E-mail updates
Follow on Twitter
Subscribe to RSS
Updated 5:30 p.m. - Vice President Joe Biden told cafe patrons in Virginia on Tuesday that he could "guarantee" he and President Obama would allow no changes to Social Security.
As a debate over reforming entitlements -- particularly Medicare -- takes center stage in the 2012 presidential campaign, Biden seemed to promise not to allow changes to the program.
"Hey, by the way, let's talk about Social Security," Biden said after a diner at The Coffee Break Cafe in Stuart, VA expressed his relief that the Obama campaign wasn't talking about changing the popular entitlement program.
"Number one, I guarantee you, flat guarantee you, there will be no changes in Social Security," Biden said, per a pool report. "I flat guarantee you."
The pool report noted that most of the patrons at the cafe toward whom Biden was directing his remarks were over the age of 60.
The vice president's language almost hearkens back to some 2011 tough talk by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV), who vowed not to take up changes to Social Security for another two decades, by which time he might not even be a senator anymore.
"Two decades from now, I'm willing to take a look at it, but I'm not willing to take a look at it right now," Reid said at the time in an interview on MSNBC. "It is not in crisis at this stage. Leave Social Security alone. We have a lot of other places we can look that is in crisis. But Social Security is not."
Mitt Romney has expressed an interest in gradually raising the retirement age, as well as means-testing benefits for the wealthy, but he otherwise hasn't specified his own Social Security proposals.
Leave a Comment:
Umm Joe, that is one of the problems, with no change that system is going to collapse. All these candidates are idiots. Only voting the Obama route as a vote against the intolerance promoted by the right wing.
Biden & Obama have their heads stuck in the sand on this issue. They are simply "kicking the can down the road" for future politicians and generations to suffer from their inaction and lack of leadership.
The trend has been to continue to reduce payroll taxes. So the Vice President is saying that trend will continue. For Social Security, ones benefits are a matter of how much money has gone into ones account over the years. No money in your account no benefits. So with payroll taxes reduced to zero, Social Security benefits will end. So this is what the Vice President is saying is going to happen. I wonder if that is going to happen to medicare too. So the current administration is trying to phase out both Social Security and Medicare. I wounder what they plan on replacing them with, an expanded version of Obama care.
only those not capable of thinking for themselves will believe joe or obamacarter!
Biden is an idiot (his boss is a Socialist). Hey, its easy to "govern" when your party never worries about paying for anything they spend. I cannot wait for the Ryan-Biden debate.
That Ryan/Biden debate will be a hoot. Maybe Obama will let Joe use one of his teleprompters.
Or he could borrow one from Mitt Romney.
This whole Medicare argument is a f-in joke....unless your medicare age. I don't see anyone screaming for their voucher. Maybe the rich will let us drive by and admire their house, or spare an extra bread voucher from time to time. I can't imagine these poor sons a bitches buying this trickle down crap anymore. Richy rich and co do not have this countrys middle/working class in mind.
go make your own fortune......
I would have loved the Choice of electing to be in or opt out of Medicare, and Social Security. My family taught me not to trust it and make a plan for my own retirement. The problem is people must have the latest Apple products, and electronic gagets. People are spending over $100 on phone service, they have multiple large flat screen tv's more then one car, and say I am poor. No wonder. The reason we have a shrinking middle class is because they are spending there money on things they could do well without.
A Biden guarantee is just about as useless as the remains on a used piece of toilet paper! He continues to parade around DC in a fog, not even knowing what planet he is on. Reids imaginary friend says that Biden, and Odumbo , are going to be the two main characters in the new "DUMB and DUMBER" movie remake. These two, and Odumbos imbeciles that he appointed are worthless bottom feeders. Totally Worthless!
right on dandy don!
Just like there are Jews and Zionist so is the Republican party not all are uncaring but are afraid to come out of the shadows because of retaliation, like Hitler raised the Nazis party
Tell that to Libberman, he didn't tow the Liberial line and they kicked him out of the party. The People of Conneticut however wanted him so they voted out the liberial canidate and elected him instead. I am still surprised he still votes with them though. Look at the Hate they spew toward anyone that doen't agree with them. Hitler could learn a quite a few things from liberials.
