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Obama says he cannot guarantee Social Security checks will go out on August 3

I'm going to blame the Republicans, period. Forever and always. The Party of No.
Is anyone surprised that you'll never blame the Dems?
 

yeah and I didn't recall corporate taxes being called "income taxes"

and are you saying that no one who received dividends from GE paid taxes on them

or GE paid no payroll taxes for its US employees?

why didn't they pay "income taxes"

ut it paid not a penny in taxes because the bulk of those profits, some $9 billion, were offshore

so you think GE should pay taxes on income it generated in other countries (and paid taxes on that income in other countries).

The company claims that its zero-dollar tax bill is largely a result of losses at its financial arm, GE Capital, due to the Wall Street meltdown.

so you think they should not be able to offset loses?
 
You noted that I did figure out how to eliminate 43% of the spending, as you asked - right?

Well, your plan (although a bit oversimplified) actually accomplishes the goal, which is more than I can say for any of the other posters to whom I've posed the same question in the last couple weeks, so kudos for that. But actually executing that plan politically (and then dealing with the subsequent economic devastation) would be another matter entirely.
 
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LOL.

Social Security is in a Lockbox, it's paid for, how can there not be money? Oh wait... there is not SS fund? It's all a lie?

Disgusting is the President threatening old folks to get his way.

...as opposed to the party that will actually screw the old folks so they can have more take home pay.....
 
The whole debt ceiling is a manufactured problem by REPUBLICANS, the debt ceiling has been raised 74 times since JFK was President. This is the only time there has been a problem getting it passed.

"Those who fail to learn from the past are doomed to repeat it."

Proof positive the liberals have no plans on changing anything.
 
Is anyone surprised that you'll never blame the Dems?

Politicians are trying to figure out how to make other political parties look stupid and irresponsible, rather than trying to solve problems.
 
That's exactly what's going on, but your blinded by partisan politics, so I guess you can't see that. The Republicans haven't spent down, hell before Obama Bush was one of the biggest spenders. But it's all for their buddies at the top and **** the rest of us. That's why your ilk will go after our social programs designed for our people before you go after forever war which has wasted over a trillion dollars.

And the ironic thing is this whole "fear" montra you drag up because the Republicans used it well to sell us all sorts of increased government because the big bad terrorist was gonna get us. FEAR! HA. Peas in a pod buddy, peas in a pod.

Hate to break the news to you but the Dems are as bad as the Reps when it comes to starting/fighting wars.
 
The whole debt ceiling is a manufactured problem by REPUBLICANS, the debt ceiling has been raised 74 times since JFK was President. This is the only time there has been a problem getting it passed.

Yeah, that's it. The Republicans invented the debt ceiling. If it weren't for that, Democrats would never run out of money.
 
...as opposed to the party that will actually screw the old folks so they can have more take home pay.....

It was Clinton who raised taxes on social security in 1993.
 
Reduce the spending on everything by 43%.
SocSec - cut benefits 43%...

So, you want to cut the SS checks by 43%?

How do you expect these people to survive if you do such a stupid thing?
 
So, you want to cut the SS checks by 43%?
How do you expect these people to survive if you do such a stupid thing?
Irrelevant. If the debt ceiling is not raised, then spending -must- be cut to match revenue.
No program, no entitlement - nothing is above being cut.
 
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IMO, some of the comments about the debt ceiling, especially among radio hosts such as Mark Levin (who is openly championing a failure of negotiations), are surreal. The political denial in Washington is also quite surreal.

Major fiscal consolidation is necessary and inevitable. Indeed, one fund manager argued that a U.S. default is a matter of time.

Increasingly, the only real question is whether the U.S. fiscal consolidation program will be something the U.S. has latitude to shape when market conditions remain relatively benign/interest rates abnormally low or something that will essentially be imposed when a crisis is imminent or underway. The former approach would allow for a transition to mitigate the macroeconomic and social pain. The latter would require wrenching choices and little or no transition. The former could be feasible with smaller sacrifices. The latter would require much larger ones, due to higher interest rates/reduced long-term growth prospects, and prevailing negative psychology. The sooner credible action is undertaken, the less likely a crisis would be. Little or no credible action over the next few years could well provide the invitation to a crisis.

