McCain claims ‘everything is on the table’ to fix Social Security, then quickly takes an item off the table.
By on Jul 9th, 2008 at 8:29 pm
McCain claims ‘everything is on the table’ to fix Social Security, then quickly takes an item off the table.
During an interview with the editorial board of the Pittsburgh Tribune Review, Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) contradicted himself in a matter of minutes regarding Social Security. When asked how he would “fix Social Security,” McCain first said, “You’ve got to say look, everything is on the table.” But then, minutes later, when asked if he favored “raising the cap,” McCain said, “No.” He then criticized Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL) for previously saying that raising the payroll cap is “one possible option.” Listen here:
McCain’s Social Security contradiction isn’t surprising considering he regularly denies his own record of support for privatization. In fact, just yesterday, McCain called the basic structure of Social Security “an absolute disgrace.”
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Of course McCain is against raising the cap, since it’s the only thing that would work to shore up the system, and it would remove a favorite republican political football from the field.
July 9th, 2008 at 8:36 pmMcnut’s is starting to remind me of the one eyed weirdo in Harry Potter and the goblet of fire…Yall know who I mean the one that start’s flying apart and jabbering toward’s the end and then explode’s…Geee’s..I have a lunatick neighbor like that.Blessings
July 9th, 2008 at 8:42 pmAfter leaving office Ronald Reagan announced his condition of Alzheimer’s disease.
Campaigning for the office of President John McCain is showing conditions of Alzheimer’s disease.
July 9th, 2008 at 8:42 pmWell first, as well documented and argued by cepr.net co-directors, economists Dean Baker and Mark Weisbrot there is not an will not be any problem with Social Security.
July 9th, 2008 at 8:45 pmTypical Republican ploy. Say everything is on the table but then say raising taxes or raising fees or making the wealthy pay their fair share is off limits.
I love how Republicans argue that government should be run like a business (ignoring the fact that government isn’t a business) but then refuse to actually let the government act like one. Sure the Republicans are all for cutting salaries, laying off workers, cutting budgets, etc. just like businesses do in lean times, but then those same Republicans oppose raising prices or adding fee (taxes) just like very real businesses do when times are lean. Notice how lots of businesses are raising prices and adding fees to cope with increased costs and yet the “business” Republicans refuse to let government do the same. Note to Republicans, there is this thing called inflation and things get more expensive over time. This means that a tax increase or a fee increase might be required. Idiots.
July 9th, 2008 at 8:48 pmBingo.
It’s also a truly regressive tax, and the wingnuts love them some of those.
July 9th, 2008 at 8:51 pmI can actually sense a stiff breeze from McBush’s flip-flopping, it is now in realtime, and acts like a fan. He better watch it, he might get whiplash snapping his head that way.
July 9th, 2008 at 8:51 pmThe disgrace, Senator, is yourself.
July 9th, 2008 at 8:52 pmThe only thing that’s on McSame’s table when it comes to Social Security is a block of wood and a carving knife which he and his GOP money machine pals would love to use to carve up and shred SS so that it’s all the more easier for them, and the Wall Street den of thieves they serve, to steal as much of it as they can.
These incumbent Dems may not have the guts to stand up to McBush on issues of war lies, torture, illegally spying, etc. — but they had better stiffen their gelatinous spines to protect SS from the Enron, WorldCom, Tyco gang or they just may find themselves on the receiving end of some good old fashioned, “vote the bastards out!” grassroots organizing.
Just saying . . .
July 9th, 2008 at 8:52 pmkrazeeinjun Says:
“good old fashioned, “vote the bastards out!” grassroots organizing.”
Oh they are quaking in their boots now.
July 9th, 2008 at 8:55 pmMcCain is already got the media on his side and he is slowly working the conservative base back. If he can convince a portion of the middle, of whom to this date has had very little concern for this election, he may very well fool enough of them with the MSM’s help. I can see it unfolding before my eyes and I’m saddened greatly. Our republic is crumbling along with a wonderful concept of self-government all because of self-interest and apathy.
July 9th, 2008 at 8:57 pmthe old shell game?
July 9th, 2008 at 9:00 pm“Oh they are quaking in their boots now,” says Alecto.
An accurate assessment of the Dems I admit (thus the use of the term gelatinous to describe them). However, if a people’s revolt hasn’t been tried, yet, how would anyone know.
