Bush (in Fargo): Social Security Math 'Doesn't Work'

[Rose Siding]

FARGO, N.D. (Reuters) - President Bush warned on Thursday that retirement benefits for younger workers were at risk as he brought his campaign to revamp Social Security to the American heartland and sought the public's help in winning over skeptical members of Congress.

``The problem comes for younger folks ... The math doesn't work,'' Bush said of the retirement system he holds is ``headed toward bankruptcy.''
...
At the Fargo, North Dakota, forum Bush went to lengths to try to soothe the fears of senior citizens that their retirement benefits might be jeopardized by his plan. He has pledged that those 55 and over would be shielded from any changes to the current Social Security system.

``If you're retired or near retirement, you don't have a thing to worry about,'' the president said. ``The truth of the matter is, you're going to get your checks.''

http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/politics/politics-bush.html?oref=login

Will this repub mantra of 'We've got ours, who cares about anyone else' work with our parents and grandparents? Isn't that what he's telling them? Won't they realize that they have 'theirs' because someone else fought to institute the program on their behalf?

[PartyPooper]

1. I'm over 55 and I'll be getting mine. But, I'm still not happy.

I'll be damned if he should screw the rest of society!

Remember, these "over 55" folks have kids and grandkids!

[Rose Siding]

6. Thanks for that!

I'm just shy and this is really starting to make me nervous. I can't stand that he uses arguments designed to set people against each other. There is something wrong with him.

At the end of the article, in an apparent answer to a question he says that he's heard the arguments against. Then he says "forget it"!!! Is that supposed to *explain* something. Something's WRONG with him.

[proReality]

10. Not just him...

but his entire entourage.

[llmart]

8. I'm 56 and I'll fight this bastard......

tooth and nail so that he can't touch Social Security. I have two children in their 30's and they've both worked and paid into SS since they were teenagers. I'll be damned if he'll screw with this highly successful and necessary program.

Have I told you yet today how much I hate this bastard???

[yorkiemommie1]

13. does he really think we're all that selfish?

i worry more about my kid than i do for myself!

my repub. husband on the other hand, is clearly "i have mine, that's all i care about"... even when i tell him he's voting against his own daughter's future. see how blind they can be? he is a true believer.

[shanti]

30. excuse me, but

how can you be married to someone like that? he sounds heartless.

[leesa]

21. Why do you think you will be getting the full amount?? If they

pull money out of the fund, your portion will be reduced. THINK!

[PartyPooper]

26. Yes, you are correct.

We are all screwed under Bu$h. Some more than others.

:-(

[Bleys]

2. He's right...

about the math... if you're talking about the Republican math. It DOESN'T work.

-josh
mockriot - news discussion

[AlCzervik]

3. Like he knows how math works...please

He's thinking about how much $$$$ his buddies on wall street will make in fees for these accounts.

[SpiralHawk]

4. Bush* as Math Expert

Right.

*Titan of the Texas Air National Guard, Prince of the Imperial Pig Farm Upon Crawford, Eddie Haskel Supremo clown-clone of the White House, and now -- in an all-new and improved persona -- Mega Macho Math Mensch Al Dente.

[LostInAnomie]

5. That is basically the philosophy of the Republican Party.

"I got mine, 'Fuck you.' if you don't have your's", Social Darwinism is no way to run a society. Some day when they have been driven under by the plutocrats they once supported they will realize that.

[KC21304]

7. What does he care ? He cheated to get $600K

and then was able to turn it into $14 million because his daddy was
President. And Martha goes to jail because of $40K and Bill gets investigated because of $60K. When does the investigation start on The Thief in Chief's Harken stock ?

[AirAmFan]

9. He must mean that only about HALF of the system--the BENEFIT half,

which has some progressivity to it.

He must LOVE the math of the highly regressive payroll tax side, where all his big supporters pay a marginal rate of ZERO, and the average middle class to poor American pays more in FICA taxes than in income taxes.

[struggle4progress]

11. I hear W doesn't work either. eom

[Erika]

12. Excellent Read on SS Privitization

by AARP. Older people care about their kids and grandkids and America's future.

Excellent articles on privitization at www.AARP.org/bulletin

AARP is against privitization.

[Erika]

14. Lift the cap on SS taxable wages

and there would never be a solvency problem. The wealthy guy could help out the little guy, you know, a Christian thing to do.

