Driven by Campaign Populism, Democrats Unite on Expanding Social Security
(snip)
The Democrats new consensus was driven by the populist election-year politics of Senator Bernie Sanders and by a realization that many workers have neither traditional pensions nor any significant retirement savings.
Mr. Sanders campaigned hard on promises to expand Social Security. Donald J. Trump, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, helped set the tone as well, breaking with Republican orthodoxy by vowing not to cut Social Security benefits. That position puts him potentially at odds with Republican lawmakers eager to rein in entitlement programs, though an aide has suggested that he might be flexible on the issue.
The Democrats proposals would amount to the biggest changes in Social Security since 1983, when the program faced a financial crisis and Congress enacted measures recommended by a bipartisan commission headed by Alan Greenspan. To save the program, spending was trimmed, taxes were raised and the eligibility age was set to increase slowly as the population ages.
(snip)
But the politics have shifted. Mr. Obama summarized the new Democratic consensus in a speech in Elkhart, Ind., on June 1.
Its time we finally made Social Security more generous, and increased its benefits so that todays retirees and future generations get the dignified retirement that theyve earned, Mr. Obama said. And we could start paying for it by asking the wealthiest Americans to contribute a little bit more.
Democrats appear likely to include those proposals in their platform. Senator Sanders, working with other progressives, has transformed the debate, so that expanding Social Security is today a central and consensus tenet of the Democratic Party, Nancy J. Altman, the president of Social Security Works, an advocacy group, said at a hearing of the platform-drafting committee on June 9.
(snip)
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/06/19/us/politics/driven-by-campaign-populism-democrats-unite-on-expanding-social-security.html?_r=1&referer=https%3A%2Fwww.google.com%2F
djean111
(14,255 posts)Hope I am wrong, but doubt I am wrong.
LongTomH
(8,636 posts)Too many Democrats have indicated a willingness to triangulate with Pete Peterson and his ilk on 'Fixing the Debt.'
I would just remind them: We'll be watching!!!!
Uncle Joe
(58,420 posts)elleng
(131,107 posts)but mightn't this be construed as a warning/promise, 'Dems had better act?' Maybe I'm being optimistic.
Uncle Joe
(58,420 posts)Having said that, we must remain vigilant, the two parties have become most accustomed to playing the good cop/bad cop game treating the people as suspects to be manipulated.
Peace to you, elleng.
ChiciB1
(15,435 posts)may be one of my last here for some time to come. Time will tell, BUT MAKE NO MISTAKE, BELIEVE IT OR NOT... THIS sudden awakening by the DEMOCRATS in Congress right now is BECAUSE OF BERNIE SANDERS & what he's bee trying to build!
Haven't heard ANYTHING like this coming from the NOW DEMOCRATS in years and no matter who TAKES CREDIT for the "new awakening" those of us who have supported Bernie from the beginning KNOW the TRUTH!
I'm sure many of us have seen people come forward to run for office who would have NEVER dared to do so because they KNEW how much "blow-back" they would get, and they KNEW that there were the "hand-picked" favorites from the DNC for so many years! I've seen it posted here at DU so many times and during THIS Primary I've read far too many posts saying BERNIE WOULD NEVER be able to get down-ticket candidates elected!
Well, say what you want and believe what you want AND DENY what you want... THIS is what Bernie has started and NOW we're beginning to see some of these NOW DEMOCRATS slowly come forward and BEGIN to realize that the butter is shifting more to the left!
Uncle Joe
(58,420 posts)ChiciB1
(15,435 posts)Keep posting this GREAT stuff Uncle Joe! I've already begun to get requests in the mail from HILLARY for $$$$! Not giving any, but I did return the "paid postage" envelope back on 2 of them... Empty, but with a message.
secondwind
(16,903 posts)ChiciB1
(15,435 posts)ChiciB1
(15,435 posts)NEW blood coming in maybe, like Tim Canova? How long has it been since we've heard a "peep" like this? Gonna keep talking my talk and optimism could be something we'll be feeling.
elleng
(131,107 posts)I don't tend to be an optimist, but it did occur to me so thought I'd get it out.
Geronimoe
(1,539 posts)If the Super D's supported Bernie, it would have been a sign of change.
elleng
(131,107 posts)when they signed up with hrc; that was ages ago.
zentrum
(9,865 posts)Even discussing the issue this way is better than it's been for the last decade.
ChiciB1
(15,435 posts)That's MY question???
LiberalArkie
(15,728 posts)ChiciB1
(15,435 posts)here have said about him and much negativity that's been thrown his way, he said from the very beginning that it wasn't ABOUT HIM! I was onboard very early, actually before he was coaxed by many others to run!
It's really about "We The People!"
Thanks for reminding everyone!
LiberalArkie
(15,728 posts)here said WHO?
ChiciB1
(15,435 posts)but just didn't get around to it yet. Was planning to this coming week. I did become a JPR member but need to take some time to familiarize myself with their set up and I wanted to keep supporting Bernie here. I think I'm missing the point of your post.
LiberalArkie
(15,728 posts)The Reddit user base probably is more or less responsible for drafting Bernie for president.
He was constantly being asked to do a AMA or Ask Me Anything. And he did. I don't think Clinton ever did.
Here is one of his AMA's I think he had more participants than Reddit ever had in an AMA.
Here is the Sanders forum: https://www.reddit.com/r/SandersForPresident/?
Here is the front page of Reddit: https://www.reddit.com
ChiciB1
(15,435 posts)zentrum
(9,865 posts)....concern about running to begin with was that he would inadvertently do something that would hurt the message and the policy.
He's the real deal. Dignity but no ego.
zentrum
(9,865 posts)zentrum
(9,865 posts)....just cares about the policies.
McCamy Taylor
(19,240 posts)Oh man! I am so psyched for the general. Bring it on!
Beartracks
(12,821 posts)Putting into Social Security all your life is an INVESTMENT. I would think the Corporate Party would understand the fairness of investors receiving the returns from an investment.
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Uncle Joe
(58,420 posts)a dirty word, when it's not, just as we did with the word "liberal."
noun
1.
the act of entitling.
2.
the state of being entitled.
3.
the right to guaranteed benefits under a government program, as Social Security or unemployment compensation.
http://www.dictionary.com/browse/entitlement?s=t
As the American People have paid into the Social Security Trust Fund with their hard earned dollars via a pact with the government, we're most certainly entitled to it when we retire or become injured.
Beartracks
(12,821 posts)LOL
OK, you are right: Social Security actually IS an entitlement -- just like getting the returns on an investment is an entitlement.
I guess I meant that SS is NOT an "entitlement" the way Republicans have twisted the meaning of the word.
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Uncle Joe
(58,420 posts)this endeavor, but I believe we need to take the word back from them and instill the positive connotations.
If they say, "it's just an entitlement" we need to yell back "you're damn straight it's an entitlement, we earned it!"
Peace to you, Beartracks.
Beartracks
(12,821 posts)================