Congressional Republicans 103-page SS Playbook leaked to Raw Story

[CottonBear]

Monday, January 31, 2005

Raw Story has acquired a copy of Saving Social Security: A Guide to Social Security Reform, printed by the House and Senate Republican Conferences as a guide for Senators and Representatives to market private accounts for the Social Security system.

The document is filled with suggestions for communicating constituents such as, "Talk in simple language: Your audience doesn't understand financial jargon," and "Offer an alternate reality."

more...

link: http://www.rawstory.com/

[byronm]

1. Write your Senators

Tell them you find it dispicable that a colleague in the senate would write a playbook that disqualifies americans as being to dumb to comprehend the issue and that you find it unfair and not representable of your government to have such ideals.

[CottonBear]

2. Simple language: Keep your hands off my Social Security!

Damn Republicans.

[MidwestTransplant]

4. The only way this get's through is if Americans are in fact dumb

[woodsprite]

13. Don't say that -- you know some of them are.

After all, some actually did push the button, pull the lever of whatever for *.

[complain jane]

24. exactly

[SemperEadem]

10. At least they understand the truth of their machinations

they KNOW that if * got re-elected, a vast quantity of Americans MUST be dumb. You'd have to be dumb to willingly elect wolves, hyennas and sharks to be in charge of the 3 branches of the government.

The home page has an article on how young people have tolerance for authority and think that the first amendment goes too far in granting liberties. The pubs have been quite successful if these young people have been so 'brainwashed' into believing that the government should have more control over the media. Young people need to understand the nuts and bolts reasons why our constitution is written the way it's written, not this stupid fairy tale they've been fed about no such thing as separation of church and state.

[Knight of Ni]

37. Those "dumb young people" 18-25

...were the only age group who voted for Kerry in the majority. So there's some hope.

[HockeyMom]

49. My 20 somethings aren't

buying into this and neither are their friends. My 21 year old college student (has taken economic courses) calls if "gambling" and my 26 year old calls it making "wall street and stock brokers richer."

[ultraist]

42. They write up manuals for every issue

And they have been for a long time. Why do you think they are all on the same page, the same day, with the same lingo? They spend big bucks for think tanks to write up this propaganda.

There is normally very little dissent within the Repuke party. They all have the code words and talking points in their handy dandy notebook issued by their party.

It's not by accident. They are a well organized team.

[Hissyspit]

57. They Pretty Much Admit The Lie

In the other discussion board, they point out that on Page 7 it says "People don't appreciate all that Social Security does."

[renaissanceguy]

92. And we need to be just as organized as they are.

Which is why we need Dean to be our Chairman. He can energize our base, and give the party back to the grassroots. The more people we involve in our party, the better off we'll be.

http://www.cafepress.com/liberalissues.14744291

[renaissanceguy]

88. Is it illustrated?

The fundies (aka. the chimp) need pictures to understand, because they can't read.

http://www.cafepress.com/liberalissues/466053

[papau]

3. a bit of detail

GOP to sell "ownership and control, rather than 'privatization,' so as to get folks to screw themselves out of benefits, and to get Dem Senators Bill Nelson (Fla.), Ben Nelson (Neb.) and Kent Conrad (N.D.), Max Baucus (Mont.), Blanche Lincoln (Ark.), and Mark Pryor (Ark.) to "swing" to screwing the aged to protect tax cuts for the rich.

Indeed the WSJ's Jackie Calmes'was on point that " Some Republicans privately doubt that all members of their congressional conference understand the sensitive issues involved, such as the estimated $2 trillion transition cost for private accounts, future benefit reductions and possible payroll-tax increases for upper-income workers."

With Frank Luntz advising the GOP on how to talk about Social Security changes without alienating voters, how can they lose! I expect to see a lot of Frank on MSNBC!

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A49938-20...

washingtonpost.com
Congressional Republicans Agree to Launch Social Security Campaign

By Mike Allen
Washington Post Staff Writer
Monday, January 31, 2005; Page A04


WHITE SULPHUR SPRINGS, W.Va. -- Congressional Republicans, after three months of internal debate, this weekend launched a months-long campaign to try to convince constituents that rewriting the Social Security law would be cheaper and less risky than leaving it alone, as the White House opened a campaign to pressure several Senate Democrats to support the changes.

The Republicans left an annual retreat in the Allegheny Mountains with a 104-page playbook titled "Saving Social Security," a deliberate echo of the language President Bill Clinton used to argue that the retirement system's trust fund should be built up in anticipation of the baby boomers' retirement.

The congressional Republicans' confidential plan was developed with the advice of pollsters, marketing experts and communication consultants, and was provided to The Washington Post by a Republican official. The blueprint urges lawmakers to promote the "personalization" of Social Security, suggesting ownership and control, rather than "privatization," which "connotes the total corporate takeover of Social Security." Democratic strategists said they intend to continue fighting the Republican plan by branding it privatization, and assert that depiction is already set in people's minds.