Just saying . . .
July 9th, 2008 at 9:02 pmEverything is on the table…
July 9th, 2008 at 9:05 pmexcept whatever Senator Obama is proposing.
Social Security can NEVER go bankrupt as long as payroll taxes are being collected.
Projections are that decades in the future (30 to 40 years from now) the surplus funds that have been pumped into Social Security following Reagan and the liberal, progressive Democrats “fixing” Social Security back in the 1980s, this surplus will finally be depleted and Social Security expenditures versus revenue collected will reach a 1 to 1 ratio.
Therefore, between now and decades from now, a “fix” will probably be required to shore up Social Security for retirees 40 to 50 years from now so that our nation’s retirees at that time don’t see a 10 to 20 percent decrease in benefits due to a revenue collection shortfall.
Nothing needs to be done immediately, in other words. Any talking of Social Security going broke and that something has to be done right now is somebody just passing gas.
Raising the cap would shore up Social Security, extending the lifetime of the Reagan/Democratic Party-generated Social Security surplus.
Privatization schemes will do nothing to shore up Social Security, but will have the opposite effect, draining money from the Social Security fund, causing a much faster depletion of the Reagan/Democratic Party-generated surplus.
Of course, we all know the real purpose behind culture of corruption Republican Party attempts to gut Social Security…in their view, it’s a highly-successful and compassionate FDR program from the Great Depression that must be destroyed, no matter what the future cost to our nation’s retirees and their children.
July 9th, 2008 at 9:12 pmWhy - raising the cap would hurt the “haves and the have mores,” my friends, and that’s why it is off the table.
Just some straight talk from a guy that dumped his wife for a rich sugar mommy.
July 9th, 2008 at 9:25 pmGee - just this morning Mittens was pandering on the various networks about balancing the budget in the first McCain Term and when pressed by a talking head, said a ssavings could result in adjusting Social Security pay to only “those that need it” - - seems he forgot to check that “Ejection Seat Johnnie” collects $28,000 from Social Security CURRENTLY, plus his lifetime VA/Senate Medical PLUS his VA Disability, PLUS a Senate Pension for completing 20 years, PLUS his Senate Salary +perks and not forgetting his poor wife’s $100+ Million yielding a $6 MILLION Annual Income . . . so the “need” testing for the McCain Social Security Plan must be pretty HIGH . . . how’s that gonna cut SS spending????
July 9th, 2008 at 9:29 pmMcForrestalFire is just a senile, babbling old fart. Sometimes it almost seems like he is trying to throw the election to Sir Obama…
July 9th, 2008 at 9:37 pmJohn Sidney McCain III collects Socail Security……
Rumor has it……About $14,000 a year?????
How does he live on such a small amount of money?
July 9th, 2008 at 10:02 pmKEVKEV IN APACHE JUNCTION Says:
rumor has it that mccain also draws a disability….he says he is healthy though??
July 9th, 2008 at 10:14 pmMcCain continues to reveal that he has absolutely no idea what he is talking about on every single issue. Unfortunately, the press continues to fail to report this.
July 9th, 2008 at 10:24 pm.
McFISH!!!
.
July 9th, 2008 at 10:37 pmSocial Security can be saved as noted by others. Social Security provides a minimum living standard for the elderly for a compassionate society, especially if 401k’s and IRA’s go bust (Enron’s, stock market crashes, inflation…). Too bad we don’t live in a compassionate society.
July 9th, 2008 at 10:51 pmMcSame needs to be looking at retirement communities in his home state, AZ.
July 9th, 2008 at 11:00 pmWall Street has hated Social Security since it’s inception because they want the 6% fee on all your dollars. The GOP stands for greed, graft, and theft. Anything that helps we the people is not as good as helping the corporation that the GOP worships. They are fascists.
July 9th, 2008 at 11:14 pmJohn Sidney McCain III collects Socail Security……
$23,157 in Social Security benefits
McCain’s income came from his $161,708 Senate salary, $23,157 in Social Security benefits, $176,508 in book royalties and a Navy pension. The remaining income comes from a share of his wife’s income which, under Arizona’s community property law, he must claim.
