Older Advocates Against Social Security
Even though individual Republican voters themselves strongly support Social Security and Medicare (see yesterday's TMDR), the notoriously Conservative 60 Plus Association made this statement just before the Republican Presidential candidate debate: "Seniors have been political pawns for one party now for 50 years. It’s a given that every election cycle Democrats scare seniors into the voting booth by demonizing Republicans, and falsely claiming Republicans want to destroy the Social Security system. So to hear Republicans squabbling over Social Security is pretty disconcerting. Seniors deserve better."
This is the group who supports the Ryan budget plan: Only One Plan Reforms Medicare and Protects Seniors.
Almost unbelievable. Frankly, it's the rhetoric of Republicans and Conservatives that scare me. It's actually reassuring to know that the 60 Plus Association still is banging the Republican drum -- even though Republican "squabbling" is "disconcerting" to them. They obviously are a one trick pony with little credibility, and this shows it. How is this disconcerting to them? Does 60+ think Social Security is worse than unconstitutional? Do they think it should be privatized and thrown to market forces immediately? Are they sending their Social Security checks and Medicare benefits back to Washington? It's disconcerting, all right. The Conservative Republican view is disconcerting to anyone who believes that our premier pre-paid public benefit is essential to the true values of America.
Does It Ever End?
"Texas Governor Rick Perry defended harsh words he's used to define his stance on Social Security in an interview with Time published online on Thursday. 'I don’t get particularly concerned that I need to back off from my factual statement that Social Security, as it is structured today, is broken,' he said. 'If you want to call it a Ponzi scheme, if you want to say it’s a criminal enterprise, if you just want to say it’s broken -- they all get to the same point.'"
Hardly the same point at all. One illegal and designed to take money away from innocent victims; the other returning guaranteed pre-paid public benefits to those who paid for them. Not the same at all.
Medicare Advantage Premiums Drop
"One of the most persistent GOP attacks on the new health care law is that its Medicare savings, including cuts to Medicare advantage overpayments, would cripple the program. Not true. 'On average, Medicare Advantage premiums will go down next year and seniors will enjoy more free benefits and cheaper prescription drugs,' says HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius in a statement. That's based on new data from the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services, which finds that premiums will decline significantly for the second straight year and enrollment will climb."
President Obama Preserves Social Security
"President Barack Obama will shield Social Security from cuts in his new deficit-reduction plan, the White House said Thursday, pulling back on a key concession from his failed 'grand bargain' negotiations with House Speaker John Boehner. 'The president’s recommendation for deficit reduction will not include any changes to Social Security because, as the president has consistently said, he does not believe that Social Security is a driver of our near and medium term deficits,' White House spokeswoman Amy Brundage said in a statement. 'He believes that both parties need to work together on a parallel track to strengthen Social Security for future generations rather than taking a piecemeal approach as part of a deficit reduction plan."
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