The Turtle is full of it-- Social Security and Medicare are NOT deficit drivers...

[TreasonousBastard]

I hate these guys-- SS should be held up as an ideal program others public and private, should emulate. And it does NOT contrbute to the deficit.

It is not, strictly speaking, a retirement program, since there is no provision for the pensioner to profit. But there is also no provision for the pensioner to lose, thereby eliminating expensive bailouts. And it does not prevent anyone from participating in other plans.

What it is is an effective wealth transfer program-- it takes from wage earners to pay retirees, with the promise that the present wage earners will get the same benefit. Surpluses are invested in US treasuries, not harebrained schemes, reducing the chance of loss of principal. It presently has a surplus.

Everyone benefits, with very little cost to taxpayers. Administrative cost for SS are among the lowest of any program, public or private. This is the sort of program any true conservative should applaud and emulate.

(OK, SSI, survivor benefits, etc do add to the cost of the basic program, but they are also paid out of SS "income" ).

Medicare the same way-- it, too, is paid by special taxes, equivalent to premiums, and while a surplus is more difficult to attain, it is still not coming out of general revenues and doesnot contribute to the deficit unless subsidies are involved.

Medicaid is different, and could contribute to the deficit, but no more than, say the VA, which is fully funded by general revenues (although it is often reimbursed by Medicare and other insurance).

Lies and bullshit meant to confuse and divide us.

[beachbum bob]

1. doesn't matter what we think, the intentions to cut and/or eliminate SS, Medicare, Medicaid

has been in the gOP playbook for decades. At least they have made it clear and perhaps one of the biggest political blunders BEFORE an election I have every seen

Every democratic candidate MUST use Mitch's video interview segment to run. This will not play well in Florida, Arizona or Texas and elsewhere where significant numbers of retiree's live....

let this sink in and the fallot will be huge from medical providers, right on down

[ooky]

8. Agree. Democratic candidates need to jump all over McConnell's

comments. They are a gift 19 days before the midterms.

[SWBTATTReg]

2. Every repug candidate must be tagged w/ this byline, that they will cut Social Security ...

massively, causing a massive disruption in the 60 million or so persons who rely on this program, after all, a massive number of these persons have been paying into this system all their working lives.

Time to get these irresponsible thugs out of office. Time to no longer vote republican. Time to take back our country. Time to wipe the repug party off the face of the earth. Guilty of collusion w/ the Russians, traitors to our senior citizens, to our country no less.

Don't vote for any of these people. Show up at the few town halls that they have (if any, the cowards won't face us anymore). If they won't face us, become a mob and swamp Washington DC, swamp their offices, run them out of office forever.

[Akacia]

3. I really do not understand

why this is such a big issue for them. I know that if it is eliminated they will no longer have these revenues to spend on their wars and what not so, what is it that they think they will gain by eliminating these programs. Also it is so short sided, do they really want a Country with starving senior citizens. This would definitely not make America Great Again!

[TreasonousBastard]

4. Because SS and related programs are close to 30% of the federal budget and it galls them...

that none of it is going to their buddies. It also galls them that it is going to "freeloaders".

Starving people they are good at hiding.

But, anyway, they are slick enough to not cut present recipients, at least by much. Their plan is to eliminate it down the road, so if you're in your 40's or younger-- make alternative plans.

[The Genealogist]

5. He just wants to harm people, that's how he gets his jollies

People suffering seems to get him all hot and bothered. He is probably rubbing his hands together and laughing evil little laugh just thinking about it.

[Atman]

6. It is when you've already pissed away the money...

...but still have to pay out benefits. Of course, a simple tax adjustment could alleviate this problem, but then, fixing the problem isn’t their goal. They just want to eliminate/privatize the programs for personal profit.

[SammyWinstonJack]

7. Does that vile POS shit know something we don't about how the Midterms

will turn out? Why else bring up cutting SS/Medicare and Medicaid mere weeks before most vote? Otherwise the timing makes no sense.

[MiniMe]

9. It was doing well until they started borrowing against it

Most of the social security fund is invested in Treasury Bonds. So when they need to cash out those bonds, it will affect the deficit.

[Hotler]

10. it doesn't mater what he says or how it is painted,

they're coming for your money. Wall St. has had their eyes on it for a long time.

[smirkymonkey]

11. K&R

I am too angry to say anything right now.

[ProfessorGAC]

12. They've Borrowed From The Surplus For Years

That would just create a bigger surplus from which to borrow. There is no influence on spending by the federal government. They'll just spend it on something else, like another aircraft carrier the Navy says it doesn't want.