Bush to Ask Congress to Adjust (Lower) Social Security Benefits

[NNN0LHI]

http://ap.tbo.com/ap/breaking/MGB4KM0J38E.html

WASHINGTON (AP) - President Bush intends to prod Congress to consider raising Social Security benefits for low-income retirees while curtailing them for others as part of a plan to shore up the program's finances, Republican officials said Thursday in advance of Bush's prime time news conference.

Nearing the end of a 60-day campaign for Social Security overhaul, Bush had no plans to back down from his insistence that legislation include voluntary personal accounts for workers under 55, these officials added.

At the same time, they said his remarks prepared for the opening moments of the news conference dwelled on the need to make Social Security permanently solvent.

These officials spoke on condition of anonymity, citing the White House's desire for secrecy in advance of the president's remarks.

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[grytpype]

1. I can't make any sense out of that whatsover.

[BlueManDude]

21. the strength of SS is that the benefits are the same for everybody

that's what makes it so popular. turn it into welfare or a poor person's program and it will die.

[Daphne08]

32. Yep, I agree.

But then, that's his plan.

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

2. Hmmm..maybe cancel that 70 million dollar tax cut..no?

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

3. Hmmm..maybe cancel that 70 million dollar tax cut..no?

[struggle4progress]

4. s4p asks Congress to reduce the President's pension. eom

[Cyrano]

5. Assuming that we can ever get an honest vote count,

George W. Bush is doing everything in his power to ensure that the Dems will be the majority party for the next two or three decades.

The only votes that the thug party will get will be from rednecks, fundies, the very wealthy, and those who are so incredibly stupid that they'll never understand that it's always going to be their turn in the barrel.

[Iowa]

12. Hey Cyrano! The groups you mention...

...may account for two-thirds of the population! Example: In my job, new applicants for the services I offered through the government were given the opportunity to register to vote. On the registration card there is a section where one checks party affiliation. I would estimate, based on my personal observations, that roughly 90% checked Republican. The kicker is that these were ALL people with disabilities - many on Social Security Disability, SSI, and welfare programs of one kind or another. I wasn't able to say a word, but it took massive self-control to keep from slamming these morons up against the wall and educating them about the depth of their stupidity. It's people like these who drag the rest of us down with them.

[Senior citizen]

23. Would you be fired if you said something like,

"Uh, are you sure you understand what you're applying for? I noticed that you checked Republican as your party affiliation, and most Republicans are opposed to Social Programs like Social Security Disability, SSI, welfare programs, and these services. I wouldn't want you to apply for anything that you don't actually want."

[Iowa]

25. Yep, I'd have been fired if caught doing that...

The rules for voter registration are very strict.

[Nite Owl]

6. I got this from CBS news

President Bush intends to prod Congress to consider raising Social Security benefits for low-income retirees while curtailing them for wealthier retirees. See his press conference at 8 p.m. EDT on CBS News or a webcast on CBSNews.com.


it isn't a welfare program so if they just peel back the tax cuts for the wealthy the program will be fine. Why mess with it.

[Straight Shooter]

7. Phewee! Is that the smell of desperation in the air?

Just eliminate those fatcat tax cuts, you bozo.

[ailsagirl]

16. And get us the hell out of Iraq...

Poor baby... he's been tryin' SO HARD to push his SS demolition through... and it doesn't look as if he's gonna succeed.

:nopity: :nopity: :nopity: :nopity: :nopity:

I love using that little violin gif!!!

:evilgrin:

[stepnw1f]

8. Repeal the Tax Cuts..... Hellooooooooo?

We are drowning down here... you are drowning your own people!

Bin Laden has done less damage to the American people than George Bush.

[NNN0LHI]

9. Just how much money has Boosh pissed away in Iraq so far? n/t

[RDANGELO]

10. republicans have always opposed to this

If this is true, this is something that republicans have always opposed to. It will be interesting to see exactly how it is designed. I suspect that it will not completely solve the solvency problem.If he still has the privatization, it may just balance it out which would mean that he is cutting benifits for no good reason.

[flaminbats]

18. means tested benefits, when Re pukes turn Social Security into welfare..

sorry..why should middle-class workers even bother with paying taxes, but expect something in return? :banghead:

[Pirate Smile]

11. Rich Granny's social security benefit is going to be lowered so

poor Granny can get a larger benefit? Oh, the Republicans will LOVE that idea. I can see them all lining up to vote for it.

edit to add - Solvency? That doesn't even touch on that issue.

[Spinzonner]

13. Perhaps it is an attempt to poison the system

so they can make future attacks on the basis that it is a welfare system.

Gotta remember that the Republicans have a decades long antipathy to the system and plan and push for the long haul.

[Iowa]

15. Right!

The ultimate Bush objective is to destroy the SS program. Making it a "welfare" program would gradually undermine its widespread support.

[Festivito]

14. Raise $$ lowest, lower mid, keep privatized, econ grew 1st 3 months.

Kind to the poor, mean to the middle class (nothing new), silent on the rich laughing all the way to their banks, won't drop privatization(so no one will be able to say flip-flop for years), and he must do this now before we have a month that has NEGATIVE GROWTH.

Will it be confusing enough?

Tune in to the hoarde of fast-talking interupting guests infessting each after-speech summary talk.

