lower taxes”, he RAISED TAXES more then ANY PEACE TIME PRESIDENT and the media gets to call him some kind of “tax reformer”.
here’s what a SMART obama camaign would look like if he really were a progressive, (it seems he is not);
“contrary to corporate propaganda, reagan RAISED taxes he did NOT lower them, we will beging rebuilding our economy by LOWERING THE TAX CODE TO THE SAME LEVELS THEY WERE BEFORE REAGAIN RAISED TAXES”
OH BABY!
Hmm ‘halfway’ citizens.
Farm out!
Could be you is givin’ a wee bit more credit than, might be, is due.
How about eighth-way?
McCain is a disgrace. His “jokes” are disturbing enough. The fact that he doesn’t curb himself & think twice before saying them is even more disturbing. He doesn’t have an ounce of judgement.
yet here’s the front page of the LA Times online
Obama all worn out from campaigning
if obama wants to use that for his campaing, I invite him, I also invite him to put me on his advisory staff so he can get it right becuase SOMEBODY is taking him OFF the road this country needs to be on.
so, if obama wants to use this for his next speech, he doesn’t even need to give me a call or credit;
watch their heads EXLODE
Judgement, smudgement, McSludgement’s da wun!
at least Bush has handlers
What a disgrace the LA Times has become. I remember a time…
The thought occurred to me as I wrote what I did, but I decided to take the high road. I’m a fool. I know it.
Nah, you’re a decent, responsible human being.
It’s ‘others’ who are da problump!
Perhaps McCain will bill it as a “buying opportunity.”
Catch a falling knife, put it in your pocket, save it for a rainy day.
SInce they booted Robert Scheer, it’s been downhill all the way. TribuneCo has just about destroyed what once was the LA Times.
Now that, on the other hand, is cutting invective.
;~D
I remember seeing a clip of the head of the Tribune Co before it was sold and his only interest was in the bottom line. Couldn’t have care less whether the papers were any good or not. Just as long as they brought in tons of ad revenue.
Elliot@28
Evidently there aren’t enough handlers in the world to keep the lid on bonehead bush, lol.
I think they’ve actually given up trying to keep him in line.
as Teddy always says:
McCain in D A N GE R O U S
never thought there could be anyone worse than Bush and yet here he is.
Makes ya wonder what else is lurking in the shadows. Where are the Ghost Busters when ya need ‘em.
going to work, I am hoping there will be a firestorm against pelosi and her latest corruption
she needs to be embarrassed into doing the right thing with rove at the very least.
this is getting into bizarro land territory
When you pick up the dead tree copy of it from the driveway (as I still do every morning) & look inside, that is completely borne out.
Dangerous
McCain should start with himself–no free Social Security for Congress critters. AND lower his salary to minimum wage–see how much he can “save” on that lower-than-living-wage. (No using his wife’s salary to survive on.)
Bu$h was but the prototype.
No doubt, for the rest of our lives, those wrought in his image shall bedevil us, again and again. Especially if there is no ‘consequence’.
the dead tree are no longer our fourth estate and I doubt they will reclaim their role
they have failed their charge
What did I miss? What has she done, now?
Crazy John McCain wants to punish those unpatriotic senior citizens. They do not deserve Social Security because they disrespect the flag pins and trespass on city property. This one 61 year librarian was arrogant enough to have a Sign comparing Krazy Guy to Kommander Guy. What is wrong with these insurgent old people? Stay in your Free Speech Zone or suffer the consequences.
Kill, kill, kill, kill, kill the Persians! Lighten-up my friends.
-Johnny McChuckles
May I respectfully note that if the freaking campaign season were not 3 and 364/365 years long, none of us would be worn out???
There was a time Denver was not home to the Gestapo.
Oh, I dunno, yestaday the Grey Lady spoke out against FISA shit.
‘Course it might ta helped if they had done so months ago, and engaged in a campaign of ‘educating’ the public about the issue.
Aw, their timin’ just sucked a bit, their hearts are in the ‘right’ place.
Kinda like watchin’ horses for someone, noticin’ that the horses were kickin’ down the barn door, and leavin’ a message for your friend that the horses were out and ya forgot to close the barnyard gate.
But, hey, ya done yer duty, ‘right’?
and mebbe the talking heads would focus on the actual issues instead of working up that horse race lather.
AP LIES FOR BUSH /CHENEY again
The vote, planned for Wednesday, would end almost a year of wrangling between the House and Senate, Democrats and Republicans, and Congress and the White House over the president’s warrantless wiretapping program that was initiated after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.
Omitted from the article above was McCain asking the reporter why everyone can’t just marry a beer heiress like he did.
AFTER….hahahahahahaha
…if I might add: “and if it weren’t costing millions of dollars”…that might have been used to helping the homeless, helping New Orleans, helping those losing their homes to foreclosure, and on and on…
If McCain could only bottle what Carly Fiorina did to HP
(i.e., shrink it and almost destroy it)
and apply it to the Federal deficit.
I was in Butte during the time Obama was there. We were rather surprised that he came in on Thursday and didn’t leave until late Sat morning. It would have been impossible for him to walk in the parade as there is no city restriction on fireworks, and for the whole time he was there, there was the sound of fireworks exploding. There would have been no way to judge threat, so, like many others, I was relieved that he didn’t walk the parade route, which was quite long.