[Thor_MN]

15. How about the private funds have to be invested via a new Government

brokerage, such that *'s cronies don't get to see a dime of fees?

Still care about those private accounts now Georgie?

[merwin]

16. If * says the math doesn't work, then it must be correct! n/t

[ninkasi]

17. It's because I have kids and grandkids that I worry...

I'm 62, and my husband is 59. What comfort is it to me to know that our grown children, 2 in their 40's and 2 in their 30's...and our 4 grandchildren, will face possible poverty so that Monkey Man's buddies can grasp another dollar out of us?

I would give my life for any of our kids...does he really think those of us over 55 don't care about our loved ones? I guess not. Love is not something they're good at, is it?

[reprobate]

27. Hey, ninkasi, don't worry about SS for you grandkids.

I look at my two granddaughters and think to myself that it would be nice if SS was all that threatened them.

At their ages (9 and 11) by the time they reach retirement age SS will be the least of their worries. They will be more concerned with finding food to eat and air to breath.

I find myself silently begging their forgiveness for siring their mother to bring them into a world that is destroying itself, led by the american fascist corporate system.

Perhaps when things start getting really bad (and I think it won't be too much longer) all CEOs can be introduced to Dr. Guillotine's pet, a la 1789.

[renegade000]

18. but is it fuzzy?

eom

[SharonAnn]

19. Why would I trust him? Today he says since I'm over 55 I'll get mine

but "Hah!" I don't believe him.

He'll cut anybody's check at any time to line his ockets and those of his friends. And after he's gone, his friends will continue doing it. Every year there'll be another little cut her, a little cut ther, a raise in medicare cost and no COLA in Social Security, etc. you get the idea.

When has he ever, ever told the truth about anything?

The man is a con-man. He's an Elmer Gantry. He's Dooh Nibor (take from the poor and give to the rich).

YOU CAN'T EVER BELIEVE A WORD HE SAYS!

[VegasWolf]

20. what the hell does chimp know about math. his GPA was 2.1. n/t

[liveoaktx]

22. Vid clip from Olbermann

Bush trying to do the SS math

[Pam-Moby]

23. There he goes using FUZZY math again!!

They base that Social Security will do real bad in the next forty years because of no growth of the economy. That also means that his figures of private accounts would also fall on its face!!! One other thing they are not mentioning is that if a worker is disabled and unable to work . The Social Security program will not be there to help as it is now!!!

[Rose Siding]

24. NYT: "Mr. Bush ran into a brick wall of opposition..."

snip>
But a day after he made overhauling Social Security the centerpiece of his State of the Union address, Mr. Bush ran into a brick wall of opposition from Democrats in Washington and skepticism even from influential members of his own party in Congress, leaving him facing perhaps the toughest and highest-stakes legislative battle of his presidency.

Mr. Bush made some gestures to bipartisanship as he traveled to Montana and North Dakota on the first day of a two-day, five-state swing intended to impress on voters and members of Congress a need for action this year on Social Security. But he showed no signs of backing down, even as he prepared to plunge into another partisan battle next week, over his call for a new effort to hold down government spending and cut or eliminate scores of domestic programs.
...............
and then my favorite of all his arguments today. -As intellectual elites, what do we call this particular form of "logic"?:

"I've heard all of the complaints - and you'll hear a lot more - how this is going to ruin Social Security," he said at his first stop, in Fargo, N.D. "Forget it, it's going to make it stronger."

http://nytimes.com/2005/02/04/politics/04bush.html?hp&ex=1107579600&en=152b7ce557233af8&ei=5094&partner=homepage

[Mr_Spock]

25. A retard is telling us about that "math stuff"

What a damned joke this country is turning into...

[bluestateboomer]

28. Here's one boomer who doesn't believe him.

MAYBE he'll make sure I get some SS benefits, but he's sure as hell trying to ruin it for my teenage daughter. I am against his schemes. We all know they want to kill SS not save it.
:mad:

[zann725]

31. They're going to say they'll ONLY change it a little...to get it passed.

Then they'll "gut" it all (or most of it). That's OUR money, this is theft! They have NO right at all to steal it and use it for their own profit. Talk about robber barons!

[zann725]

29. I'm 53-1/2, with a Disability...and justifiably nervous that SS's door

will close rrrright in front of me.