Gotta love Joe! Always a colorful and down to earth way to describe things. And he's right, the Romney/Ryan plan would shackle the middle class with the burden of higher taxes while the rich (aka Romney and Ryan) would pay less. If that isn't putting us in chains, then I don't know what is!
And you don't think Obummer is gonna raise your taxes. Funny, he already has and a bunch more tax increases go into affect right after the election. How convenient. And that is just from Obummercare. Wait and see if he would actually try to do anything about the $16 trillion debt . Guarantee he will be jacking taxes for that.
The problem with the Ryan plan is it takes 40 years to get the debt under control. This country can increase spending by 2 trillion dollars in a matter of months, but it takes 10 years to cut that amount. How stupid is that. Just put government spending levels at 2005 levels, and have them live on that. Some plans only call for a 1% cut each year. How hard is it to cut 1%????? That is one dollar for every one hundred. Of course Liberials will say that you are taking food out of the childrens mouths, and hurting workers jobs, and putting seniors out of thier home, and taking away seniors, and womens drugs they need. I say if taking away that one dollar does all that, then give them the one dollar and take away the ninety nine that doesn't seem to be doing anythng.
Now why don't I believe you? Joe, you are about the dumbest people on the planet and if you have not given it much thought, please tell us what you have been up to for the last 4 years? Do you know why your boss has kept you in the closet and out of the public's eye? It is because you are a idiot.
Well Mr. Vice President, what is the administration going to do to keep this country solvent? What ever you have done so far has not worked, both the federal deficit and our nation's trade deficit are at record levels.
A "BIDEN' guarantee. what a laugh! Boy I surely will sleep a lot better tonight after hearing this! He and Odumbo are a total disgrace to all Americans, along with Reid, Palooozi, Holder, Axle-nimrod, and the rest of his appointees!
Time to put everyone on a level playing field. Just take all public sector pension funds and invest them into SS. When public employees become eligible for SS they can take their retirement as SS just like the private sector.
lmao off at biden,,,didnt they guarantee to close gittmo,,,fix the un-employment,,have a budget,,lower the debt,,,ect,,,ect
obama and biden.....big liars and crooks..
obama makes bush look like a hero....
don't, nobody's supposed to mention Bush. Didn't you get your memo?
memo???
dam..i didnt get it.....now i am depressed
Bush tried to take on Social Security and Medicare, and got shot down by the fear mongers. I wonder what is going to happen when the checks stop. Bush's mistake was he tried to make a deal with the democrats. He failed to learn from Regan, and his father.
i know..you know how many people are in fedral housing??if they stop ss checks all that fed housing and the owners of the property will lose millions..ss people wont pay elect,phone,,,talk about a avalanche
Actually look at Greece. There you have a picture of our future. The poor will be in the streets destroying the citys, and anyone with money will be on the next flight out of the country.
Bush a hero??
I wouldn't call two unfunded wars with 4000 dead boys exactly heroic. Try again.
Will somebody in the democratic party PLEASE stand up and challenge these clowns for the nomination. If that doesn't happen it will be a landslide in November..
And each year it gets worse. and Biden wants to do nothing to correct it for future generations. All the parties agree it will not change for those 55+. But the qustion is what will the under 55 workers get, or should I say not get. Blind leading the blind, and the fools cheer as their destruction draws near.
There you go straight from the horse's mouth. We don't want to deal with it until its a "Crisis". Its not a "Crisis" yet. Kick the can down the road. I'll look at it in 20 years when its a "crisis", when Rieds in his 90's,or retired, or departed?
You do realize of course that the "Cloward Piven Strategy" is also known as the "Crisis Strategy" because its about how you can force political change through "Crisis".
Haven't you ever wondered why everything is always allowed to fall apart until it becomes a "Crisis"? Why every appropriations bill seems to be put off until the last minute, they fail to meet the deadline and it expires, they need continuing resolutions and it becomes a crisis? How this bill needs to be passed right away, "We need to pass it to find out whats in it." or some crisis is going to hit and it will be a catastrophe. We need to pass PPACA or the economy will collapse. We need to pass Frank Dodd or soon we'll have another economic collapse like 2008.
