The Dems Have No Plan For Social Security? Oh really? Why is that?

[Stinky The Clown]

First of all, this is just plain wrong. What the Dems don’t have is a fucking **voice*. But, okay, let them say we have no plan. Let them go all wild trying to sell their non-starter with that private accounts crap.

I think it might be wise at this point for the Dems not to put forth a plan. Rather, maybe its time we started saying what’s really true.

Bush is being totally disingenuous.

He’s not being factual on the solvency of the system. He’s continuing to push for a proposal to create private accounts, thereby limiting even more the funding that goes in. He’s being intractable about discussing the upper limit of FICA withholdings.

The fact is, the Republicans have failed to offer a plan. They’ve only offered broad stroke platitudes and concepts. Indeed, it has only been the Dems that have even attempted to ‘work the numbers’ on possible private account system scenarios. And none of them look all that good. Surely each of them reduce benefits to those most in need.

Their plan in politicizing Social Security has been all along to force the Dems to make a counter offer that they can then pick apart, parse, and vilify.

Our position should be that we’ll wait for the intentionally overheated rhetoric to quiet down. At that point, perhaps people of reason (us, mainly) can sit and discuss the issues rationally. The debate of such a critical social contract in the face of Bush’s blatantly partisan and political “sales trip” of the last weeks will lead to nothing but more political grandstanding. Political grandstanding that is already happening.

Being the party of reason, we prefer to wait. There is no Social Security ‘crisis’. There is a Social Security problem. But we have, quite literally, years in which to fix it.

The private accounts suggestion was nothing more than a straw man. We need to tell the truth on that one.

[flamin lib]

1. First rule of politics:

When your opponent has a pistol in his mouth don't interrupt.

[Career Prole]

2. That was my plan

a couple of months ago!

I liked it then, and I like it now. If no plan is needed then just by God say so. No need to make one up to make them happy. It'll just give them something new to beat us over the head with, and rest assured anything we came up with would be subject to more critical scrutiny than Schiavo's EEG.

If you grab the hand of someone standing on "the third rail", you get jolted too. I'm with Husb2Sparkly...let 'em fry. :eyes:

[wicket]

3. The Democrats have a plan: It's called SOCIAL SECURITY!

And trying to prevent the repukes from destroying it! :grr: :grr: :grr:

[bryant69]

4. This is exactly it

Josh Marshall has talked about this at length. Putting forward our own plan only lends credence to the fiction that this is a debate over how to save Social Security. But that's bullshit. This is, in reality, a debate on whether or not we should save Social Security.

Bryant
check it out --> http://politicalcomment.blogspot.com

[Strawman]

5. Our plan has been working for 70 years now

and will continue to do so far into the future unless the Republicans screw with it. We don't need another plan and there is no crisis. 45 million Americans have no health insurance NOW, that's a crisis.

They just want a new plan because it's easier to comapre their shitty proposal to an alternative that is also unknown than it has been to compare it to the status quo.

[Beaverhausen]

6. Great post!

We do need to remind people what the real crisis is.

[CottonBear]

7. You beat me to that post! SS is OUR plan.

There is no SS crisis. We do not need a new plan. Period. End of discussion.

[UdoKier]

8. Of course we have a plan. It's called "Social Security". It's already law.

It works just fine and is in no real danger of default. Demographic crystal balls are not reliable, and I disagree with relying on them too heavily, esp. when those making the predictions have an axe to grind.

With American obesity at all-time highs and uninsured people as well, life expectancies are bound to start dropping again as the lardass baby boomers reach retirement age.

Even if that's not enough, there are lots of ways to address any eventual shortfalls. And none of them should involve private accounts. Those are already available. They are called 401ks and IRAs. Why should the government borrow $5 trillion to provide people something that already is available?

Social Security is a form of INSURANCE not a savings plan. They are trying to fundamentally change it so that it will no longer help the poorest of us.

[Stinky The Clown]

10. "They are called 401ks and IRAs"

That's the other part of this. We do, indeed, have these plans and more ... SEP-IRAs, etc .....

And ya know what? Most folks who have them don't fund them to the limits. Why? No bux. So now they think this new financial Ponzi scheme of thiers will cause people who already have a way to save money for thier retirement in a tax-free/pre tax plan will suddenly find the money?

Thye problem with the loons in charge is they don't have a fucking, goddam clue what its like to be an actual working person, paying actual monthly bills, raising actual families on actual salaries.

Memo to Republicans:
Get the fuck outta my life.

[Stinky The Clown]

9. What worries me si that I hear a few of the

'usual suspects' Dems actually trying to debate this crap.

Hey you! ... Yeah you ......

Stop It! Stop it right now!.

Maybe Harry Reid's new War Room needs a few more soldiers with the sole job of smacking our own guys down!

Can anyone imagine the Dems with a unified message? I think I'd have a heart attack if that ever happened.