Perry Leads Republican Field in National Poll

[jasonxe]

Anyone know when that bat**** Palin is going to talk today? I need a good laugh and nothing would be better then a comedy stand up routine. Although if she announces to run for presidency, i'm gonna laugh for a min and then get all serious. :-/ <-serious face.

 

[Wiggen]

I voted for somebody else, somebody whose views were much more closely aligned with my views, not against Obama. Now that I've seen how weak and ineffectual he is, however, I hope to do my part in seeing that he's a one-term President. He hasn't earned another one.

Trying to play the race-card here is just...sad.

Tell that to the guy with the racist signature.

Anybody who doesn't think a significant portion of the anti-Obama vote was pure racism just hasn't been paying much attention.

 

[hazlnut]

I hope he does get the nomination. I'll make a fortune selling my "Fool me once.." t-shirts, bumper stickers, and yard signs.

 

[EarlzP]

that is already tagged for other purposes. would you prefer that we not pay our "obligations" to Medicare? that's the only program where we can cut enough to cover Social Security.

Since the rich in this country stole the money that they have from the poor and middle class they should be taxed enough to ensure that entitlements and other programs that help the needy remain solvent. To continue to cut programs that offer aid to our poor and elderly is criminal and should be treated as such

 

[Conservative]

Since the rich in this country stole the money that they have from the poor and middle class they should be taxed enough to ensure that entitlements and other programs that help the needy remain solvent. To continue to cut programs that offer aid to our poor and elderly is criminal and should be treated as such

How does anyone take comments like yours seriously? How did the rich steal money from the poor and middle class. I have been in both and I don't recall any rich person stealing from me so enlighten me.

 

[haymarket]

that is already tagged for other purposes. would you prefer that we not pay our "obligations" to Medicare? that's the only program where we can cut enough to cover Social Security.

Are you actually taking the position that the government of the USA does not have the funds to pay for Social Security? Is that your position.

 

[haymarket]

I watched Palin in Iowa today and it convinced me all the more that the woman is running - and will do very well. She will grind up Perry like dog meat.

 

[Conservative]

Are you actually taking the position that the government of the USA does not have the funds to pay for Social Security? Is that your position.

Absolutely a fact, the Govt. will either print the money or borrow it, both hurting the U.S. economy

 

[haymarket]

Absolutely a fact, the Govt. will either print the money or borrow it, both hurting the U.S. economy

Your answer makes no sense as government has always printed money. Do you think this is something that will magically happen for a singe program that you and your ilk have objected to for the last eight decades?

Try again.

 

[Conservative]

Your answer makes no sense as government has always printed money. Do you think this is something that will magically happen for a singe program that you and your ilk have objected to for the last eight decades?

Try again.

It makes all the sense in the world, printing money will add to inflation and hurt the people almost as much as the debt service on the debt. You still don't have a clue and for someone who claims to be as experienced and knowledgeable as you that is concerning. There are two parts to the national debt, public debt plus intergovt. holdings. SS is in intergovt. holdings and in the 60's LBJ was looking for a way to fund the Vietnam War so he saw less money going out of intergovt. holdings than were going in so he got the Democrat Congress to approve using the SS surplus to put on budget to fund other programs including the war. Congress passed the legislation and took the money out of SS and replaced it with an IOU. Those IOU's have mounted up and some day will have to be cashed in. Where does the money come from? Maybe this will help explain it better.

Social Security IOU’s

Social Security IOUs stashed away - Washington Times

 

[Dittohead not!]

Social Security stats:

Social Security expenditures exceeded the program’s non-interest income in 2010 for the first time since 1983. The $49 billion deficit last year (excluding interest income) and $46 billion projected deficit in 2011 are in large part due to the weakened economy and to downward income adjustments that correct for excess payroll tax revenue credited to the trust funds in earlier years. This deficit is expected to shrink to about $20 billion for years 2012-2014 as the economy strengthens. After 2014, cash deficits are expected to grow rapidly as the number of beneficiaries continues to grow at a substantially faster rate than the number of covered workers. Through 2022, the annual cash deficits will be made up by redeeming trust fund assets from the General Fund of the Treasury. Because these redemptions will be less than interest earnings, trust fund balances will continue to grow. After 2022, trust fund assets will be redeemed in amounts that exceed interest earnings until trust fund reserves are exhausted in 2036, one year earlier than was projected last year. Thereafter, tax income would be sufficient to pay only about three-quarters of scheduled benefits through 2085.

So, last year's deficit of $49 B amounted to <5% of the deficit.
SS can be funded through 2022 by cashing in those IOUs, despite the aging baby boomers who are retiring.
The fund won't actually start to go down until 2022.

So, if we take action now, while the situation is less than dire and immediate, we could head off a default. Not that we will, of course. What we'll do instead is rant about how "entitlements" are bankrupting the government, how SS won't be there for the next generation, how we need to end SS, and so on.