House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) plans to say Monday in a "prebuttal" to President Bush's State of the Union address that her party will not "let a guaranteed benefit become a guaranteed gamble."

The Republican's book, with a golden nest egg on the cover, urges the GOP to "talk in simple language," "keep the numbers small," "avoid percentages; your audience will try to calculate them in their head" and "acknowledge risks," because listeners "know they can lose their investments."<snip>

[xxqqqzme]

8. I 'OWN' my social security account

right now! It is not welfare; it is not a handout. It is money I earned and my employer contributed.

The neocons R trying 2 sell transfer of ownership 2 a bunch of pigs @ the trough.

[For PaisAn]

25. Exactly!!!!

n/t

[LiberalFighter]

47. I wonder what the small business owners would say about that??

They don't pay the same percentage that we do. They pay the employee and employer portion while we as employees pay and the employer matches the same amount.

[SharonAnn]

58. No, small business owners don't do that. Self employed people do.

I am self employed and I pay both for myself.

For my employees, the business deducts their portion and deposits it, plus the employers' portion periodically per government regulations. This is just the same as what large businesses do except that they have to deposit more frequently, probably because of the sums of money involved.

Actually, it all comes out of the employee's salary. That's money that should be paid for the cost of labor. If it doesn't go to Social Security then it should go to the employee.

Anybody ever hear of a business paying something out of their profits if they didn't have to?

[LiberalFighter]

62. My mistake... I meant self-employed

[CAcyclist]

100. You're not mistaken

I am a small business owner and I pay for my employee and for myself I pay twice - both the employee and employer portion

[renaissanceguy]

89. Good point.

It's OUR money, and we want FDR's brilliant program to stay just the way it is.

http://www.cafepress.com/liberalissues.14744291

[TroglodyteScholar]

22. Article not found..... Hmmmmmm

That WaPo link doesn't go anywhere now. I'd really like to read that if it still exists somewhere. Got the pdf at raw story, though. Looks like interesting reading. :(

[blondeatlast]

44. Link to the PDF file:

http://www.rawstory.com/images/pdfs/rawstory_socialsecurity.pdf

Put down your coffee, though.

You've been warned.

[Liberty Belle]

27. Write to those Dem Senators mentioned and quote the

GOP playbook back to them. In fact, tell them you are going to make sure all the local media gets their hands on this juicy material if they vote the wrong way. Or maybe leak the info to the local media FIRST and then bring pressure on the protect-the-rich DEMS to think about ordinary folks, for a change.

[Babel_17]

34. Try this link

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A49938-2005Jan30.html

[area51]

59. "...talk in simple language,"

The republinazi party said:

"... talk in simple language...."

Simple language from simple minds (the nazis).


"Prosperity is just around the corner." -- Herbert Hoover
"The economy has turned a corner." -- GW Bush

Herbert Hoover = GW Bush

Neither man cared about the Depression their economic policies created.

[meganmonkey]

5. This is f*cking disgusting:

"Don't say "Social Security lifts seniors out of poverty": People don't appreciate all that social security does, and believe that despite the program many seniors are still in poverty.""
------
Right. Don't think about the fact that your Grandmother might be starving if it weren't for her social security check. Especially now that her medicare card doesn't pay for her prescriptions anymore.


:puke:

[American Tragedy]

67. What's sickening about that is that in the same book they state

that for 1 out of 3 Americans over the age of 65, Social Security benefits constitute 90% of their total income.

[Rick Myers]

6. Read the TALKING POINTS in that document

Basiclly, it says, "people are stupid, here's how to manipualte them..." :grr:

[byronm]

9. indeed

It does say that. Show that to your neighboors and talk about it to your friends.

Isn't it amazing they can have a detailed 103 page plan of attack but NOT A SINGLE DETAIL ON THE ACTUAL PLAN outside the light talking points that come up.

Show me the plan.. not your plan of attack.

[AirAmFan]

83. Your're right. THE PLAN ITSELF is not there!? But the Appendix

includes suggested "speeches" in support of the plan. When supplemented with info from ssa.gov and other sources, the speech targeted to audiences over 50 provides enough information to deduce most of what they likely have in mind. See http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x1551877 .

Basically, they want to steal the remaining positive FICA cash flow (until about 2018) and redirect it away from Baby Boomers' retirement payments into privatized "accounts" for younger workers, with ultimately about 20 percent going to Wall Street for "management fees".

They don't say what they mean by "younger", but the fact they provide separate speeches for audiences older and younger than 50 may provide some indication of where they plan to make the break. By the Republican definition, it well may turn out that most of us still are "young"!

[lady lib]

55. An example of "the soft bigotry of low expectations"

...of their own people!