[ailsagirl]

17. Found this possible/probable explanation for *'s new SS plan

It is being leaked out already by the White House that Bush in fact will propose the Pozen progressive price indexing scheme, coupled with private accounts, a scheme that the Center for Budget and Policy Priorities said yesterday will ensure large benefit cuts for all beneficiaries (see link above). And when expected Medicare premium increases are calculated into the mix, it results in a further cut for beneficiaries. Bush is clearly trying to buy the support of lower-income beneficiaries by telling them that he is increasing their benefit while taking benefits from the higher income groups. But as the CBPP and others note, tying the Pozen indexing proposal to private accounts ensures very large benefit cuts for all wage groups when compared to the current program.

So as we suspected, despite the rhetoric tonight, Bush has no intention on giving up private accounts, and we'll have to see if a reporter asks him how he plans to pay for them and how much debt there will be.

But do you think any reporter tonight will have the guts or smarts to ask him 1) how much of a reduction in benefits will there be under this scheme as compared to the current program; and 2) how are you going to pay for the private accounts?

Nope.

http://www.theleftcoaster.com/

[ignatius 2]

19. I've got a better idea, let's rollback the last 2 tax cuts, quit giving

tax breaks to the oil,auto and cable idustry and put an extra tax on those making 500,000 plus. Oh yeah, and try to actually create some jobs so there will be more people paying into the system.

Let's see some progressive tax increases on the wealthy, make corporations pay their fair share and take the heat off what is left of the middle class.

And I wish president Asswipe would get called out on his idiotic comments that there is no social security trust fund, just a stack of IOUS. What the hell does he think is backing U S treausry bonds(of which there are lots more since he ran the 200 Billion surplus onto a 450Billion deficit) but a stack of IOUS.

[BlueManDude]

20. he's trying to weaken support for SS by making it "welfare"

turn it into a poor person's program and it will be doomed.

[reality based]

22. Another attack on the middle class

Little Lord Fauntleroy just doesn't give up, does he?

[damntexdem]

24. Oh, no. Dubya doesn't want to cut anyone's SS benefits.

If Boomers and the aged have any sense, few of them will ever vote GOP again.

[MGKrebs]

26. Would you buy a used car from this guy?

(he looks scared to me)

[Justitia]

27. MEANS TESTING is a horrible idea, always avoided by both parties

Not to mention, it was done in the precursor program to Soc Sec and it failed miserably. Seniors wouldn't accept the "welfare program" and lived in abject poverty instead.

BTW, a form of means testing is actually already done by the progressive income taxation on Soc Sec benefits paid.


Both parties have always rejected means testing every time the subject as been brought up - for good reason.

Bush, as usual, is offering the non-choice choice.
Smoke and mirrors.

[NNN0LHI]

28. Same thing they use for welfare recipients

Rush will have a ball talking about them SS queens driving Cadillacs.

Don

[Justitia]

33. I know, I'm sick of the "welfare queens" meme myth - it's so 80s

And complete bullshit, of course.

These morons would be shocked to learn that "welfare" no longer exists, and hasn't for some time - compliments of Bill Clinton.

But why let facts & history get in the way of some good propaganda?

[NNN0LHI]

29. Bush's Social Security Plan Cuts Benefits

http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/wireStory?id=714856

Bush's plan immediately drew ire from Democrats.

Bush would "gut benefits for middle-class families," House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi and Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid said in a joint statement.

[NNN0LHI]

30. EXECUTIVE EFFORT: Bush's words fail to quell political storms

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/2005/04/29/MNGT1CHISO1.DTL

With his presidency at best becalmed -- and at worst beset -- just 99 days into his second term, President Bush seized the prime-time power of an East Room news conference for only the fourth time in his tenure in an effort to show that he can still do what he has always done in the face of storms around him: Make his own weather.

But by the time his hourlong encounter with reporters was over Thursday night, the atmosphere remained unsettled. The changes he suggested to help keep Social Security solvent seemed unlikely to unfreeze the stalemate on Capitol Hill over revising the system. He acknowledged that he had no easy fix for high gasoline prices, nor any firm timetable for bringing troops home from Iraq.

[lovuian]

31. Everytime Bush opens his mouth about Social Security

His polls keep going down further!!! Keep it up George!!!

[Bridget Burke]

34. Fomenting class warfare between Middle & Lower Classes!

So we won't get our heads together & demand the very rich lose some of their tax cuts!

I'm not against Class Warefare--if it's done the right way.

[Ernesto]

35. Retiree benefits targeted

The lame duck (er, chimp) is pretty much demanding that repuke house members commit political suicide by supporting his very unpopular assault on the nation's most successful social program.
"By proposing what some analysts say would eventually mean the biggest benefit reductions in Social Security history, the president appeared determined to revitalize his top second-term priority and to put pressure on the Democrats to offer alternatives".
....."All the president did tonight was confirm that he will pay for his risky privatization scheme by cutting the benefits of middle-class seniors," their statement said. "President Bush cannot escape the fact that privatization will weaken Social Security at a time we should be strengthening it. We urge the president to begin considering proposals that strengthen Social Security in a way that does not gut benefits for middle-class families and does not place retirees at the mercy of the stock market."


http://www.sacbee.com/content/politics/nation/story/12806975p-13657385c.html

[Megahurtz]

36. Buzz off Bush-man!!!

:argh: