Jeb Bush Backs Hike in Social Security Retirement Age

[KamaAina]

http://www.nationaljournal.com/2016-elections/2016-jeb-bush-social-security-retirement-age-20150417

Jeb Bush grabbed one of the third rails of American politics on Friday, declaring that the retirement age for Social Security should be raised and "in relatively short order."

"I think we need to raise the retirement age, not for people that are already nearing, receiving Social Security, or already on it, but raise it gradually, over a long period of time for people that are just entering the system," Bush said. "And I think we need to do that in relatively short order."

Bush made the comments at the New Hampshire Institute of Politics at Saint Anselm College in Manchester—the same venue that potential presidential rival, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, outlined an entitlement-reform package of his own earlier this week that also included raising the Social Security retirement age.

Christie called for eventually bringing the retirement age to 69. Bush offered no such specifics during his appearance at the institute. Asked by National Journal afterward if he had a specific age in mind, Bush said, "No—not yet."

I guess he figures he has Florida in the bag.

[OKNancy]

1. Glad I'm older because there is no way my husband

could keep painting until he is 69. He is 62 now and I don't know how he can last until 66. His poor knees and wrists are sore all the time.
All construction workers would be up shit creek.

[Skidmore]

6. My husband is still working

at 72 and he is still painting as part of his job. He talks about retiring but when it comes down to it he backs off. He kept working past retirement age to hold onto health insurance. He's kind of a Type A blue collar worker though. I think just stopping would probably harder for him. He's pretty driven although I very much would like to see him slow down at the very least.

[OKNancy]

8. He's lucky to have health insurance

We didn't until Obamacare. Well, we did for a while until the premiums got to be a third of our income.

[yellowcanine]

2. Frickin bad idea. Someone who has done a lot of manual labor all of their life is worn out long

before 65, let alone 69. Someone should ask Jebbie when he last worked at a job where he had to wear gloves or work boots.

[geek tragedy]

3. He really is the dumb one in the family. Following Christie over the cliff. nt

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

4. All under the guise of "lowering taxes" (said loudly) "for the rich" (said very, very, softly).

[Octafish]

5. I remember that!

Democrats once sounded off on stuff like wrecking Social Security and Robin Hood in Reverse. Now they go along to get along.

[closeupready]

7. Third Way Dems would say, 'ok, let's raise it to 68 - deal?'

Real Democrats would be talking about lowering it to 65, and also about eliminating the cap altogether. Perhaps even expanding the group covered by benefits, and protecting SS benefits from income tax.

[Vinca]

9. It's easy for a person who has never done a day's worth of manual labor to spout this crap.

A whole lot of people have blown knees, backs and feet from hard work and they should not be expected to work until they pitch forward and fall into their graves.

[realFedUp]

10. Another strike against him.

What a loser and criminal.