[Supersedeas]

93. not sure I'd classify the 'target' audience as their own people

the only thing they 'own' is capital and currency as they do the bidding of the security marketeers.

[Occulus]

66. Very Terry Goodkind

which means very Ayn Rand.

"People are stupid. They will believe any lie they are told, provided they hope it is true or fear it may be true." -The Wizard's First Rule, from Wizard's First Rule, by Terry Goodkind.

(It really is an awesome fantasy novel, if you go for those things, but that particular quote is most.... apt, today.)

[renaissanceguy]

90. We are stupid if we don't fight back.

And we are. It's good to see Dems in Congress standing up for FDR's principles.

http://www.cafepress.com/liberalissues.14744291

[bvar22]

7. Bob's "One Page Plan

to STOP Republicans from stealing your Money!

BUSH* WANTS to
STEAL YOUR RETIREMENT
and GIVE IT TO HIS RICH FRIENDS!!!

Republicans
Take From Mainstreet
and GIVE to Wallstreet!

[SemperEadem]

11. beautiful!

[Liberty Belle]

16. Get bumper stickers made--ask Cafe Press!

I've heard they will do small batches on a per-order basis.

These would be great! I would personally order some.

[Kali]

69. this place does

they are kind of thin but hey custom stickers!

http://www.makestickers.com/

[Liberty Belle]

74. Cool!

[woodsprite]

12. I got a letter from Mike Castle (R-DE) that looks like he cut/pasted

that crap. I'm lamblasting him tonight. Here stupid me thought he was actually answering one of the other letters I sent him regarding the hearings or the election fraud, etc. Instead he was just playing House-elf for *.

[flyarm]

109. lets do something to send the message...

i have painted pennies with red nail polish..and i am sending them to each and every congress person with the stuff that pisses me off..if i get a ;letter from them..i send the letter back and i write across it...not one red cent of mine...

so i am sending my congress and senate people a red penny and telling them they better not touch one red cent of my social security money, and that they better not even attept to privitize social security!! i am telling them i will spend every penny i have removing them from office if they mess with soical security for that thug * !!

fly

[SkipNewarkDE]

114. I actually like Mike

Hey fellow Delaware DU-er.

I actually like Mike Castle, but I have not seen his letter yet. Where was it? Sent out via email listing, or something on paper?

[rocktivity]

14. Better yet, let's write a rebuttal

:evilgrin:
rocknation

[hadrons]

15. "Offer an alternate reality."

its worked for them so far

[Toucano]

113. Exactly.

It's the cornerstone of their platform! :)

[Angry Girl]

17. We should be doing the same!

Talk in simple language! I agree 100% with this one. Too often I find Democrats and liberals and progressives talking way over the heads of regular folks. They take their college educations for granted and don't realize that almost 50% of this country's working adults can't read well enough to fill out a job application!

We need to get some simple messages out there and repeat them, over and over and over again! This technique is as old as the hills but it works.

[RaleighNCDUer]

60. Here's a simple message --

The republicans are lying! Looking at their assumptions, it seems the biggest one is that the boomers are not going to die. Or at least, they'll all live to 95. It's bullshit.

If that gets their attention, you can look at the numbers.

"Workers born in 2000 will have their benefits cut by 31% by age 80."

There's no way in hell they can honestly predict that, so therefore they are obviously lying. Any number of things can change that prediction. A flu pandemic kills a billion people. A full scale nuclear war kills 500 million. A tech advance eliminates the need for fossil fuels, providing cheap energy world wide, kicking off a boom of wealth that brings 3rd world population levels down to European levels, stabilizing the world population at 5.5 billion.

For that matter, will the US even exist in 80 years? How about the balkanization of America into a dozen different, warring countries. 50 years ago no one dared suspect that the Soviet empire would collapse that way. How bout the corporate state superseding the nation state? Or Canada and Mexico joining us in a supranational state, to counter the power of the EU and China/India. Or China pulls the plug on us, and they become the only superpower.

Can anyone say any of these absolutely will not happen? They have as much validity as the Repub SS fear mongers do.

[catmandu57]

18. We better damn well pay attention to this

and come up with an opposite strategy fast, they've been working on this crap, fine tuning it, and now they're going to shock and awe rthe general public.

Remember, with the help of bbv they stole another election, but without the dulled and frightened minds of the public they couldn't have pulled it off.

We found their playbook in 02 and didn't pay attention, we found out they developed a roster of church going sheeple in 04 and didn't pay attention.

Now another gem falls in our laps, and if everything holds as it has in the past wall street will be getrting fat on other people's money in no time.

[AlinPA]

29. Yep, they are rolling it out with a plan. Just like Rove's war.

[Rose Siding]

19. Dems have a chance to control the whole direction of the SS story

now. I hope they take it. They can be on top of it out the gate and have truth on their side to boot.

[Sivafae]

20. "they do not know the difference between a trillion and a billion"

how's that for some underestimation!

