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Subscribe to RSSPolitico: “Mitt Romney launched a second wave of attacks Thursday on Rick Perry and Social Security – suddenly and unmistakably the central focus of the Republican race.” More: “Romney, sensing an opportunity to halt Perry’s surge in the polls, went even further than he did on the debate stage, asserting in blunt terms that the new frontrunner had rendered himself unelectable and that his nomination could lead to a 2012 GOP wipe-out.”
But Romney’s not pure on this: “During a primary debate in 2007, Romney praised Bush’s privatization push - a position Romney’s campaign sought to clarify yesterday,” the Boston Globe writes. His campaign says: “Governor Romney has never supported privatization of Social Security as it is commonly understood, meaning the total privatization of all Social Security. He does believe in allowing individuals, on a voluntary basis, to invest in private accounts.’’
The Globe also has this fact check on Social Security: “[W]hile both candidates are seeking to make significant changes to the 76-year-old entitlement, the situation is not nearly as dire as either candidate makes it out to be. Actuaries project that retirees will be paid every penny that is due them through 2036. After that, they will receive 78 percent of what they are owed for an indefinite period - and that is without any change to the current program.”
The Globe fact checks the NBC News-Politico debate here.
BACHMANN: NBC’s Jamie Novogrod wraps the latest Bachmann news: The New York Times examines Bachmann’s press conference Thursday, which followed President Obama’s address to a joint session of Congress. The newspaper describes the press conference as “an effort to reignite the buzz and regain momentum that her campaign has lost in recent weeks.” But it adds, “no television network carried it live, and Mrs. Bachmann took only a handful of questions.”
And The Hill quotes unnamed GOP members of congress who express frustration over Bachmann’s press conference. As it notes, there was no official GOP response and the report cites House Republicans who accuse Bachmann of “showboating.”
Back to Ames: The Des Moines Register reports that Michele Bachmann will appear Saturday morning in Ames, Iowa, where she plans to tailgate at the Iowa State vs. University of Iowa game. Monday, she appears in Tampa, Florida, for the CNN Tea Party debate.
PERRY: “During the Sept. 7 Republican debate, Ron Paul clashed with fellow Texan Rick Perry once again. This time, things got physical,” the International Business Times writes, citing a photo from Reuters. “During a commercial break, Perry walked up to Paul's podium, physically grabbed Paul's wrist, and pointed at Paul's face with his other hand.”
Karl Rove said he thought Perry had a strong debate performance and responded to Perry’s criticism of him: "I was a little surprised. I didn't know I was under his personal care like that,” Rove said on FOX, per GOP 12. “Look, it was an odd moment -- my name being mentioned in a presidential debate."
ROMNEY: Paul McMorrow, writing in the Boston Globe calls Romney the “re-write man”: “Mitt Romney apparently doesn’t know Angelo Mozilo, the disgraced former CEO of Countrywide Financial. He’s never met a bonus-crazed investment banker or a mortgage broker looking to pad his commission or a board of directors greedily eyeing the competition’s quarterly earnings reports. Because when he was asked about the three-year old downturn this week, Romney insisted that Barney Frank and Chris Dodd, “as much as anyone I know in this country, were responsible for the meltdown that we had.’’ The only way Romney could credibly claim that the two Democratic congressmen were the most responsible for the financial meltdown would be if he knew of no one who’d ever worked on Wall Street.”
“Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour signed on to aid the fundraising efforts of American Crossroads, the conservative group that is expected to spend millions to boost Republicans in the 2012 cycle,” Roll Call reports.
Crossroads could double its original $120 million goal, Peter Stone reports. “We see a pathway to at least doubling our earlier projected goal,” Crossroads President Steven Law said. “Everyone is going to stretch as far as they can here because we all feel this is the most important election we have ever been involved with.”
Political Wire: “A new Yale University survey finds that just 34% of self-identified Tea Partiers said they believe global warming is real, but 53% of those surveyed do not believe global warming is happening. In contrast, 53% of Republicans, 71% of independents and 78% of Democrats said they believe global warming is real.”
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Whoa....!
If this is true, Perry is WAAAY over the line. Bullying your fellow GOP candidates? Bad form. VERY bad form.
hands off Ron Paul, Gov. Perry!
Perry obviously rehearsed for the debate. But he was trying for that winning one liner that would put him over the top. Backfired on him. Social Security is a very delicate, sensative issue. His abrupt statements calling Social Security a scam and a ponzi scheme scare people. Millions of Americans who didn't fare so well in life have only the paltry Social Security check to survive on. That's it, thats all they have.
Repairing Social Security, making it more solvent, as Mitt Romney suggested, is the only way. Perry scares people. He is gone. He blew it.
Social Security:1) Is not contributing to the debt; 2) Is solvent for many, many years; 3) Can be made even more solvent overnight just by increasing the cap on FICA withholding and other simple solutions without need of raising the eligibility age or decreasing benefits.
Don't listen to the lies from the right-wing "masters" and their gullible minions. The "masters" would love to have all your money invested in Wall Street. They don't care if it puts your nest egg at risk, or if you have to dumpster dive and choose between cat food or heat when you lose everything on a Wall Street whim. They don't feel any obligation to pay back the IOU sitting in the trust fund, and in fact privatizing SS is how they hope to get out of their debt to the American people.
Tell Perry and the rest of the Teapublicans to take a hike. Obama/Biden - 2012!