Finally, if I were evaluating U.S. credit risk (and it's probably a good thing that I'm not), I would probably put the U.S. under review for a possible ratings downgrade if no debt ceiling deal is reached in the next 7-10 days. Then, beyond a debt ceiling-modest fiscal consolidation agreement, in order to preserve the AAA rating, I would be looking for progress with respect to two criteria over the next 6-12 months:

1. Construction of a balanced and credible fiscal consolidation strategy, with a credible upfront component. Mandatory spending and Tax Code changes would both be needed for the longer-term. Spending-driven consolidation should, consistent with empirical literature on successful consolidation efforts, exceed revenue measures by a > 2-to-1 margin. Moreover, tax measures should be focused broadly not narrowly.

2. Evidence that the U.S. is undertaking steps to address what is now a political dysfunctionality problem.

Failure to begin laying out a credible fiscal consolidation strategy would leave the nation on its present unsustainable fiscal course. Failure to begin addressing the political dysfunctionality problem would raise questions about the credibility of U.S. fiscal commitments and the capacity to shape/implement/sustain a fiscal consolidation strategy.
 
Irrelevant. If the debt ceiling is not raised, then spending -must- be cut to match revenue.
No program, no entitlement - nothing is above being cut.

As you called for all spending to be slashed by 43%, that would mean cutting soldiers' salaries for 43%, among many other things. That's not a viable approach. The budget cannot instantaneously be balanced without inflicting severe harm. A transition toward balance and then later debt reduction will be needed.
 
We've been kicking this can down the road long enough. It's time to show fiscal responsibility. I can't stand when liberals say "well we've raised it a half million different times in the past, why not this time?" That is irresponsible, immature and completely clueless behavior/attitude. And what's worse, is saying that republicans have raised it in the past. Ok, so what? If McCain would be in office right now I'd still stand behind not raising the debt ceiling. We can't keep this up, if we don't cap our debt, we will collapse as a nation owing a lot more than we owe now. As it is, we can't pay our debts off if we wanted to. Our unsecured debt is more than all of the money in the world. How the hell do we pay that off? Who cares if our credit rating goes down a step? We're still the strongest economy in the world and investors around the world STILL run to the dollar when they get scared. If America gets downgraded to AA status from AAA, then AA will be the new AAA. Simple as that.

No, it's time for fiscal conservatives to behave according to why they were voted in in November. Liberals don't like to admit it, but the ass whopping they took in November was in direct response to Obama's poor handling of the economy. Republicans were elected to fix this mess and stop the madness. I agree with Sean Hannity, any republican that votes in favor of raising the debt ceiling is committing political suicide. They weren't voted in to continue business as usual, like the democrats want to happen so badly. No, they were voted in to actually DO something, and I'll be damn, they're doing something. I've never been more proud to be a libertarian who is actually supportive of the right at this moment in time with regards to this issue. Stand firm and stand your ground. We can't keep going like this, its going to hurt a little now or a lot later. I vote for a little now.
 
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What a dirtbag move by the POTUS... Scare and fear tactics...... These checks will go out, and Obama should be ashamed of himself threatening seniors and Veterans.
 
As you called for all spending to be slashed by 43%, that would mean cutting soldiers' salaries for 43%
It would require cutting defense spending by 43%. The details of how those cuts are applied are determined elsewhere - and so, it is not at all necessary that soldiers' pay will drop 43%.

That's not a viable approach.
Sure it is. It's not an -easy- approach. But, at this point, nothing is easy.
 
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Social Security is an important things for all social life. So we need social security all times.
 
You gotta admit though...it was kind of obvious that he would.

yeah. but it's always sad to see a President of the United States debase the office.
 