[natrat]

38. hows that for the pot calling the kettle black

[Knight of Ni]

40. "A trillion is more than a billion, Numbnuts!!" (nt)

[Rex]

21. They're talking about the elderly and minorities

I've seen that jargon crap before.

Us stupid white people put Great Leader back into office. No, wait one...they're talking about rednecks. Is there any group of people the BFEE won't shit on?

[w4rma]

23. "Offer an alternate reality". fantasyland. (nt)

[Dukkha]

26. I'll take the alternate reality please

if BushCo isn't in it, then it would be Nirvana by comparison.

[AlinPA]

28. Those maggots are organized and march in lockstep. Hey, just like their

model party.

[dmallind]

30. Question on the details

Obviously shrubco are keeping the details pretty quiet on this one but there's one thing I've never heard the talking heads discuss and can't find a definitive answer to. It's a rather vital question too for the future stability of SS funds.

Given that the privatized accounts will be separated from the general SS funds, what happens to them if the individual dies before exhausting these funds or even before receiving SS payouts at all? There is an enormous amount of actuarial work behind SS and much of it is to do with mortality rates and life expectancy. If I die at 52 I pay in a crapload of SS taxes and get back not a dime. No big deal to me - I'm dead for a start and I know this is a pay as you go setup. However it is very much a big deal if 1/6 of my SS taxes, and everyone else's who dies pre-retirement, get siphoned off of the SS accounts and just goes into my estate.

Given whose idea this is I suppose I could guess the money will go to the estate - Shrubco seems passionately devoted to making sure already comfortable inheritors get every possible penny whether they need it or not and at anyone else's expense. However I would like to know for sure. Anybody seen this answered definitively?

Thx!

[Straight Shooter]

33. Good question. And what about those of us with NO heirs?

I suppose we define in our wills who gets the account, but if someone dies without a will, then where does the money go? And if someone dies without a will, with no heirs, where does the money go?

I see the opportunity for a whole new branch of accounting and legal experts opening up.

[LiberalFighter]

50. Will that be more money that is not taxed for heirs? That they didn't earn

[Hebegirl]

70. Shrubco's Logick

In a word, no. I also haven't seen this question answered: What happens if we outlive our "pot" of money, ie if this Shrub plan goes through (God forbid), and we end up with these annuities...My s.o. just received a statement in the mail, a life insurance annuity he purchased has decreased by 2/3 since the year 2000!
The other thing I must comment on is the disgusting way Shrub is trying to sell his plan to minorities (in particular Black Americans). He is 'framing' the issue by enlightening them that the current system 'cheats' them because in general Blacks do not live as long as whites. How about trying this, Shrub. (Put this in your playbook)-- The current system "cheats" Blacks as follows: Their early deaths and rates of disability are higher because of your cheating system, a system you have done everything to fortify. How about helping to improve the health and lifespan of the people???? (Anyway, I know these are big words, but I have a feeling most African-Americans aren't going to buy Shrubco's dead horse). Furthermore, the issue of disability needs to be considered because social security covers retired AND disabled workers...not to mention survivors of deceased or injured workers. Shrub's idea is a disaster waiting to happen, just like Iraq.

[progressivebydesign]

31. THIS is why the HELL we need Howard Dean as Chair of the DNC!

He's not afraid to call bullshit!!!

[savistocate]

32. Check talkingpointsmemo.com update

[CTPatriot]

36. Exactly!!

I called all the DNC reps in my state today and lobbied them to vote for Dean. The DNC needs someone with a steel spine, the courage to stand up to the GOP bullies, and who can motivate the grassroots masses. I'm sick of watching my party stumble all over themselves because they're too afraid of offending someone or losing their corporate benefactors.

[natrat]

35. this ought to be good

see if america wants to take the knife in the back this time too
"Please fuck me over" Amerika squals

[Obviousman]

39. Write your Democrat Reps

and tell them to use this like a 2x4 to club the republicans

[IndyOp]

46. Excellent! I'd love to see them on the floor reading aloud from the

playbook -- with lots of editorial comments. How about Jon Stewart and the Air American crew? Everybody ought to get into this!!

:bounce:

[renaissanceguy]

91. Brilliant!

Yet another piece of solid evidence that the Repug party wants to fuck us all over.

http://www.cafepress.com/liberalissues.14744291

[madmark]

41. There is a real problem with SS

The people are stupid/use simple language talking points are offensive, however, independent of the Bush Admin’s incompetent or malevolent intent here, there is a real problem with SS. The SS Trust Fund formed from the payroll tax payments is not vested with the individual worker beneficiaries but rather held collectively by the US Treasury. The Treasury issues T-Bills for the payroll taxes it collects and the T-Bills form the Trust Fund. As a result, under this scheme, any future benefit payment is forever at the political mercy of the then current government. In my view this "vesting" problem is the much larger problem for young workers, not the rate of return. Who care's what your rate of return is if the meantime your principle can be, or is, looted?