I'm about sick and tired of everything being a "crisis". How about we talk about the issues now and if they really do need to be fixed we fix them now instead of making more excuses and waiting until it becomes a "crisis?.
Because they can pass things in a "crisis" that could never pass in a normal situation. Look at the Emergency Tarp funds. They gave most to the banks and even to solyindra. They handed out the money very quickly, and didn't bother to put in how and when it was to be paid back. The same thing with GM. They got government money (TaxPayer Money) so while the stock hovers at half the price the Government bought it at, we loose money. Then the Government gives GM special tax breaks. and tells them to push a vehicle (Volt) that doen't sell. (even with the $7K tax credit). The Government screws up everything then they try to fix their mess and end up making it worse.
ok,,i call mercy..
the obama experiment was funny..where are the cameras??am i on tv??
please end the joke now,,,its not funny anymore
The trustees just reported that the social security trust will be depleted in 2033. Two decades from now is 2032. That's pushing a little too close for my comfort.
To the younger generations - How do you like Biden telling you that you'll have to pay for the previous generations Social Security directly out of your taxes without a buffer. We've got 20 years, we could be working on fixing it with small changes in deposits and benefits before it becomes a crisis.
That is if thing stay the same. I wonder what cost of living adjustments they used. and the number of payers to Payees. The system is going broke nd with one retiree to one payee, the payee will have to pay out $1300.00 a month and that doesn't cover any administration expenses, or cost of living adjustments (at current levels. With all the children, and other people on the programs I sure it will have to be much more.
C'mon Joe, you sure you don't want to borrow Al Gore's "lock box". "Guarantee?" Twice in 1 day Joe's mouth runneth over. How many more days til the election? Comedy Central is always looking for new talent. Jon and Steve are just giggling with new material.
Do not rely on the government for anything.
All they do is tax, skim off their "Fare Share", throw out a few coins once in a while to their subjects to make it look like they care, and go on their merry way toward a cushy retirement on we, the taxpayers.
That's the big picture, and it isn't pretty. Really not much different than a monarchy. The only difference is we get to vote. And our voting choices are beginning to look like a choice between a python and a boa constrictor. Although they are different, they are both snakes.
Biden who takes time to listen to him -- like every other democrat including Obama they will be back tracking on this tomorrow.
Oh great, the Ponzi scheme won't collapse for a while. So we should keep everything the same until it crashes. Brilliant leadership. How do these people live with themselves?
They live very nicely, because they get paid very well for F*CK*NG us.
ahhhh me thinks you got this backwards. how do YOU people live with yourselves???? so very sad that you are all so greedy, self centered, fear mongerers using scare tactics. But help is here - we do have your number ;o) OBAMA/BIDEN 2012. oh - and remember that nursery rhyme - the sky is falling, the sky is falling chicken little - that'll be your next battle cry andyou'll expect people to believe that one too. ohhhh you are alljust sooooo very very funny
Tell me, what;s gotten better for you in the last 4 years?
And do you ever expect to get the Social Security you've been paying in to? Assuming you are paying.
Well there needs to be some change to it especially for the disabled which I am one the trust fund for us will run dry in 2016 well before the retirement one does. Somebody in Washington better address this fact and quickly. The days of putting things off is over and responsible government needs to occur. We way overspend at the federal level...
2016? Where on earth did you get that number?
Why don't you tell me right now if its going to be around in 20 Years so I have time to start putting my money somewhere else.
Why should I have to wait 20 years, then discover its bankrupt and discover I'll never see a dime of that money, and I was never given an alternative when I had time to save, because they didn't want to deal with it until it becomes a "crisis".
How about if you don't deal with it now or anytime in the future, which is obviously the Democrats plan, and allow me to keep the 6% your taking out of my paycheck for SS now so I can put it in a private savings account you can't touch?
That way 20 years from now, when Social Security is bankrupt and in "Crisis", and you finally decide its time to deal with it, I wont give a crap what you do because I will have been taking care of, and planning for, my own retirement instead of relying on you Jackass's.