"Game On: Repugs release plan for Privatizing Social Security" /Josh Marshall

[KoKo]

Game On?
Josh Marshall | February 4, 2010, 9:55AM

House Republicans don't have an official budget yet. But they have what amounts to a first draft. The official budget will be released in March or April and will be authored by Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI), the ranking member of the House Budget Committee in consultation with the other Republicans on the Committee. But Ryan has released a budget he'd like. And it's actually fairly detailed. And if you read it, which we have, you start to wonder why Democrats aren't making a bigger deal out of it.

What's in it? A few interesting things.

First, it calls for big cuts in Social Security benefits for everyone currently under 55 years of age. On top of the cuts it also calls for privatizing Social Security.

Basically the exact plan President Bush tried in 2005. Next, it calls for the full privatization and phasing out of Medicare. It'll be replaced by a system of vouchers in which instead of getting Medicare you get a voucher to buy un-reformed private insurance.

Weirdly, with all that, the draft GOP budget doesn't get the federal budget into surplus until 2083, which seems like a pretty long time. But isn't this sort of a big deal? House Republicans are poised to run in 2010 on slashing or abolishing the two most popular federal government programs -- Social Security and Medicare.

Now, Minority Leader Boehner (R-OH) and Minority Whip Cantor (R-VA) have been sort of dancing around the Ryan draft. They're both saying they're putting forward a detailed budget plan and then simultaneously refusing to say Ryan's plan is endorsed by the conference. But Ryan's their budget writer. So this is a bit like Peter Orszag releasing a budget document and having Obama and Rahm saying he's just speaking for himself.

http://www.talkingpointsmemo.com/archives/2010/02/game_on_3.php#more?ref=fpblg

[Historic NY]

1. Just think how much that with cost you...w/o any check & balances.

[still_one]

2. I have lost all faith in the Democrats in Congress that they will protect SS and Medicare

After how they are screwing up HCR, they will not get another dime from me until the Democrats prove they really care about basic Democratic principles started by FDR

[closeupready]

20. They will not defend SS or Medicare.

n/t

[Enrique]

22. the Democrats in Congress stopped this when Bush was president

It was close. They had to filibuster it.

Will the democrats in Congress stop it with Obama as president? If he pushes for privatization, can they oppose him the way they opposed Bush? I'm not so sure. It's hard for dems to oppose Obama, people make all kind of excuses for him and people feel bad about going against him.

[still_one]

25. Obama is not for privatization, and never said he was. He has floated cutting some benefits to SS

which isn't good either

If the Democrats screw around with SS and Medicare by going private, they are finished

[Proud Liberal Dem]

3. Well, considering what happened to the Repubs when they tried this in 2005

This seems like it would be a good issue for the Dems to use to run against the Repubs in the fall- to argue against electing more of them to Congress. :shrug:

[earth mom]

4. Wasn't Obama talking about doing the same damn thing? nt

[still_one]

14. No. He was talking about cutting benefits, which isn't a good thing either, but not as bad

as taking it private

If the Obama administration screws around with SS and Medicare, they WILL pay for by the Democrats being thrown out of power so fast it will make your head swim

[lib2DaBone]

5. Timmy Geithner and Goldman-Sachs can't wait to get their hands on that money...

They are drooling... salivating... they would LOVE to get their hands on that large pool of instant cash.....

I'm not worried.. I'm sure Sen Dodd and Mr. Obama will stop them... with the help of Joe Lieberman.

(do I need the sarcasm thingy here?)

[gkhouston]

6. 2083? They must be planning on a LOT of tax cuts (for the rich, of course). n/t

[nightrain]

7. so, it's just about privatizing, rather than about a real budget. Sounds

so similar to what Zeke Emanuel proposes with Medicare. How very interesting that Obama's "health" guru proposes Repub ideas. Next up for privatization--water? education? streets? sewer? What else can these thugs take away from the commons? They're already massively polluting our air!

[KansDem]

24. How about wastewater removal?

Several years ago I received a letter informing me that county taxes would no longer cover the wastewater system. Instead, I'll be paying a bi-monthly "fee." "What?!!" I thought. A "fee?"