Congress and the President need to stop calling Social Security an entitlement! It is a retirement plan paid for well in advance! Parts of medicare are also paid for well in advance and can not be considered and entitlement! These are NOT part of the budget or the debt. Without their funds in the budget, the deficit would be 2.8 + trillion plus higher. Congress MUST start dealing with these issues in a truthful respectful manner.
You're right Sandy, actually these are trust funds, and there's an IOU in the trust fund box.
I would add this one caveat however. Social Security is like insurance, in which folks pay premiums and not everyone files a claim--many die before the eligibility age or not long thereafter. If the funds were invested the way insurance is (not just bonds), then it would be an even better analogy--and of course not being raided by Congress.
When survivor benefits and disability are added to the SS retirement plan, however, then you have lots of people who don't pay premiums but collect nonetheless, and often during their entire life. In this sense the program doesn't add up. True that benefits are calculated based on contribution, but even the minimum payouts still place a drain on the system. These social safety nets belong in separately-funded programs (really welfare), but Perry and his ilk would never accept such a social responsibility. Otherwise, attacking Social Security as a way to help the elderly live in dignity is plain wrong.
regardless of what you want to call it, neither one is sustainable as they stand. Raising the cap isn't the only solution The FICA contributions paid into the plan by all of the taxpayer/employees from the lowest paid on up must also be increased to reflect extended life expectancies and health costs.
Once done, tell the politicians to keep their damn hands off of the money.
It does matter what you call it. A "ponzi scheme" not only implies a scam, it is the usual right-wing simplification of a much more complex issue. Ultimately the problem is the right-wing refuses to admit the government has a role. One of which is health care -- A non-profit system with no insurance middlemen ripping folks off. If we had Medicare for all, that would make Medicare solvent too.
The Teapublicans want to abolish everything, even the minimum wage. Privatizing everything, which is what they really want to do, would create chaos and misery. They are not free market. They are anarchists.
TruePatriot-445959 Great Post.
Physical altercation with an old man? Wow! Another classless Texan is all we need at the White House. I sure hope he is the nominee! Obama 2012.
The fed's needs to keep their hands from these funds. SS has no bearing on the deficit. These funds are contributed during the taxpayers working years as supplemental income. Some may say it is an entitlement, and others may say it is similar to a savings account - either way these funds are for the contributees.
Back in the 90's (if not mistakin) when it was still a cash cow, provisions was written for SSI as we know it today! SSI is an entity for those with little or income! This is established for - welfare/public assistance. How is it possible for people that doesn't work at all or very little income receive benefits!! We can thank congress for this. I have no qualms with welfare - as long as it is the actual needy, however they shouldn't make these funds available unless contributed. The benefit rate is based on average income - which after calculations works out to a 1/3 of your AGI! If they are going to continue - let them get their pro rata amount like the rest of us! (In NYS according to foodlink.org, SSI is capped at $610 per month and the state supplements the difference)Not bad, don't work at all and get retirement pay!!!
Rick Perry's treatment of Ron Paul described in this article provides more evidence that the Texas governor is something of a mindless thug. And it seems Perry isn't really a dependable conservative to boot! Democrats must be salivating at the prospect of Perry as the GOP nominee, because they surely will describe his potential administration as G. W. Bush Act III. I can assure you that independents such as myself want nothing that looks like a repeat of the constant mistaken choices of the G. W. Bush administration I or II.
It would seem most of you who voted want this man for another four years--you must truly hate your country. It"s obvious you have no idea who/what you voted into the White House.
Peter:
Flagged as NO VALUE....off topic.
Pete- This was an easy thought for you to come up with since you're most likely a Bush voter; twice. Not blaming anything on Jr., but confident you get my point.
Perry is right about one thing (though I'm reasonably certain the earth is round): Social security is, and always was, socialism. I have never believed I would ever see a penny, I consider the deduction from my income (and all the rest of them) a theft, and I choose not to negotiate with thieves. I have not filed a tax form of any kind in years because my income and what I do with it is not government's business. The very concept of retirement is alien to me. I am fifty years old, and I intend to work until I am no longer able. I have made my own way, cash and carry, since I was seventeen, and no union, government program or investment scheme has ever done a lick of good for me. If my family or my society no longer has a place for me when I reach that point, I mean to do the honorable thing and get out of the way, in a manner of my choosing. I really don't get how anyone thinks they have a right to anything else.
And what is up with all these catchy little pop phrases like "ponzi scheme" and "double down"? It reads like a bunch of hich school kids. A few weeks ago it was "narrative". A few years back it was "pushing the envelope". Why can't you just say what you mean, in plain language? I take this nose-to-tail herd behavior as an indicator of the main thing threatening a society that mocks its own freedoms: whatever somebody tries to sell us, we always buy. It doesn't seem to matter whether any of these childish little fads and gadgets, like Facebook and smart phones, actually do anybody any good. If it's for sale and it's "cool" we have to have it. And this from a people who can't seem to grasp the difference between a "border" and a "state line". No wonder this parade of profiteering lunatic morons in lining up to laugh at us all the way to the withe house. America, you deserve these idiots.
ron collins==I heard about SS going broke back in 1974 and it wouldn't last very many more years. Now here it is 34 years later and it is still going. I suppose highways, schools, police, military, medical and whatever else government ventures have never helped you. So you are going to take the cowardly way out instead of doing something to help you country. I bet you are the type of person that believes all of our problems began January 20, 2009. Adios Amigo