Is Obama really raising the Medicare age to 67?

[CreekDog]

and not out of necessity?

really?

is he really going to do this?

i don't know if this makes 2012 easier for him, but it makes it harder for me. :eyes:

[MannyGoldstein]

1. "Time for old folks to eat their peas."

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=439x1499062#1499617

[ClarkUSA]

5. There you go again, sounding exactly like Fauz News' Monica Crowley's fearmongering bullshit.

The similarities are striking: http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=433x712015

All fearmongering rhetoric, no facts.

[MannyGoldstein]

6. You're cute.

Very amusing.

Keep fighting the good fight.

[ClarkUSA]

11. And right.

[MannyGoldstein]

14. If I see her, I will

I promise.

[Autumn]

30. Do you have to tell someone HI? I have to tell

some Lady Rothssomething hi too. I hope I get messenger pay if I ever encounter her.:rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

[MissDeeds]

40. +1

[elleng]

9. ...

:thumbsup:

[flpoljunkie]

39. He apparently endorsed means testing but stopped short of endorsing raising age from 65 to 67

[flpoljunkie]

41. Only 5% of Medicare recipients pay higher Medicare premiums now.

Specifically, individual seniors with income of $85,000 or couples making over $170,000 pay somewhat higher Medicare premiums. This is about five percent of current Medicare recipients.

http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalpunch/2011/07/president-obama-publicly-supports-means-testing-medicare.html

[Davis_X_Machina]

2. Only if you pass one of the death panels.

Then you don't even live that long.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

3. No.

He can't. Congress has to do that.

[pnwmom]

4. Only in the increasingly unlikely event that the Republicans

agree to a bigger plan than the McDonnell one -- and even then, it will all depend on the whole package.

[elleng]

7. No.

He is willing to compromise on a number of things. There is NO agreement, and its extremely foolish to think there is.

As Lawrence just said, 'The politics of campaigning is very different from the politics of governing.'

[ClarkUSA]

8. No, but President Obama is targeting Big Pharm for cuts, much to their horror.

Drugmakers led by Pfizer Inc. (PFE) and Merck & Co. were targeted for Medicare cuts by President Barack Obama as lawmakers push to agree on a deficit plan. The industry predicted “startling” job losses would result.

Pharmaceutical companies “are still doing very well through the Medicare program,” Obama said today at a news conference. “Although we have made drugs more available at a cheaper price to seniors who are in Medicare through the Affordable Care Act, there’s more work to potentially be done.”

The drug industry contributed $80 billion toward the cost of last year’s health-care law, helping Democrats make up for new spending in the bill. With cuts to Medicaid and Medicare on the table as part of deficit talks, the industry may have to give up more as an Aug. 2 deadline looms.

“It’s extremely unfortunate that President Obama continues to push for a policy that could destabilize the successful Medicare Part D program and have a devastating effect on American jobs,” said Karl Uhlendorf, vice president of the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America, the drug industry’s Washington lobbying group. “Startling potential job losses could result from policy proposals that would undermine the business foundations of biopharmaceutical companies.”

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=433&topic_id=711891&mesg_id=711891

I recommend you don't believe a thing unless you hear it from President Obama himself. There are agents of disinformation paid for by the Koch Brothers whose only interest is sowing disharmony amongst Democrats.

[CreekDog]

13. there won't be disharmony from me on this issue if he doesn't do it

but we're hearing from that he is willing to offer this.

[ClarkUSA]

16. In this political form of poker he's playing with Republicans, you'll "hear" alot of things.

Doesn't mean it's true and it sure as heck doesn't mean it'll happen. I have yet to hear one quote from President Obama where he says that. Like I said, there are plenty of fearmongering shit-stirrers being paid by the Koch Brothers who are being deployed to sow anger and discontent on progressive websites.

[CreekDog]

17. if it doesn't happen i'm okay with it

Hmmmm.

[ClarkUSA]

18. FYI: Obama's $2T plan does not include cutting SS benefits. It does include tax increases.

"In Obama's $2 trillion plan, tax increases would come from a 35% limit on itemized deductions and the elimination of special-interest tax breaks for oil and gas companies, corporate jet owners and producers of ethanol. If tax rates on upper-income people returned to 36% and 39.6% in 2013, as Obama wants, the limit on deductions would save about $120 billion.

Obama also is seeking to extend a payroll tax cut enacted last December for another year and possibly extend it to small businesses. For that reason, Republicans could claim that the package is revenue-neutral rather than representing a tax increase — but at the meeting, Republicans still refused to go along.

The remainder of the package would be spending cuts and savings on interest, but not the major reductions in Medicare or Social Security that Obama had been (supposedly) willing to accept as part of a $4 trillion deal."


Read more here: http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=439&topic_id=1499062&mesg_id=1499799

Note that President Obama mentioned a means test. That would technically "cut" spending on SS, but not slash/cut benefits for those in need.

[Name removed]

23. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[ClarkUSA]

27. I thought we were doing quite well.

Anyway, thanks for the civil discourse up to now. I rather like my sig. ;)

[boppers]

33. What photo?

:evilgrin:

[ClarkUSA]

51. lol

:fistbump:

[Tx4obama]

26. I like your signature photo :) n/t

[ClarkUSA]

28. Aww... I got something just for you.

:hug:

[Name removed]

32. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Divine Discontent]

34. Agreed.

[Vattel]

43. Did his 4T plan include raising Medicare eligibility age to 67?

I think it did, but I could be wrong.

[Enthusiast]

56. This "political form of poker"

is demoralizing the Democratic electorate just like extending the tax cuts did in 2010.

[femmocrat]

10. He said he would consider looking at it in the "out years," not for current beneficiaries.

Kicking the can down the road.

Lawrence O'Donnell has been talking about the politics of it, if you get MSNBC. I won't pretend that I understand all the political implications.

[elleng]

12. and Lawrence said few do understand!

[CreekDog]

15. messing with the Medicare age is more important to me than any political advantages

it should be to you as well.

yes, i like O'Donnell and he is to the left of most people --still not good enough to justify postponing eligibility.

[mzmolly]

19. I bet not.

IMHO, he's attempting to educate the public about choices in a way that directly effects everyone. When when we protect tax breaks for the most wealthy at a cost to the arbitrary "welfare queen" it doesn't strike the same chord. How much will teabaggers appreciate government and entitlement programs, if they're suddenly forced to think the direct impact on THEM?

[yardwork]

20. You never loved him. /nt

[CreekDog]

21. that's the funny thing --because i *did*...or i wouldn't have been in Reno back in 2008

:shrug:

[yardwork]

22. My post was a joke. I should have used the sarcasm smiley.

I know that you are a long-time supporter of Barack Obama.

[CreekDog]

24. you know, i think what i was enamored of was what i *thought* he was going to be

what he has turned out to be, while in some respects good, seems different.

[Safetykitten]

25. Yes.

[shraby]

29. O'Donnell said they already did that in either Reagan's term

or Clinton's term. If you can find his show online, take a listen.

[CreekDog]

31. What? Medicare's age wasn't raised during Clinton or Reagan

and don't tell me to go find a video online to prove a claim that's untrue.

[boppers]

35. That's confusing Social Security and Medicare.

It's already 67 for getting full Social Security benefits.

http://www.ssa.gov/pressoffice/IncRetAge.html

[CreekDog]

36. i think they're trying to trick me

in order to defend Obama's idea.

instead of defending the idea itself, they lied about it.

let the people judge that.

[boppers]

37. Saddam/Osama....

Medicare/Social Security...

Common mental error to confuse similarly grouped things, especially when they're spoken about in conjunction with great frequency.

[Mimosa]

49. Question re: SS age

Say if somebody's 'full benefits' won't be paid unless they start taking them at age 66, by taking SS at an earlier age, like 62, do they then lock themselves into permanent lower monthly checks?

[shraby]

52. My bad..it was Social Security, not medicare.

[thelordofhell]

38. No

Next stupid question

[JoePhilly]

42. Do you have a link to quote from Obama where he says that is his plan?

Lots of grasping of pearls, gnashing of teeth, rending of garments, and trips to the fainting couch here on DU ... and yet Obama has proposed doing no such thing.

[Dawgs]

44. Here's one.

http://thinkprogress.org/health/2011/07/12/266334/white-house-confirms-obama-floated-idea-of-raising-medicare-age-the-single-worst-idea-for-medicare-reform/

[JoePhilly]

47. I've seen that .... not one quote from Obama in it.

When you have an actual quote, from Obama, get back to me.

Until then, all the nee-jerking around here is getting kind of old.

[CreekDog]

45. ignorance is bliss

let me know when you're ready for us to break it to you, we'll get the couch situated for fainting.

[JoePhilly]

48. You'll have to remove the stack of folks who've been laying on it for the

last 6 months or so.

[treestar]

46. And notice that Obama has become a monarch again!

Read the OP and you see he can do things single handedly!

We need a new monarch! Queen Elizabeth Warren!!

[great white snark]

50. I heard he's lowering the minimum wage.

And he eats puppies.

Evil man.

[Fearless]

53. Easier for him? Seniors will skin him alive.

[watercolors]

54. There are many of us who have worked well past 65,

I see no reason why it can't be raised. I retired at 75, I enjoyed my work and saw no need to retire that early. Our life span has increased and most of us are physically and mentally fit to continue if the need be! I'm now 79 and still could go back to what I loved doing.

[Enthusiast]

55. Obama is to the right of center on this issue.

Most Americans want to preserve the New Deal. This is the "center" position. Obama's position is clearly to the right of the American people. I believe the motive for this position is to depress voter turn out in 2012. Above all else TPTB want a legislature favorable to the wishes of the multinational corporations. If that means Obama loses in 2012, big deal, it will still be "mission accomplished".