Romney couldn't care less about SS and Medicare; makes sense he's oblivious to the shitstorm coming

[bigtree]

. . . from his choice of most seniors' #1 political target and nemesis when it comes to defending their benefits.

Should I imagine for a second that Romney consciously chose to pick Ryan because actually he wanted to pick a fight in this election with seniors and retirees -- some of the most effective, prepared, organized and explosive bloc of interest voters that exist in the legislative arena?

Or is this just another clueless and backward decision made off the top of the head of the hapless Romney?

[NYC_SKP]

1. He has mansions and car elevators to tend to. He doesn't have time for SS and Medicare.

Whatever the hell those things are.

To Mitt they are nuisance sounds that he wishes would go away.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

2. They'll go away, all right...

Once we hand him his well-deserved defeat this November.

[demosincebirth]

3. The rich could care less about SS & Medicare. They have theirs no matter what, so fuck the rest.

Too bad the book of Mormon doesn't have what Jesus said to his disciples in Matt 19:24 about the rich, the eye of the needle and a camel.

[Vincardog]

4. Every Democratic candidate should come out now on: eliminating the SS Cap, lowering the retirement

age, raising the SS payment by 35% now and automatically linking COLAs to real inflation.

They should also run on lowering the Medicare age to 0.

After they take back the house they should Pass Public Financing, Hand counts and paper ballots, and the SS and Medicare changes.

[bigtree]

7. perfect for congressional races

ties the national campaign against benefits to their local efforts against their republican challengers.

'Here's the face of the republican Congress looking to further that agenda in the WH; the face and clear intention of all republicans,' they can now argue without any equivocation at all.

I agree they should take advantage of the political opening to push for changes needed and other protections. Shouldn't have any trouble rallying benefit voters.

[customerserviceguy]

9. And just where would that money come from?

Ever since the Great Recession began (you can argue that it's ended, but I wouldn't believe it) the Social Security System has paid more out in benefits than it has taken in from FICA taxes. Rasing the cap just raises the amount of the maximum benefit that people who already have pensions and 401K's will get to collect.

Entitlements are heading for a day of reckoning, it's just a matter of whether it's our side or their side that is in control when it happens, or what we'll do versus what they will do to manage a soft landing.

[Vincardog]

11. If SS has been paying more than it took in how would it have a $2T Surplus? Quit lying.

Eliminating the cap will fund SS for ever.
Lowering the Medicare age to 0 would finally control Medical cost inflation.

Whining about "entitlements" is what the RW losers do.

[customerserviceguy]

13. That so-called surplus

is money Congress has borrowed, and replaced with "specialized Treasury securities" that even Bernie Sanders once referred to as "IOU's" that are not redeemable or negotiable on the open market.

They're of the same status as the mortgage for $500K on the house that currently has a market value of $100K. If the borrower who signed the note will actually pay back the $500K, then that mortgage has worth. If the borrower decides to hand in the keys and walk, then you have a problem.

I don't see Congress putting together budget surpluses by raising taxes on rich people or cutting out futile Asian wars anytime soon.

[Vincardog]

15. "That so-called surplus" is the difference between the money I and people like me have paid in

and the money paid out over the years.
If you have no faith in US Treasury Certificates you can feel free to sign them all over to me.
The fact that they " are not redeemable or negotiable on the open market"
is a protection guaranteeing US that they can only be used to PAY US what we are due.

What world do you live in that this guaranteed protection becomes a fault?
The protection is why they can only be used to pay us, in effect guaranteeing the "note".

What purpose does your attack on the full faith and confidence in US Treasuries serve?

[customerserviceguy]

16. That's the problem

No one, not even the Social Security Trust Fund, can sign them all over to anyone. They're completely non-negotiable, unlike a regular Treasury note or bill. They can only be redeemed at the whim of Congress. Right now, I don't see a lot of will on the part of that body to either raise taxes or cut spending for futile Asian wars to run the budget surplus needed to redeem them without further borrowing or printing fiat money through another QE.

This is simply a fact, money has been borrowed by a debtor (the US government) which has no current means or willingness to pay it back. In fact, the Simpson-Bowles commission was designed to keep funnelling money into it, in order for Congress to have additional slush funds to pretend that they're working towards a balanced budget, when the exact opposite is the case.

Romney-Ryan are about to sell that on the national stage, in order to convince younger voters to go along with the Ryan plan. Unless we come up with a counterproposal, I fear they will be successful.

[CoffeeCat]

5. So true, why would Golden Mittens...

...give one hoot about a $2000 monthly check? That is laughable.

His wife wore a $2,000 t-shirt on a Fox News interview.

[magical thyme]

6. they care about it in the sense that they see a big pile of money

that, in their puny minds, belongs in their own offshore accounts, not the bank or credit union account of some hapless, hardworking saps like "you people."

[rfranklin]

8. I have been saying that for years...Republicans believe the cash in your pocket is really theirs...

it just got misplaced.

[marlakay]

10. He doesn't seem to realize that we retired folks

or semi retired like me have the time to volunteer….

[Rosa Luxemburg]

12. Republicans rely on the seniors' vote

because they won't get much else - may be the white young men

[DearAbby]

14. He was made an offer he couldn't refuse

Some Daddy Warbucks funding his campaign.....