You want to avoid the debt problem described by Spitzer, and cure the real problem, the vesting problem, issue to the individual worker, not the Treasury, the T-Bills and let them stay in individual accounts tax free pending retirement.

Whether or not people should be allowed to liquidate the T-Bills and invest in other things, I'll leave that for others . . . . You have to cure the vesting, or rather "looting" of the principle, problem first before you can even begin to worry about rate of return.

Of course, because of the Bush Admin's global incompetence, we will probably end up getting the worst of all worlds, no vesting, more crushing debt, principle losses, reduced beneficiary payments, and commissions and fees for political cronies.

[CAcyclist]

103. If the current government fails to pay its bills

we'll all be in a lot more trouble than any engineered SS "crisis"

T-bills are about the safest investment our money could be in and that's where I want the SS money to stay

[tlcandie]

43. I think each person listed in this playbook whose op eds and such

are listed should be investigated for bribes, pay-outs, etc. for the GOP or this admin!!

EDIT: And when they can tell me where every dime of that $9million missing in Iraq went to... THEN we can discuss fixing the SS!!

[manly]

85. t hat's 9 BILLION

That's right. Look again. It's 9 Billion dollars missing, not 9 million.That's nine thousand million dollars. Holy crap, that's a lot of money to go missing!

[tlcandie]

96. OMG!!! You are sooo right ...

I'm soooo embarassed! Thanks for the correction... how the hell can that much $$$ just disappear?!?!? :wow:

[mom cat]

45. This "playbook" is a must read. Orwell would love it. Nominated

for front page.

[Cocoa]

48. this smells like Frank Luntz

it has his musk all over it.

[Blue_State_Elitist]

51. Is that what I smell?

[hollowdweller]

63. Yeah F. Luntz . He is responsible for the change from debating an issue

in a public forum to refusing to debate it and just marketing it by having large numbers of republicans and columnists repeat it.

[indypaul]

52. Could be more accurately described as

Kool-Aid recipe?

[leesa]

53. If it was leaked, it was probably leaked by them as part of an agenda

[wellst0nev0ter]

54. "SS Is An Unfunded Mandate"

Please, PLEASE talk this up, this will give China all the more reason to dump our dollar, since the party IN POWER just nullified the value of the T-bills.

[Hissyspit]

56. Also In General Disc: Politics At This Link

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=132&topic_id=1550663&mesg_id=1550663

[goodboy]

61. what I wrote to Pryce...my nazi Rep.

"Talk in simple language: Your audience doesn't understand financial jargon," "Offer an alternate reality." "Acknowlege concerns, but don't get trapped by them"


I've read this entire playbook and find it disgusting that your plan is so full of holes you need to create an "alternate reality" in order to con people into allowing you to pillage Social Security. I'm printing out as many copies of this I can afford, so that your constituents will finally be able to see for themselves how stupid you think they are.

Weak.

Voting against you feels like winning the lottery.

[ast_liberal2008]

64. they think they're better than ordinary people

The whole point of the repukes' arguments for social security is confusing people enough that they don't realize they're being screwed. This proves that they think that they're better than normal people.

[Flammable Materials]

65. This is EXACTLY like the Jehovah's Witness how-to ...

... evangelism books. Anyone who has seen their publication "The Truth That Leads To Everlasting Life" knows exactly what I'm talking about:

* Here are the points you should emphasize
* Here's what you should say if person objects with "A", "B", "C", etc.
* Here are the questions you should ask
* Here are the answers you should be fishing for
* Etc.

Cult, cult, cult.

[CoffeeCat]

68. I read the plan and I think it's brilliant...

Obviously, the Republicans hired a public-relations firm to develop this messaging strategy on Social Security.

Guys, I am very concerned, because this is a damn good plan.

Yes, it's all based on fear-mongering and lies. Yes, we all know that Bush hates Soc Sec and this is just an initial step toward dismantling it and leveraging his Wall Street cronies.

However, the average person doesn't know all of that or understand those complexities. The average person gets sound bytes and cogent talking points. This messaging in this plan is effective.

This plan, if implemented, could work to convince many that the President's Social Security plan is a good one. It truly could change the way people view Social Security and it could help Bush pass his bad ideas.

I read this plan this afternoon and I've been upset all day. The Republicans have a very defined, pointed message and they're all on the same page. Obviously, they've paid someone hundreds of thousands of dollars to develop this messaging/imaging strategy. Where are the Dems? Will they be as united and organized as the Reps? They have the oppositions' playbook, so I hope to hell that key Dems are sitting in a cushy PR office right now--developing their own plan which includes a cogent, messaging war against what the Reps have planned.

We all know that Bush's Soc Sec ideas a bunk. However, this plan--from a public-relations perspective is brilliant--because it could convince America that Bush's plan is a good one.