What a dirtbag move by the POTUS... Scare and fear tactics...... These checks will go out, and Obama should be ashamed of himself threatening seniors and Veterans.

Does this really shock you? They have no accomplishments to run on, so they scare the **** out of people to make them support the dems.

It's been their modus operendi for decades.
 
Does this really shock you? They have no accomplishments to run on, so they scare the **** out of people to make them support the dems.

It's been their modus operendi for decades.




I bet he could withdraw from lybia and use some of that money on these SS checks. :roll:
 
We've been kicking this can down the road long enough. It's time to show fiscal responsibility. I can't stand when liberals say "well we've raised it a half million different times in the past, why not this time?" That is irresponsible, immature and completely clueless behavior/attitude.

What is irresponsible and immature is the existence of the debt ceiling in the first place. Want to stop kicking the can down the road? Then let's repeal the debt ceiling entirely. It's never actually helped to slow the growth of spending anyway. It's ALWAYS been used as a political club for the opposition party to bludgeon the in-party, and occasionally to extract concessions on whatever issue is pissing them off the most at any given time. Now, that doesn't mean that our government should have a blank check to run up the debt...but the amount of our deficit is a debate that's better saved for discussions over entitlement reform, tax policy, and the annual budget.

And what's worse, is saying that republicans have raised it in the past. Ok, so what? If McCain would be in office right now I'd still stand behind not raising the debt ceiling. We can't keep this up, if we don't cap our debt, we will collapse as a nation owing a lot more than we owe now.

To my knowledge no other nation in the world has this "ticking time bomb," where the government is able to pass budgets that routinely exceed the debt ceiling, but must then regularly vote to forestall a default by raising the debt ceiling. This is a horrible state of legislative affairs.

As it is, we can't pay our debts off if we wanted to. Our unsecured debt is more than all of the money in the world. How the hell do we pay that off?

It's not a matter of paying our debt off; I agree that that probably won't happen. A better metric than the absolute size of our debt, is our debt-to-GDP ratio. If we can grow our economy faster than we grow our debt, we'll be in good shape. This will involve reforming entitlement programs, sharp cuts to defense spending, and reforming our tax code. And those are all worthwhile debates to have; but they shouldn't be tied to a potential default on the US debt. Congress shouldn't even be in the position where they're ALLOWED to risk default through a mechanism like the debt ceiling.

We can't keep going like this, its going to hurt a little now or a lot later. I vote for a little now.

If we cut 43% of the federal budget in the next three weeks, it's going to hurt more than a little now.
 
Here's the marching orders from voters in 2010 and now.

Do NOT raise taxes, lest you be politically castrated.

Cut spending drastically, lest you be politically castrated.

Do NOT raise the debt limit. We will not default. This is purely scare tactics.

If we go under, the world will go under. We aren't going under.

Government is clinging to the power is has created for itself, the vast majority of which was unintended by the framers. THAT is what is in the balance, not our financial well-being, which was compromised long ago.
 
President Obama is doing just what he should be doing in warning the American people of possible consequences of the Republican war on the working class of this nation. Sadly, he has only dipped his toe into the waters and needs to dive in completely. We can hope this happens over the next 16 months.

We need a full blown, very aggressive, very much "in your face", very much no holds barred campaign filled with statistics, fact and figures about the right wing war on the working class in America. That should be the centerpiece and focus of the campaign because everything else is just a plank in that platform.
 
What a dirtbag move by the POTUS... Scare and fear tactics...... These checks will go out, and Obama should be ashamed of himself threatening seniors and Veterans.

Same question for you: if it's just a "scare tactic," then where IS the money going to come from? I've now heard various conservatives take off the table any cuts for seniors, cuts for veterans, cuts for soldiers, and defaulting on the debt. Well, you're mathematically running out of places to slash spending by the amount that would be necessary, if the debt ceiling isn't raised. So if Obama's assessment is merely scare tactics, why don't you present us with a list of where you're going to cut 43% of the budget?

(Hint: NPR and agriculture subsidies are not quite 43% of the federal budget.)
 
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