Joe Lieberman Says U.S. Should Cut Social Security To Pay For Fighting ‘The Islamist

[TheDemSocialist]

This past April, right-wing war hawk John Bolton suggested during an interview on Fox News that the United States should cut Social Security and Medicare to finance the defense budget.

During debate over the debt deal today on the Senate floor, Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-CT) appeared to endorse this call. Lieberman explained that he is working with Sen. Tom Coburn (R-OK) on a Social Security spending reduction plan and that “we can’t protect these entitlements and also have the national defense…to protect us…with Islamist extremists”:

LIEBERMAN: I want to indicate today to my colleagues that Senator Coburn and I are working again on a bipartisan proposal to secure Social Security over the long term, we hope to have that done in time. To also forward to the special committee for their consideration. So, bottom line, we can’t protect these entitlements and also have the national defense we need to protect us in a dangerous world while we’re at war with Islamist extremists who attacked us on 9/11 and will be for a long time to come.

Read more and video @:Joe Lieberman Says U.S. Should Cut Social Security To Pay For Fighting ‘The Islamist Extremists’ | ThinkProgress

Thoughts?
Comments?
Response?

 

[Zyphlin]

Re: Joe Lieberman Says U.S. Should Cut Social Security To Pay For Fighting ‘The Islam

Swing and a miss by Lieberman, yet another person who doesn't get that while one side of this equation needs cuts so too does the other. Over the next 10 years both defense spending and entitlement spending needs to decrease by at least 1/3rd

 

[rocket88]

Re: Joe Lieberman Says U.S. Should Cut Social Security To Pay For Fighting ‘The Islam

To hear him these days, it's unbelievable that he was ever a Democrat, much less Al Gore's running mate.

 

[donsutherland1]

Re: Joe Lieberman Says U.S. Should Cut Social Security To Pay For Fighting ‘The Islam

IMO, at a time of growing fiscal challenge, all programs/services need to be open to review/reform. The Pentagon, like any other government department, must also be asked to find ways to do more with less. In other words, it also needs to be asked to become more productive so to speak. Addressing its procurement processes could represent a good source of savings. The F-35 Joint Strike Fighter program illustrates the deep flaws in the Pentagon's procurement processes. The program has seen costs escalate and timelines for completion pushed farther into the future. According to GAO findings, the average cost per jet has risen from $69 million in 2001 when the contract was secured to $156 million. Concerns about the F-35's performance remain to be resolved.

Beyond the Pentagon, foreign policy has to become more focused on national interests. Military intervention should be focused on situations where critical U.S. interests/allies are under credible imminent threat and no practical alternatives to military force exist. Most recently, Libya would not have met those criteria.

In sum, the mandatory spending/entitlement programs need to be reviewed and reformed. At the same time, discretionary spending, including Defense spending, also has be be reviewed with an emphasis on generating savings.

 

[Aunt Spiker]

Re: Joe Lieberman Says U.S. Should Cut Social Security To Pay For Fighting ‘The Islam

Some people really want ot relive the early 1900's around here.

 

[Grant]

Re: Joe Lieberman Says U.S. Should Cut Social Security To Pay For Fighting ‘The Islam

To hear him these days, it's unbelievable that he was ever a Democrat, much less Al Gore's running mate.

It take some people longer to mature into responsible adults than others.

 

[Grant]

Re: Joe Lieberman Says U.S. Should Cut Social Security To Pay For Fighting ‘The Islam

This past April, right-wing war hawk John Bolton suggested during an interview on Fox News that the United States should cut Social Security and Medicare to finance the defense budget.

During debate over the debt deal today on the Senate floor, Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-CT) appeared to endorse this call. Lieberman explained that he is working with Sen. Tom Coburn (R-OK) on a Social Security spending reduction plan and that “we can’t protect these entitlements and also have the national defense…to protect us…with Islamist extremists”:

LIEBERMAN: I want to indicate today to my colleagues that Senator Coburn and I are working again on a bipartisan proposal to secure Social Security over the long term, we hope to have that done in time. To also forward to the special committee for their consideration. So, bottom line, we can’t protect these entitlements and also have the national defense we need to protect us in a dangerous world while we’re at war with Islamist extremists who attacked us on 9/11 and will be for a long time to come.

Read more and video @:Joe Lieberman Says U.S. Should Cut Social Security To Pay For Fighting ‘The Islamist Extremists’ | ThinkProgress

Thoughts?
Comments?
Response?

One idea would be to let John Bolton's words speak for themselves rather than prefacing his name with "right-wing war hawk". These persistent labellings cloud the discussion and discourage debate.

 

[PeteEU]

Re: Joe Lieberman Says U.S. Should Cut Social Security To Pay For Fighting ‘The Islam

That Lieberman has the balls to call himself an American still is mind-boggling.... bet when he does finally leave the US Congress, the first thing he will do is move to Israel and maybe even renounce his American citizenship.

 

[haymarket]

Re: Joe Lieberman Says U.S. Should Cut Social Security To Pay For Fighting ‘The Islam

That Lieberman has the balls to call himself an American still is mind-boggling.... bet when he does finally leave the US Congress, the first thing he will do is move to Israel and maybe even renounce his American citizenship.

well said - I have suspected for a while that his national loyalties are at best torn and divided.

