GOP appears poised to take on entitlements

[Faygo Kid]

Source: Associated Press

CORAL SPRINGS, Fla. – If there's any place where tea partiers in Congress might hesitate to call for cuts in Social Security and Medicare to shrink the federal debt, Florida's retirement havens should top the list.

Even here, however, Republican lawmakers are racing toward a spending showdown with Democrats exhibiting little nervousness about deep cuts, including those that eventually would hit benefit programs long left alone by politicians.

In fact, many GOP freshmen seem bolder than ever. It's Democrats, especially in the Senate, who are trying to figure out how to handle the popular but costly retirement programs. Congress, meanwhile, is rapidly nearing critical decisions on the budget and the nation's debt ceiling.

In southeast Florida last week, first-term GOP Rep. Allen West, a tea party favorite, called for changes that some might consider radical: abolish the Internal Revenue Service and federal income tax; retain tax cuts for billionaires so they won't shut down their charities; stop extending unemployment benefits that "reward bad behavior" by discouraging people from seeking new jobs. . .

Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20110327/ap_on_re_us/us_republicans_spending

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Sounds like the Kochs and their minions are starting to move on their next big priority: Busting Social Security and Medicare. Don't think they are through with the unions, voter ID and all the other stuff "coincidentally" hitting in multiple states at the same time.

Look for this to get a lot of attention this week, and for groups that advocate for seniors and the poor to be actively targeted.