Corporatist Dems: Let Us Gut Medicare and Social Security, or We'll Sabotage Health-Care Bill

[Are_grits_groceries]

<snip>
The panel, which has been championed by Conrad and ranking member Judd Gregg (R-N.H), would be tasked with stemming the unsustainable rise in debt.

Among its chief responsibilities would be closing the gap between tax revenue coming in and the larger cost of paying for Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid benefits. The Government Accountability Office recently reported the gap is on pace to reach an “unsustainable” $63 trillion in 2083.

The panel would also have the power to craft legislation that would change the tax code and set limits on government spending.

The legislation would then be subject to an up-or-down vote; it could not be amended.


<snip>
Let's review the threat that these five Democrats are making:

* They will allow the United States to default on its debt, which will vastly increase the overall amount we have to pay on our debt

UNLESS

* Speaker Nancy Pelosi turns over Congressional power on Social Security and Medicare to an unelected commission that will almost certainly propose deep cuts in Social Security and Medicare entitlements. Keep in mind that if deep cuts to Social Security and Medicare pass under a Democratic trifecta, the party would be doomed at the ballot box for years to come.

This is completely insane, and there is no choice but to call this bluff.

Let's see these five Democratic Senators explain to the entire nation why they allowed the country to default on its debt. No matter how safe their seats appear to be, no Senator is going to win reelection after making the entire country default on its debt. Their rationale does not matter. Being blamed for making the country default on its debt - especially after all five of these Democrats voted in favor of the Wall Street bailout and are demanding that Social Security and Medicare be cut - will be the effective end of their political careers.

Go for it, guys. Form your national suicide pact. Tell the country that you are demanding deep cuts in Social Security and Medicare, or else you will personally cause the United States debt to double. Let's see how well that message plays on the air.
<snip>
http://crooksandliars.com/

I am so tired of these effing shitheads mucking about in everything, and finding ways to obstruct whatever they deem necessary.

SS and Medicare do probably need to be streamlined, but I can guarantee you that committee they want and whatever else will be used for some unholy purposes that will hurt most people.

They can go to hell.

[Lasher]

1. It's always our social programs that are unsustainable.

And nary a peep about military spending.

[Are_grits_groceries]

2. Word!

Not a peep about the waste and corruption in military contracting. That's for starters.

[bahrbearian]

7. We need Star Wars, too protect the Homeland

Since Star Wars was funded there hasn't been a Missle attack on American Soil, just saying.

[Aragorn]

3. life-time

military for job security? That would lower oppostition to illegal wars too, wouldn't it?

[Echo In Light]

8. Funny how it always pans out in that exact manner

[tex-wyo-dem]

12. Yeah, funny how that works, isn't it...

Not a peep about excess military spending or illegal and unjust wars, nothing about the possibility of removing the cap on SS income or raising the top marginal tax rate on the wealthy, closing corporate tax loopholes...oh wait, silly me, that would take all that excess cash out of the hands of the rich so they couldn't tickle-down on the rest of us...sorry, my bad :sarcasm:

[liberal N proud]

4. How is it we fought the bu$h regime to stop this shit only for it to

happen under cover of night by our own party?

How the fuck did this happen?


:nuke:

[Ganja Ninja]

9. It happened because the party is allowing Republicans to run as Democrats.

That's why people say they can't tell the difference between the two parties. Even though there are still some true liberals left, the party as a whole has become ineffective at implementing any sort of liberal agenda but they have no problem crossing over and voting with Republicans. The Democratic party is being sabotaged from within and if they allow this to happen then they will suffer the consequences. I'd rather lose elections then sellout the party brand. Call it a purity test or whatever if they don't differentiate themselves from Republicans then there's no reason for people to support them. One brand of corn flakes is not that much different from the other.

[Hannah Bell]

5. "no choice but to call this bluff" - wanna bet? this is how they steal your money.

SS is currently in surplus. The government *owes* its workers & retirees 2 trillion+ dollars.

To put that in perspective, the gov't owed China $772 billion as of May 2009.

To put *that* in perspective, war cost since 2001 = $932 billion.

http://costofwar.com/

To put *that* in perspective, the direct cost of the bankster bailout so far = about $500 billion.

http://money.cnn.com/2009/10/21/news/economy/sigtarp_bailout_report/?postversion=2009102103


Most of the SS debt was accrued since the Reagan/greenspan "reform" to "save" SS by requiring boomers, gen x-ers, & everyone working since 1983 to pay into SS at rates higher than necessary to support then-current SS recipients, creating large surpluses for the gov't to "borrow" into the general budget: for wars, for bankster bailouts, for whatever the crooks in congress wanted to use it for.

At the same time, income taxes at the top were cut, producing lots of excess cash for the already rich to "invest" in phoney bubbles.

The bursting of those phoney bubbles produced our current slump.

Now they're proposing to cut the benefits you've already paid for.

I propose we cut their wages & bennies, because they're the most useless, corrupt set of lying scammers on the face of the earth.

This was planned from the get-go.

They're talking up the "debt crisis" to steal SS. There's no fucking debt crisis, except the debt on the phoney bets they made. They want to steal your money to pay off their phoney bets.

[Lasher]

13. That's right, stay the course on Social Security and Medicare

Reduction of benefits is capitulation to this scheme. I'm in favor of ending the Medicare Advantage overpayments ASAP but that's not really a reduction of benefits.

[blindpig]

6. Corporatist, capitalists, whatever.

Ain't no difference, really.

k&r

[Odin2005]

10. CUT THE DEFENSE BUDGET first, fuckers!

[Blue State Blues]

11. They may have D's beside their names, but

they are actively working as Republicans. And if they get their way, the Democratic Party will suffer.

Explain to me again how they are good for the party?