[Hebegirl]

72. Here is Some 'Framing' we can use

'it's called social security for a reason. It is an insurance plan (compare it to auto, homeowner's or health insurance). It pools our "risk," and allows for a basic income when we retire or become disabled. Re-focus the idea of 'personal account' = IRA, 401k, employer pension. Get people thinking about THAT. Then, build in that social SECURITY is a protection against
total poverty. We can play the fear card too. AND, it isn't just fear factor, either. Private account = individual risk. Say something that brings to mind their own parents, grandparents or kids. We need to personalize the message. Do people want to end up supporting their parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, etc, or being a burden to their children? What if they have no family and their personal account value crashes? No safety valve.

[goodboy]

105. check this out

"Talk in simple language: Your audience doesn't understand financial jargon," "Offer an alternate reality." "Acknowlege concerns, but don't get trapped by them"


I've read this entire playbook and find it disgusting that your plan is so full of holes you need to create an "alternate reality" in order to con people into allowing you to pillage Social Security. I'm printing out as many copies of this I can afford, so that your constituents will finally be able to see for themselves how stupid you think they are.

Weak.

Voting against you feels like winning the lottery.

[Occulus]

75. Call attention to the fact that the plan is so good, then.

So good, in fact, that it's suspect. No plan this shiny and new and good could possibly have come from such an inept administration, so here we have a sweeping public policy being sold to our government lock, stock, and barrel, by a private firm with an unknown agenda.

We don't need to know who wrote it; the fact that this plan is so damn good equates to it having come from a source other than this administration, and therefore has no place in public policy, having had no input from we, the People.

Or, if it sounds too good to be true.....

[napi21]

71. Thanks for the link. I wrote my Pub Senator and sent him a copy.

I unfortunately live in a State that has 2 Pub Senators, and a Pub Representative. I guess my only option is to inundate them with emails, and hope enough others from here do the same.

I basicly told him it was a BS plan, and it would be the thing that will bring down the Party. If that's what he really wanted to do, knock yourselef out. I also sent him the link to the Raw Story copy...just in case he thought I was bluffing.

I'm not going to let off on this one. Both my Senators and my Rep are going to get emails daily until they push this BS off the table!

[imenja]

73. "alternate reality"

They openly admit it's fraudulent: "offer an alternate reality." We need to keep that quote to use in the 2006 elections.

[WHAT]

106. that's what I was thinking...

social security privitazation = alternate reality

[Stockholm]

76. http://www.rawstory.com/images/pdfs/rawstory_socialsecurity.pdf

Have anyone saved a copy?

[aikido15]

77. This is so insulting...

Seriously. Most of your constituents don't know how many millions make a billion? Most are not educated enough to know what you are talking about?

How dare they. I am sending a copy of this fucking thing to my REPUBLICAN senators and ask them if they agree with the Bush regime, that most of their constituents are dumb asses.

[magellan]

78. Found this gem on page 22

"...The liberal argument is that when payouts start to outstrip revenues, in 2018, the program can just draw on the trust fund - and it can keep drawing on it until 2042, when it is scheduled to run out.

"Liberals - I mean you, Paul Krugman - have spent immense amounts of verbiage obscuring the fact that the trust fund is an accounting fiction. Its assets are IOUs from the rest of the federal government. When 2018 rolls around, the government will have to find the money to pay off those IOUs. It will have to raise revenues or cut spending or borrow elsewhere to do that."

Am I reading this right? Is this saying that because the Fed apparently has no intention of paying off its IOUs to the trust fund in 2018, WE THE PEOPLE have to suck it up and accept some half-assed privatization plan NOW??

Now hang on a goddamn minute. We all have to pay off our IOUs (credit cards, mortgages, loans, etc) on time -- why shouldn't the federal government?!?!?

Here's my answer to these Republican swindlers: set an interest rate on those federal IOUs...say, 20% pa...and cut off further loans to the Fed till they start practicing some of that personal responsibility they're always on about. 20%'s a fair rate, considering they've over-extended themselves into the crapper. And we demand the government makes regular monthly minimum repayments to the Trust Fund until the balance is paid off in 2018.

Meanwhile, when the jobs market improves (as Republicans are sure it will under their special care), we increase the SS deduction by $1. One freakin' dollar, and SS is solvent again till who knows when.

Okay, I readily admit I have only a basic understanding of the mechanics behind SS, so go ahead and correct me wherever necessary. But answer me this: why the HELL should WE pay in any shape, form or fashion for the Fed's fiscal irresponsibility with OUR money? Why don't they repay their debt so we aren't faced with this crisis they forecast for 2018?? I know that borrowing from the Trust Fund has been going on for some time, but as the saying goes, "Poor planning on your part does NOT constitute an emergency on mine."