Wastewater removal should be a public service paid for with taxes, not some "fee" to a public-service "corporation."

I live in a county that's heavily GOP and they're hypocrites! GOPers like to bitch about "unfunded mandates," but as far as I'm concerned, getting slapped with a monthly fee you didn't authorize is worse.

[nightrain]

27. yep. It's a terrible trend... read Naomi Klein's "Shock Doctrine" for more details.....

[OHdem10]

8. How easy is it going to be to entice people into that Casino which

just crashed and burned us to the brink????

[phantom power]

10. Easier than we'd prefer to believe.

[Marr]

19. Since when does public opinion matter?

They know how to play this game-- start with the extreme right position, and give Obama and his corporate Dems lots of room to "compromise". We'll have people here cheering for the eventual disassembling of Social Security as necessary and pragmatic, you just watch.

[lib2DaBone]

21. They will tack it on to some obscure Highway Bill at 11 p.m. on Friday...

..or they will bury it in some emergency funding bill with a title like,: "Secure Current Revitalization Economic Workplace Mandate: (SCREW'UM)

The news media will roll over and yawn... Joe six-pack will pop another Prozac and everyone will tune into American Idol to listen to what Simon Cowell has to say...

[Dappleganger]

9. They'll probably want to put Bernie Madoff in charge, right?

[lib2DaBone]

11. LOL... never thought of that... don't mention it.. they might do it..

with the astute rocket scientists running economic policy in our country... I wouldn't put anything past them... :)

[phantom power]

12. If the Dems can't pull their shit together, this could happen.

[still_one]

16. I wouldn't be surprised if some Congressional so-called Democrats would be for it /nt

[supernova]

13. They really never think of anything new, do they?

All they ever do is rehash old ideas, old positions. Except for when we recycle them, then they disavow them altogether (the watered-down health care bill).

[tonysam]

15. Obama, being a neoliberal, will go along with it.

The warning signs were all there during the campaign, people, if you just carefully dug through the media hype of Obama being a rock star.

[still_one]

17. There is absolutely nothing in what he has said about taking SS or Medicare private

There are plenty of things to criticize him for, including calls to cut SS or Medicare, but misrepresenting his position is wrong

[nightrain]

26. read Naomi Klein's "Shock Doctrine" to see the writing on the wall....

[still_one]

30. Just show me where he said that, not how someone else characterizes him

[closeupready]

18. Yes, but most of us won't, and we'll be phoning, faxing and writing letters against it.

So who knows.

[QC]

23. Zeke Emmanuel agrees with them about Medicare. n/t

[glitch]

28. He may even think it's his own big idea

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/zeke-emanuel/sustainable-health-care-r_b_114788.html?view=print

[nightrain]

29. yep, that's who's advising Obama... thanks for posting the article...

it's not just the Republicans to watch out for, "New Dems" as well. They inhabit the inner reaches of this Administration.

[KoKo]

31. Zeke and Rahm Emmanuel...the new "Rulers of the Empire."

:-(

[dflprincess]

35. And Obama has hired him as "an advisor"

the DLC has had Social Security & Medicare on its hit list for years. Once the finish the insurance scam they've been working on they'll start talking about "entitlement reform" and when the DLC says "reform" it's mean they've found another way to screw the working and middle classes.

Be afraid.

[anonymous171]

32. If the dems don't side with them, the GOP will die

No one touches social security and gets away with it. Old people vote.

[EmeraldCityGrl]

33. We need to start posting this on the Freeper site.

I can't understand how those people can support this.

[gulfcoastliberal]

34. You'll find Obama & DLC "dems" are all for it. Go to ndol website & see 4 urselves... nt

[Arkana]

36. Didn't work when they were in the majority.

It's certainly not going to work when they're in the minority.

I've not felt confident about a lot of things in the last year, but this is fortunately one thing I can.

[defendandprotect]

37. Don't worry about it . . . looks like the Dems will do it for them--!!!