 

[American]

Re: Joe Lieberman Says U.S. Should Cut Social Security To Pay For Fighting ‘The Islam

IMO, at a time of growing fiscal challenge, all programs/services need to be open to review/reform. The Pentagon, like any other government department, must also be asked to find ways to do more with less. In other words, it also needs to be asked to become more productive so to speak. Addressing its procurement processes could represent a good source of savings. The F-35 Joint Strike Fighter program illustrates the deep flaws in the Pentagon's procurement processes. The program has seen costs escalate and timelines for completion pushed farther into the future. According to GAO findings, the average cost per jet has risen from $69 million in 2001 when the contract was secured to $156 million. Concerns about the F-35's performance remain to be resolved.

Beyond the Pentagon, foreign policy has to become more focused on national interests. Military intervention should be focused on situations where critical U.S. interests/allies are under credible imminent threat and no practical alternatives to military force exist. Most recently, Libya would not have met those criteria.

In sum, the mandatory spending/entitlement programs need to be reviewed and reformed. At the same time, discretionary spending, including Defense spending, also has be be reviewed with an emphasis on generating savings.

Why is it so easy for people to point out flaws in defense, yet be speechless when it comes to entitlements? Where is the examples of entitlement waste? 40% of the budget on entitlements, and not one obvious one? How about a list ten miles long, showing all the fraud resulting from stupidly written legislation. I can tell you about a ton of defense problems, mainly due to initial requirement initial setup that were unachieveable to begin with.

 

[American]

Re: Joe Lieberman Says U.S. Should Cut Social Security To Pay For Fighting ‘The Islam

That Lieberman has the balls to call himself an American still is mind-boggling.... bet when he does finally leave the US Congress, the first thing he will do is move to Israel and maybe even renounce his American citizenship.

For you to comment on such a thing is a joke.

 

[Schaff]

Re: Joe Lieberman Says U.S. Should Cut Social Security To Pay For Fighting ‘The Islam

To reaffirm what has been stated in this thread already, all programs need to be on the table for reform and cuts. The big problem with Social Security is the very aura the word has around it. Whenever someone says "Social Security cuts" much of the nation is immediately tagging the person as a special interest baron. While I by no means support major cuts of Social Security, the idea of making some cuts to it should be on the table. Our economy is going through some rough times, and just like with all things, when there's a lack of money, certain things have to be cut back. It'll be hard for Americans and should be avoided if there is a way to, but if it'll help get the economy back on its feat, then it should definitely be taken into consideration.

The quicker we make the necessary cuts and reforms, the sooner the economy gets back to a strong recovery and eventually a prosperity. Then programs like Social Security and the like, if cut, can flourish again.

 

[haymarket]

Re: Joe Lieberman Says U.S. Should Cut Social Security To Pay For Fighting ‘The Islam

from American

Where is the examples of entitlement waste?

Okay - I'll bite. Where are they?

from Schaff

The quicker we make the necessary cuts and reforms, the sooner the economy gets back to a strong recovery and eventually a prosperity. Then programs like Social Security and the like, if cut, can flourish again.

Just how much in actual dollars has Social Security contributed to the debt or deficit of the United States of America?

 

[Schaff]

Re: Joe Lieberman Says U.S. Should Cut Social Security To Pay For Fighting ‘The Islam

from American



Okay - I'll bite. Where are they?

from Schaff



Just how much in actual dollars has Social Security contributed to the debt or deficit of the United States of America?

According to my knowledge, and I encourage you to prove me wrong, a good chunk of our national debt is owed to the Social Security program. Or at least it was at some point. In 2000, around the time when the national surplus began to become an ever-growing national debt, amounting to $3,600 for every man, woman, and child living in the United States.

I'm new to the political world, so to speak, but I'm confident that even more money than 11 years ago is now owed to the Social Security program.

 

[haymarket]

Re: Joe Lieberman Says U.S. Should Cut Social Security To Pay For Fighting ‘The Islam

A debt is what you owe for past spending. What Social Security spending have we incurred that was not covered by FICA taxes taken in?

 

[Paschendale]

Re: Joe Lieberman Says U.S. Should Cut Social Security To Pay For Fighting ‘The Islam

Droopy's priorities are a bit backward.

 

[Lord Tammerlain]

Re: Joe Lieberman Says U.S. Should Cut Social Security To Pay For Fighting ‘The Islam

According to my knowledge, and I encourage you to prove me wrong, a good chunk of our national debt is owed to the Social Security program. Or at least it was at some point. In 2000, around the time when the national surplus began to become an ever-growing national debt, amounting to $3,600 for every man, woman, and child living in the United States.

I'm new to the political world, so to speak, but I'm confident that even more money than 11 years ago is now owed to the Social Security program.

The US government actually owes money to s.s from its borrowing from the s.s surplus. Future unfunded liabilities do add up to a large sum in s.s. but currently it has a surplus using traditional government accounting rules.

 

[Grant]

Re: Joe Lieberman Says U.S. Should Cut Social Security To Pay For Fighting ‘The Islam

That Lieberman has the balls to call himself an American still is mind-boggling.... bet when he does finally leave the US Congress, the first thing he will do is move to Israel and maybe even renounce his American citizenship.

You've hear his words to this effect, or are you still suffering from the News Of The World syndrome?

 

[donsutherland1]

Re: Joe Lieberman Says U.S. Should Cut Social Security To Pay For Fighting ‘The Islam

Why is it so easy for people to point out flaws in defense, yet be speechless when it comes to entitlements? Where is the examples of entitlement waste? 40% of the budget on entitlements, and not one obvious one? How about a list ten miles long, showing all the fraud resulting from stupidly written legislation. I can tell you about a ton of defense problems, mainly due to initial requirement initial setup that were unachieveable to begin with.

I wholly agree that entitlement program reform is needed. The current framework is not sustainable. An opportunity to begin the mandatory spending program reform e.g., with perhaps a modest step such announcing an increase in the Social Security eligibility age, was missed in the recent debt ceiling-deficit reduction negotiations. Psychologically, when so many people are direct beneficiaries of one or more entitlement programs, it is difficult for those recipients to argue that such benefits would need to be reformed. Defense, on the other hand, has a far smaller footprint in terms of those who are recipients of defense spending (armed forces, contractors, etc.).

Perhaps if the net present value of the unfunded portion of the entitlement spending were required to be placed on the balance sheet and changes reflected in the annual budget outcomes e.g., increases in that liability would have an impact of increasing the reported federal deficit, some of the resistance to reform could be reduced. Unfortunately, that is not the case. Indeed, precisely because unfunded liabilities do not appear on the balance sheet and changes in those liabilities are not reflected in annual budget surpluses or deficits, state and municipal governments have largely circumvented balanced budget rules by grossly underfunding health and/or pension benefits. In other words, their reported balanced budgets are frequently accounting illusions.

 

[Aunt Spiker]

Re: Joe Lieberman Says U.S. Should Cut Social Security To Pay For Fighting ‘The Islam

A debt is what you owe for past spending. What Social Security spending have we incurred that was not covered by FICA taxes taken in?

Present debt is past spending - due now. Projected debt is future spending - due later. Yesterday, today, tomorrow - that whole thing. Tomorrow always comes and sometimes tomorrow hurts like a bitch when it's here.

 

[VanceMack]

Re: Joe Lieberman Says U.S. Should Cut Social Security To Pay For Fighting ‘The Islam

To hear him these days, it's unbelievable that he was ever a Democrat, much less Al Gore's running mate.

How so? he stated he was working to provide for the long term security of the Social Security program. He is a democrat that believes in fighting terrorism...that makes him...Obama.

 

[VanceMack]

Re: Joe Lieberman Says U.S. Should Cut Social Security To Pay For Fighting ‘The Islam

That Lieberman has the balls to call himself an American still is mind-boggling.... bet when he does finally leave the US Congress, the first thing he will do is move to Israel and maybe even renounce his American citizenship.

Along with Obama?

Good lord...what a bunch of ideologues. Lieberman is saying the same thing Obama is DOING.

 

[American]

Re: Joe Lieberman Says U.S. Should Cut Social Security To Pay For Fighting ‘The Islam

from American



Okay - I'll bite. Where are they?

from Schaff



Just how much in actual dollars has Social Security contributed to the debt or deficit of the United States of America?

Here's a link, to help you begin the process of overcoming denial.

I realize that in your world, SS and Medicare are not discretionary...and therefore can never have any waste by definition. Discretionary expenditures, like defense, can have waste because we have borrow to pay for what we want beyond what's leftover in the budget after all the "have to's" are paid. Where I come from, everything except interest on the debt is discretionary. However, only one item in that pie chart is required by the Constitution...and that's defense.

 

[DarkWizard12]

Re: Joe Lieberman Says U.S. Should Cut Social Security To Pay For Fighting ‘The Islam

That Lieberman has the balls to call himself an American still is mind-boggling.... bet when he does finally leave the US Congress, the first thing he will do is move to Israel and maybe even renounce his American citizenship.

well, he was born a jew, his nationality is tied to his ethnic religion, so it shouldn't be a surprise.

 

[Lord Tammerlain]

Re: Joe Lieberman Says U.S. Should Cut Social Security To Pay For Fighting ‘The Islam

Here's a link, to help you begin the process of overcoming denial.

I realize that in your world, SS and Medicare are not discretionary...and therefore can never have any waste by definition. Discretionary expenditures, like defense, can have waste because we have borrow to pay for what we want beyond what's leftover in the budget after all the "have to's" are paid. Where I come from, everything except interest on the debt is discretionary. However, only one item in that pie chart is required by the Constitution...and that's defense.

What you fail to understand

Social Security is funded through a specific tax, a tax to be used specifically for Social Security. The funds in excess of what is paid out, are lent to the federal government to help fund the military.

Social Security is not in a deficiet situation, and has a surplus of funds. It is not the cause of the US budget deficit