TO BUSHCO AND RETHUGS: YOU SPEND REVENUES (AGAIN, OUR MONEY) ON PORK BARRELS AND A PRESIDENTIAL YACHT AND 23 NEW HELICOPTERS AND GOD KNOWS WHAT ELSE AND IT'S OUR CRISIS? YOU'RE THE ONES WITH A CRISIS! YOU JUST BLEW 40M+ ON AN INAUGURAL!!! WHY NOT THROW THE FIRST ANNUAL "SS TRUST FUND REPAYMENT BALL" AND SCHMOOZE ALL YOUR WEALTHY FRIENDS FOR DONATIONS TO THAT!!

PAY THE TRUST FUND BACK, GODDAMMIT!! NOW!!! WE'RE SICK OF YOUR TWISTED LIES AND PATHETIC SCHEMES TO MAKE YOUR ELITE SELVES WEALTHIER OFF OUR BACKS!!!

[notadmblnd]

86. sounds reasonable to me.

seems to me if they would just stop offshoring jobs and put people to work there would be more than enough people paying into the system to support SS.

[GiovanniC]

87. The Trust Fund

If you are working, the Social Security system takes a lot of money from you: over $6,400 from the average American family, according to the latest figures from the government. Much of that money goes to benefits for today’s seniors, but what’s left over—one dollar out of every six—the government is just spending. That leftover money is the “trust fund” you’ve heard about. It’s not saved for you; it is just being spent.

Well knock that shit off then. Fuck.

In essence: "You have been paying money to Social Security every paycheck for as long as you've worked. 83% of that went to current Social Security recipients. The other 17% we could have put away to help cover any future shortfalls, but we spent that shit on whores and blow. Now we have a 'crisis' of our own manufacturing. Now we need your help, although let's face it... we're just going to fuck you over again a new way."

Oh, by the way, Dems aren't innocent in that either. Both parties need to keep their grubby hands off already-spoken for money.

If any of us ran our household finances like this our spouses would kick our asses.

ME: "Honey, I need $500."
HER: "What the hell for?"
ME: "Mortgage payment."
HER: "I already gave you the mortgage payment."
ME: "Yeah, but now we have a mortgage payment budget shortfall. A crisis, really."
HER: "What happened to the money I already gave you?"
ME: "I needed money for a replica mule barn so I used it then."
HER: "You fucknut."

[Hamsta1]

94. "Liberals-I mean you, Paul Krugman"

They sound a little threatened by Paul Krugman. I guess that means his editorials are worrisome to them. What a bunch of assholes. Maybe they should try shelling out a couple hundred grand for him NOT to write about programs he believes in. Oh wait, he actually has a shred of decency. I heard Anne Coulter was on the payroll too. Only she doesn't get paid in cash, they just pull up with a wheelbarrel full of deep-fried babies and she snacks on them before ripping the still-beating heart out of a slightly-left-leaning moderate and feasting on it like a portly child returning home from fat camp and devouring his first chocolate bunny.

Keep it up Paul!

[roseBudd]

99. The memme should be: when you start teaching econ at MIT...

then I'll listen. Until then I defer to Paul Krugman!

[V Lee]

97. GO! GO! GO! GO! GO! GO! GO! GO! GO! GO! GO! eom

[liberal N proud]

79. Write letters to the editors! "Offer an alternate reality."

:wtf:

[passy]

80. By the way, whose money was used to make this book?

And pay for the PR firm that put it together.

[Massachusetts]

81. Touche

[PA Democrat]

84. I saw that piece of human excrement Rick Santorum's name on the cover memo

What a shock that HIS sanctimonious little hands would be all over this.

[PA Democrat]

82. I sent this to Keith Olbermann

and urged him to do a story on this. The American public needs to see the arrogant disdain of the GOP for their constituency.

[demo dutch]

95. Boy the Neocons really think that their constituents are

stupid and can't think for themselves! But then maybe they are! A lot of them voted * into office!

[roseBudd]

98. First they came for social security and I said nothing because

I am young and I fancy myself a savvy investor.

Then they came for Medicare and Medicaid and I had to pay $55,000 a year for my mother's nursing home after her assets were depleted.

I lost my kids college fund, my house, my car, my 401K and ended up destitute.

[rodeodance]

101. maybe we persuade KO to make it his new cause like he did with

election fraud????

[CottonBear]

108. KO is our only hope in the MSM. eom

[OzarkDem]

102. Dem leadership should learn from it

Fight Bush on his own terms. Nah, Dem leaders don't have the energy or the guts.

[JerseygirlCT]

104. Getting this into the MSM will be tough

they all seem pretty set on the GOP story.

Every time they say "personalization" we need to say "corporatization". Wish we could get everyone on the same page as they do -- at least for this fight!

