Crooks & Liars: If The Dems Have Any Sense They'll Make Social Security a Defining Issue for 2010

[ihavenobias]

Note: As mentioned in the Crooks & Liars piece below, Cenk is filling in for Ed Schultz Monday August 16th - Friday August 20th.

http://videocafe.crooksandliars.com/node/39010|Cenk Uygur: If the Democrats Have Any Sense They'll Make Social Security a Defining Issue for 2010>
Heather Saturday

Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IcbY3CUaXxo|MSNBC: Social Security Rant by Cenk >

Cenk filled in for Dylan Ratigan again and wrapped up Friday's show with a spot praising the Democrats for finally looking like they're striking the right chord with their latest political ad going after Republicans for their views on privatizing Social Security and handing the funds over to Wall Street with a few very huge qualifiers following that praise that I could not agree with more.

Uygur: Finally, the Democrats getting it. This is such an obvious winning strategy and the Republicans gave you the Queen here when John Boehner and Mike Pence came out and said, hey you know what, maybe we should raise the age of Social Security before you even get it, or when they said maybe we should cut your benefits.

You know what the numbers are? The American people hate that idea. A new AARP poll says 85% of the country oppose cutting Social Security. 68% say even though the budget is really important, that we shouldn't cut Social Security or Medicare to trim the deficit according to a recent Greenberg poll.

Look, the American people are absolutely clear on this. When the Republicans asked over and over as Bush did and now Pence and Boehner are doing, "Hey can we cut your Social Security?" the American people say "Hell no you can't!" to quote John Boehner.

So given this golden opportunity, why don't you attack on this? Make Boehner the new Gingrich and say if Boehner is in charge of the House, what he's going to do is he's going to come after your Social Security?

That has the added benefit of being true. But how do the Democrats screw this up? Look, it's a good ad and a good campaign to start with but they've already shot themselves in the foot because already Steny Hoyer who's one of the leaders in the House came out and said "Well maybe we should consider trimming Social Security or raising the age that you would have to retire and then James Clyburn came said very similar things.

Now that's the trouble for the Democrats in the House, but how about Obama? Obama, a Democratic President that promised change has got a deficit commission where 14 out of the 18 people involved in the commission are fiscal conservatives.

The likely result of that deficit commission is, they're going to come out and say let's cut Social Security.

That's insane!

Yes it is. As Cenk said it's not too late for them to make this a defining issue if they had an ounce of political sense at all. Given Gibbs brain dead remarks this week, I've got to wonder. I've said this before and I'll say it again, if they think the public is going to sit quietly if they decide that the Social Security trust fund doesn't have to be paid back after they raided it or that Americans are going to be duped into turning it over to Wall Street, they've got another thing coming. Get rid of the cap and make the rich start paying their share. And while you're at it lower the rate for all of us when you do that.

Cenk's filling in for Ed Schultz next week. I'll be happy if I hear more like this out of him then...

[Demeter]

1. That's a Big If

[dkf]

2. Pah. Promises on social security aren't any good.

Policies will be determined by whoever is in office at the time. If any politician promises you social security benefits will stay exactly the same and are set in stone they are a liar.

The only thing that will guarantee social security is a healthy economy where workers can afford to assist retirees.

[lob1]

3. I'd be a winning strategy, but I think the dems

plan to cut s.s. If they do, they'll end up defeating themselves.

[niceypoo]

4. If the Dems dont cut S.S.....

...the republicans wont be impressed

[Rosa Luxemburg]

6. no they don't plan to cut social security

the Republicans do

[ihavenobias]

8. But...

"...Obama, a Democratic President that promised change has got a deficit commission where 14 out of the 18 people involved in the commission are fiscal conservatives.

The likely result of that deficit commission is, they're going to come out and say let's cut Social Security..."

Obviously the second part is educated speculation, but the first part about the 14 out of 18 has not been disputed. What IS the likely outcome of commission stacked with "fiscal conservatives"? Cutting defense spending? Raising taxes on the rich?

[Rosa Luxemburg]

9. well they won't

if they come up with that they should be fired!

[lob1]

10. But Obama hired them knowing their conservatism.

He hired the people he wanted to get the results he wants. I hope I'm really, really wrong, but I'm convinced Obama is going to reduce S.S. and that scares me.

[Nite Owl]

16. Obama has already agreed

to whatever they come up with. I haven't heard any of the leadership dems standing up for no cuts or raising of the retirement age for Social Security. Not looking good.

[20score]

5. K&R!

[NorthCarolina]

7. If that's the goal, then they better start explaining why the appointment of

predominantly rabid anti-entitlement conservatives to the Debt Commission makes sense.

[skepticscott]

11. I stopped reading

and started laughing after the word "sense"

[Stevepol]

12. False premise: what gave you the idea the Dems have any sense?

[DFLforever]

13. SS has already been trotted out by the President.

as a 2010 issue. Maybe Cenk hasn't noticed, or maybe he has...

The Dems have used it against the Repubs every chance they've had over the last 20+years....why abandon it now.

It's the biggest 'fear' card the Dems have in their packet.

The typical voter knows nothing about the deficit commission...but the Chinese government does and that's who ,imo, it was mainly set up to mollify.

[ihavenobias]

19. Did the read the piece/watch the video?

"...But how do the Democrats screw this up? Look, it's a good ad and a good campaign to start with but they've already shot themselves in the foot because already Steny Hoyer who's one of the leaders in the House came out and said "Well maybe we should consider trimming Social Security or raising the age that you would have to retire and then James Clyburn came said very similar things.

Now that's the trouble for the Democrats in the House, but how about Obama? Obama, a Democratic President that promised change has got a deficit commission where 14 out of the 18 people involved in the commission are fiscal conservatives.

The likely result of that deficit commission is, they're going to come out and say let's cut Social Security..."

[BrklynLiberal]

14. That would be a great place to start.

[Turborama]

15. Kick

Rec'd earlier.

Thanks for posting, man.

:kick:

[Faryn Balyncd]

17. The 2 big issues: The GOP (1) wants to destroy SS & (2) wants cheap labor at any cost... (K&R)

[Capitalocracy]

18. Of course, if they want to make this a defining issue...

it would help if they weren't helping loot social security as well.

But honestly, I think the people in power today are willing to risk losing elections to get their hands on the last piggybank.

And then some people around here will say, 'Well, we couldn't possibly have saved Social Security, but at least with Democrats it will be stolen slightly less!'

K&R

[ihavenobias]

20. I love that phrase.

I'm referring to "the last piggy bank". Cenk uses it, but did he come up with it?