Grover Norquist's ideological reasons for Social Security 'reform'

[AirAmFan]

I googled '"pension fund socialism" "social security" "defined benefit"' and found a 1998 gem from Grover Norquist, the number-one extreme-right ideologue for goofy White House economic ideas. Norquist's 1998 piece was written in advocacy of privatizing CALPERS, the California state employee pension fund, but applies almost verbatim to the current Social Security 'reform' thrust:

"The short-term benefit of debating pension reform is a great help to Republican candidates and incumbents. In the long-term, the effect of enacting such reform is fatal to the Democrat coalition....

A ... worker with a defined-contribution pension is a property owner. Every month he receives a letter letting him know how his investments have grown. Or not. He will watch the evening news to see the stock market rise or fall. He will care about cutting the capital gains tax. Government regulations, taxes and anti-growth politicians are the enemies and despoilers of his pension.... A ... worker dependent on politicians and union leaders for his pay and pension is a receptive listener to House Minority Leader Dick Gephardt's politics of hate and envy. But ... with $200,000 or $300,000 in his 40lK is likely to bristle at Gephardt's "soak the rich" rhetoric. This will greatly strengthen the campaign to abolish the inheritance tax and the capital gains tax.

SCIENTISTS PREDICT THAT WHEN THE 401K RISES ABOVE $225,000 THE TRUMAN DEMOCRAT BECOMES A REAGAN REPUBLICAN."

(From http://www.atr.org/opeds/tas/tas0398.html )

[wtmusic]

1. Another Norquist quote, for your enjoyment

"Once the minority of House and Senate are comfortable in their minority status, they will have no problem socializing with the Republicans. Any farmer will tell you that certain animals run around and are unpleasant, but when they've been fixed, then they are happy and sedate. They are contented and cheerful. They don't go around peeing on the furniture and such." -- November 5, 2004

[Azathoth]

2. I'm afraid Norquist might be right about this one

Everything I've seen so far suggests that the Democratic minority leadership in congress is going to be all too eager to cave into the various Republican agendas.

[AirAmFan]

3. Recent ideological arguments for 'reform' are even rarer

than open Wall Street advocacy of trillions in 'management fees' from FICA. But privatized Social Security still ranks number one on the agendas of both greedy Wall Streeters and bug-eyed wing-nuts:

"The nation's brokerages and mutual-fund companies could be big winners if the government were to allow Americans to funnel some of their Social Security taxes into private investment accounts each year. Companies such as Fidelity Investments, Vanguard Group, Merrill Lynch & Co. and Schwab collectively could reap billions of dollars in management fees and commissions in the long term. Still, the emotions triggered by President Bush's call for restructuring Social Security have raised the risk that the financial industry could become a target of public ire.

The AFL-CIO in December sent letters to 46 major financial companies, asking them to renounce the concept of private Social Security accounts. Facing that kind of reaction, "Most people in the (investment) business are keeping a very low profile," said Greg Valliere, chief strategist at Stanford Washington Research Group, a political-consulting firm. "They don't want to be identified as proponents, because of the potential backlash." Among Wall Street's largest firms - Merrill Lynch, Morgan Stanley, Citigroup Inc. and Prudential Financial Inc. - all declined to comment about the Social Security debate...."

(From http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/business/articles/0123ssreform23.html )

[punpirate]

4. I think Norquist needs...

... to go on a diet, so, when he's small enough, we can drown him in the bathtub, just like he thinks needs to be done to government.... :)

[gumby]

5. Grover Norquist is E V I L

That is all.
Over and out.

[AirAmFan]

6. Do you think Dubya's "ownership society" theme is the sound-byte

translation of my capitalized quote from Norquist?

"SCIENTISTS PREDICT THAT WHEN THE 401K RISES ABOVE $225,000 THE TRUMAN DEMOCRAT BECOMES A REAGAN REPUBLICAN." (from the lead-in to this thread)

[chicagojoe]

7. Not smart enough to be evil.

[Azathoth]

8. Don't 'misunderestimate' him

Norquist is quite intelligent, perceptive, well-educated, and thoroughly ruthless. He's basically an extremist, but he's well-connected with many of the GOP's grassroots efforts and has managed to do a lot of damage to Democrats in the past. Just because he's been falling out of favor with some elements of the GOP in recent years dosn't mean that he isn't dangerous.

[chicagojoe]

9. Yeah, I know all about that piece of crap. I was just

being a smartass.

"Lack of Life to the Radical Right"

[Azathoth]

10. My apologies then

:)

[Cell Whitman]

11. Guess who?

He has more to do with our nations politics than anyone, and I don't mean Grover.

http://www.consortiumnews.com/archive/moon3.html
At times, Moon's penetration of conservative ranks has raised red flags among Republicans. In 1983, the GOP's moderate Ripon Society charged that the New Right had entered "an alliance of expediency" with Moon's church. Ripon's chairman, Rep. Jim Leach, R-Iowa, released a study which alleged that the College Republican National Committee "solicited and received" money from Moon's Unification Church in 1981. The study also accused Reed Irvine's Accuracy in Media of benefitting from low-cost or volunteer workers supplied by Moon.

Leach said the Unification Church has "infiltrated the New Right and the party it (the New Right) wants to control, the Republican Party, and infiltrated the media as well." Leach's news conference was broken up when then-college GOP leader Grover Norquist accused Leach of lying.

[AirAmFan]

12. I know Norquist is not very popular around here, but what do you think

about what he SAID:

"SCIENTISTS PREDICT THAT WHEN THE 401K RISES ABOVE $225,000 THE TRUMAN DEMOCRAT BECOMES A REAGAN REPUBLICAN."

??

[Gold Metal Flake]

13. What, that he believes everyone is a corupt as he is?

I believe he is projecting.

[Snellius]

14. Who names their kid "Grover Norquist"?

He's such a wussy wack job, I can't help wondering who spawned this son of satan.