[CottonBear]

107. "corporatization" is the meme JerseygirlCT

I just logged on at 9:30 pm EST on Feb 1, 2005 & found my post on the homepage. All props to RAWSTORY for breaking this. I'm just a news junkie surfing the web on my lunch hour. I'm just an angry baby boom, middle class professional who needs her SS to retire. I will be contacting all of my federal senators and representatives, especially, my friend, Rep. John Barrow from GA.

[lala_rawraw]

110. Thanks for posting this...

We don't have a link on the site, so this is great to see on the front page. Thanks mucho:D

[Rocky Top]

111. Social Security Trust Fund Fraud May Become bush & #039;s Watergate,

http://www.mysan.de/international/article32407.html

Social Security Trust Fund Fraud May Become Bush & #039;s Watergate, Suggests Author of 'The Looting of Social Security '

WINTER HAVEN, Fla., Feb. 1 /PRNewswire/ -- Economist and author Allen W. Smith, Ph.D., argues that the biggest obstacle to getting clear debate on the Social Security problem is the misinformation that continues to be spread by the AARP and others who argue that the trust fund holds real assets. "It is amazing how many people, including some Social Security experts, still just don't get it!" Smith said. "Weisbrot and Baker continue to spread the myth that, 'The Social Security trust fund will have more than $3.7 trillion in today's dollars in 2018.' Unless there is a change in policy, the trust fund will not have even $1 of real assets in 2018!"

Smith points out that David Walker, Comptroller General of the Government Accounting Office (GAO), while speaking at a Washington luncheon, co-hosted by Centrists.Org and the Alliance for Worker Retirement Security on January 21, 2005, said, "The left hand owes the right hand, and that has legal, political and moral significance. But it doesn't have any economic significance whatsoever. There are no stocks or bonds or real estate in the trust fund. It has nothing of real value to draw down."
"If the Comptroller General of the GAO says there is 'nothing of real value' in the trust fund, then there is nothing of real value," Smith said. "So what happened to the $3.7 trillion that so many people believe will be in the trust fund in 2018, or the $1.6 trillion that is supposed to already be in the trust fund today? The government has 'borrowed' it and made no provision for repayment of this debt."
The Social Security surplus generated by the 1983 payroll tax increase was supposed to be used to pay down the public debt. This would have been accomplished by purchasing regular marketable Treasury bonds in the financial markets. If this had been done, the trust fund would contain real assets and it would be able to pay full benefits until 2042. However, Smith maintains that President George H.W. Bush began using the money as if it were general revenue, and non-marketable special issue government securities were issued. Smith says that President Clinton continued this practice, so every cent of the Social Security surplus that flowed in under both Bush Senior and Clinton was spent. This misuse of Social Security funds became a major campaign issue in 2000, and both George W. Bush and Al Gore pledged to end the looting. President Bush repeatedly promised not to touch the Social Security money. Finally, in his first State of the Union address, delivered on February 27, 2001, Bush said, "To make sure the retirement savings of America's seniors are not diverted to any other program, my budget protects all $2.6 trillion of the Social Security surplus for Social Security, and for Social Security alone."
In casting their votes in the 2000 election, the American people, whether they voted for Gore or for Bush, were voting for a candidate who had solemnly pledged repeatedly that no Social Security money would be used for non-Social Security purposes. Smith argues that George W. Bush violated both that pledge and federal law when he spent every dollar of the $509 billion in Social Security surplus that was generated during his first term. "He continues to violate his pledge, and the law, each and every day as he spends the approximately $400 million in Social Security surplus that becomes available on a daily basis," said Smith.
Smith argues that the Bush privatization proposal is a Trojan horse to distract attention away from the looting of Social Security money. According to Smith, "Bush and Greenspan know that the government will face a major financial crisis beginning in 2018 when Social Security begins to run deficits, and the public discovers that there is nothing of value in the trust fund." Smith believes that "given the fact that Bush acknowledged the looting problem during the 2000 campaign, and made a solemn promise to the American people to end the practice, his misuse of Social Security money is a serious breach of the public trust," and Smith suggests that historians may refer to Bush's misuse of Social Security funds as "Bush's Watergate."
CONTACT: Barbara Rugel [phone] or Allen W. Smith [phone];
email: [email protected]
Website: http://www.lootingsocialsecurity.com/
Available Topic Expert(s): For information on the listed expert(s), click appropriate link. Allen W. Smith, Ph.D. http://www.profnet.com/ud_public.jsp?userid=350721
Quelle: Allen W. Smith

[saddlelight]

112. Economic Freedom (Baloney)

The Economic Freedom component that will be pitched under the
"personal accounts" language is an interesting take.
The nuance that is not being discussed is, "Will economic
freedom allow individuals to control where their investment is
placed and can investments be made in foreign currency and
exchange markets where growth is expected to be higher than in
our own?" I do not expect that this is the freedom they
envision!

[PapaJoe]

115. Corporatism of the SS fund

I just learned this term for the euphemistic "personal" privatizing of Social Security.