I was at the picnic and everyone, except Secret Service, seemed quite relaxed. Sasha wandered away from the picnic table to play with her cousin and uncle (the Hawaii sister and family were there too). I was impressed by Michelle Obama’s calmness as she came by and shook our hands - she stopped and asked the young girls I was with about how their Fourth was. Obama himself was joking with people as he grilled a few burgers for the small crowd.
The town had fun with them and then, as far as I could tell, left them alone and went on with their own shooting fireworks and bbq’s. I met so many people who grew up in Butte, who come back for the Fourth. It is summer, the sun doesn’t set until nearly 9:30, and it is the big holiday to enjoy Montana summer. I hope the Obamas had a good time; they certainly were poised in the middle of the frenzy.
Don’t forget the 45 million, she got for doing so swell a job.
By her calculation, must have been worth it.
No kidding. But issues? Ya got issues? Isn’t this all about age and skin and cleavage?
boogiecheck: This is one of the immense obscenities of our democratic system. Campaign reform, anyone? Six months max. Cap on spending, carefully monitored by . . . oh, wait, the damn fox is always in the henhouse, eh?
oo thanks for that, nice to get some first hand reporting.
sounds like a wonderful 4th celebration there in Butte
Yep.
‘age and skin and cleavage’.
Damn fine Nutshell, there, barbara.
;~D
I would love to see McCain spend his political capital on this issue.
I believe the only honorable thing for Social Security recipients to do is to take their monthly payments and go shopping! Stimulate the moribund economy. Have fun! Fuggedabout the food and gas thingies. Rely on the ER for medical care.
With that track record, I am sure he’ll put her to work on Social Security.
-G
Fresh Scarecrow upstairs
The FISA Cavein Is Congress’ Shame
Iwas living in Apollo Beach when Little Boots hit Tampa for his littel tour stop.
All the local TV stations with News programs were covering the show live. The one that didn’t have news, was showing Jerry Springer. And Jerry’s topic that day was classic:
I’ll let you figure out where the most truth was spoken that afternoon
You is on a roll!
Don’t fergit that shoppin’ defeatalates them terrorists asum well.
Why the super rich (anyone making over $90,00 in my opinion) are allowed a free ride is beyond me, besides super rich do not need an SS cheque.
The super rich get the Fed to give them treasury bills at face value for worthless loans. Social Security should take bank stock in exchange for those worthless loans and start charging interest on those loans.
Which is better than the fire sale Helicopter Ben is planning probably on those loans to foreign nation Sovereign Funds and Friends of Bush, right after the election to help McCain and prevent Obama from stopping it.
Republicans do not believe in the “common good.” They worship individual greed and the “free markets.”
We need more mathematics. Bush=McCain, Pelosi=Boner, Iraq=VietNam, Neo-cons=Nazis, Mark Penn=Karen Hughes (they are going into the Influence Peddling business together.)
McLame is seven years somewhat past his expiration date. McSame is a Senate floater, just biding his time for God knows what. As nature would have it all turds given enough time, decades now, wil rise to the top. Common sense says these turds need to be scooped out of the cesspool and disgarded.
Morning all :)
A little OT, but just think if they had managed to privatize Social Security??
Geneva - The global financial crisis could lead to losses of 1,600 billion dollars for financial institutes, according a report in the Swiss Sunday newspaper SonntagsZeitung. It quoted a confidential study by the hedge fund Bridgewater Associates as saying losses for banks holding risky assets could be four times greater than the 400 billion dollars previously estimated.
http://www.earthtimes.org/arti.....eport.html
On McCain’s policies. I repeat what I said yesterday. They are not policies but simply dog whistles to ensure the loyalty of the thug base. He is replaying Rove’s successful election strategy of 2004. Keep the base, and scare the middle on the national security issue. The Democrats never learn. Elections are no longer decided on the basis of policy, but on the basis of emotion. Obama got off to a good emotional start, but he’s squandered a lot of it in the past two weeks. Still and all, it’s hard to see Rove pulling another one out of the hat this time, high gas prices and all.
Anyway, no reason to get up and flustered about McCain’s social security stance. He doesn’t mean it, and even if he did he couldn’t do anything about it.
I know of a couple that was super-rich–no worries about money whatsoever–and had no qualms about collecting Soc. Sec. “because they paid into it.”
Social Security was started to help widows and the elderly poor from perishing. How soon it’s forgotten how desperate times were for those unable to save money.
I remember seeing a clip of the head of the Tribune Co before it was sold and his only interest was in the bottom line. Couldn’t have care less whether the papers were any good or not. Just as long as they brought in tons of ad revenue.
Actually ad revenue charged is based on the number of subscribers which after 9/11 for the Trib went down below a million for the Chicago land area.
The Trib lowered the delivery agents pay they organize the paper routes in a town. We had two agents quit in my warehouse of four agents then.
Since then revenue has kept going down so much they had to sell.
I think the Trib’s new owner just wants to keep the paper conservative.
The super rich will need social security if the fed keeps up its current level of success handling the financial crisis. I but Iran shelling kurdish northern Iraq and testing new missiles today won’t help.
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