July 9th, 2008 at 11:45 pmMcCain’s income came from his $161,708 Senate salary, $23,157 in Social Security benefits, $176,508 in book royalties and a Navy pension. The remaining income comes from a share of his wife’s income which, under Arizona’s community property law, he must claim.
So, the SSI benefits are from his former House and current Senate income deductions? I don’t think he’s ever worked a job. He would also have to pay taxes on a sizeable portion of that 23 grand.
July 10th, 2008 at 1:15 amWhen the seniors get wind McCain’s true intentions are to gut Social Security, we will see his numbers fall even more.
Once again I will repeat what Thom Hartmann had to say today: MIC = Military Industrial Media Government Complex. Watch for more LIES and fabrications in favor of McCain from this fascist media to protect their corporate interests…. and somehow, some way we need to keep spreading the truth.
July 10th, 2008 at 1:17 amMcCain’s disability pension may renew questions about his fitness
July 10th, 2008 at 1:25 amand apparently the VA disability McCain receives is 100%
July 10th, 2008 at 1:29 amIt’s not McCain’s physical condition that disqualifies him. It’s his tendency to mentally misfire under pressure: forgetting policy proposal specifics, contradicting campaign spokespeople, and ignoring inconvenient reality.
July 10th, 2008 at 1:38 amhad enough at 1:17am,
July 10th, 2008 at 2:55 amI try to catch Hartmann every day, (I work second shift) and catch the Air America rebroadcast as I get home in the early morning as well. I think I’ve learned more from him than all other talk radio put together.
What I would like to see changed about SS is the exclusion of income recieved from non-labor derived income. Landlords, investors, interest from savings accounts,etc. don’t get taxed for Social Security. Only W2 income and the self-employed have to pay on the first 100K, and the self-employed pay both sides, the employee and employer share.
What I would like to see is ALL income taxed for the first 100K, regardless of how it is achieved, then we’ll talk about raising the cap or other ideas.
How does young people investing in private accounts put more money into the Social Security system? It doesn’t. All I can say is take away Social Security and you will have more parents and grandparents moving in with their children in later years. Is that what the youth of today wants? Mommy and Daddy moving in with them? Or would they prefer Mommy and Daddy living independently? Or will they throw Mommy and Daddy out into the streets?
July 10th, 2008 at 9:42 amJohn McCain is not an option! He’s so terribly unfit for the job of President, I get a headache thinking about him. He can’t get his own thoughts sorted out. He can’t deal with all the facts and issues required to have an intelligent discussion. When is this charade going to stop? It’s a joke! He’s a cartoon! He’s Jim Carey pretending to be a presidential candidate. We have so damn many idiots in this country. They are sitting in his audiences, and witnessing McCain’s burnouts, and they will still vote for him. Help! Someone has just got to put that old man in an assisted living home, and for once, give the American people a break!
July 10th, 2008 at 10:29 am#15 Projections are that decades in the future (30 to 40 years from now) the surplus funds that have been pumped into Social Security following Reagan and the liberal, progressive Democrats “fixing” Social Security back in the 1980s, this surplus will finally be depleted and Social Security expenditures versus revenue collected will reach a 1 to 1 ratio.
Exactly how does it logically follow from this (you use “Therefore”) Therefore, between now and decades from now, a “fix” will probably be required to shore up Social Security for retirees 40 to 50 years from now so that our nation’s retirees at that time don’t see a 10 to 20 percent decrease in benefits due to a revenue collection shortfall.
If there is a 1 to 1 ratio of revenues to benefits, how is this a shortfall?
Also, if nothing is done and IF the US economy (RGDP) grows at a measly 2.1% for the next 40 years, then in real terms, i.e., goods and services 74% (according to the SS Trustees) of benefits will still be paid and be greater than 100% of benefits paid today.
Again, there is not and there will be no issue with Social Security EVER if the US economy grows as fast for the next 30 years as it has for the past 30.
July 10th, 2008 at 1:52 pmThe impeachment of a lying murderer is OFF the table. But the destruction of the social safety net and the compact with ordinary Americans is ON the table.
July 10th, 2008 at 2:44 pmCats says-
“Or will they throw Mommy and Daddy out into the streets?”
They will toss’em out, no doubt. Kids today don’t give 2 sh|ts for the previous generations that got them here.
July 10th, 2008 at 7:47 pm