SS has been used as a cash cow for generations. Now, it's time to start paying it back, not time to default and end it. Reform it? Sure. Let's raise the retirement age. Let's start by taking an anonymous (no one is going to want to admit the truth publically) poll of employers, and determine the maximum age at which they would consider hiring. Let's base the new retirement age on those figures.

 

[Flippinfunky]

It's looking more and more like Perry or Bachmann will get the nomination. It makes me wish there was some credible 3rd party candidate because I really, really don't want to have to choose between one of them and Obama.

Well by g-d pick Obama if it boils down to it! We're doomed if anyone of these GOPers get in.. Perry for sure.

 

[cpwill]

Are you actually taking the position that the government of the USA does not have the funds to pay for Social Security? Is that your position.

that's not my position. that's the "position" of the CBO, the OMB, the Medicare and Medicaid Actuaries, the IMF, the AARP....

we dont' have the money to pay for the things we have promised to pay for. Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security.... all of it. the IMF says that if we wanted to keep all of these things going we would have to increase every tax bracket by 35% points and decrease every entitlement by 35% as well.

 

[EarlzP]

How does anyone take comments like yours seriously? How did the rich steal money from the poor and middle class. I have been in both and I don't recall any rich person stealing from me so enlighten me.

Please don't attempt to all of a sudden say that the truth has any significant place in todays politics. Lies, distortions and and half truths pave the road to elections at all levels.

However that said to show how the rich steal from the poor lets look at speculating on life essential goods and services, those with buy life essential goods and hold them creating a market shortage driving up the prices. A good example is oil speculation, so it's not that you can't recall it's that you don't want to recall

 

[Donc]

that's not my position. that's the "position" of the CBO, the OMB, the Medicare and Medicaid Actuaries, the IMF, the AARP....

we dont' have the money to pay for the things we have promised to pay for. Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security.... all of it. the IMF says that if we wanted to keep all of these things going we would have to increase every tax bracket by 35% points and decrease every entitlement by 35% as well.

So sorry,Congress BORROWED that dough, now they want to cut the payments from the people that THEY pledged to pay. Not gonna happen.:2wave:

 

[nota bene]

I watched Palin in Iowa today and it convinced me all the more that the woman is running - and will do very well. She will grind up Perry like dog meat.

Maybe.

I'm looking forward to the continued GOP competition.

 

[cpwill]

Social Security stats:



So, last year's deficit of $49 B amounted to <5% of the deficit.
SS can be funded through 2022 by cashing in those IOUs, despite the aging baby boomers who are retiring.
The fund won't actually start to go down until 2022.

here's the problem with that simple statement. "cashing in those IOU's" means "The General Fund Magically Has The Money". but the General Fund is currently running a $1.5 Trillion deficit. where do you anticipate them getting the money?

 

[winston53660]

here's the problem with that simple statement. "cashing in those IOU's" means "The General Fund Magically Has The Money". but the General Fund is currently running a $1.5 Trillion deficit. where do you anticipate them getting the money?

I bet SS gets paid before China.

 

[cpwill]

So sorry,Congress BORROWED that dough, now they want to cut the payments from the people that THEY pledged to pay. Not gonna happen.

your continued faith in the ability of Congress to pull off the mathematically impossible because it would be politically expedient is touching, but horribly naive. In ImaginationLand, of course we can simply go to the Magic Money Tree and pay everyone's full benefits forever, but in RealityLand, we don't have the money.

 

[cpwill]

I bet SS gets paid before China.

I would take that bet. If we alter the SS benefit structure, then nothing happens to US fiscal credibility. If we miss a payment to China, then our ability to borrow disappears, and we would be unable to pay full SS benefits anyway You know how we just had a big to-do about trying to cut a trillion-ish in spending over the next 10 years? we would have to cut $1.5 Trillion in one year were we to adopt the order you suggest.

 

[cpwill]

I watched Palin in Iowa today and it convinced me all the more that the woman is running - and will do very well. She will grind up Perry like dog meat.

a large majority of Republican voters don't want her in the race. She has a dedicated following (not unlike Ron Paul), but she won't be able to beat Perry. The most she might be able to pull off (and I doubt this, considering that he is already ahead of Romney in polls that include her) would be to play the role of spoiler. Far more likely she is just keeping her name up there long enough to play Kingmaker among the NotRomneys'.

 

[pbrauer]

your continued faith in the ability of Congress to pull off the mathematically impossible because it would be politically expedient is touching, but horribly naive. In ImaginationLand, of course we can simply go to the Magic Money Tree and pay everyone's full benefits forever, but in RealityLand, we don't have the money.

So, lets see, you have an insurance policy and pay premiums all your life and the insurance company says: "Sorry, we've run out of money, tough luck." You're okay with this scenario?

 

[winston53660]

a large majority of Republican voters don't want her in the race. She has a dedicated following (not unlike Ron Paul), but she won't be able to beat Perry. The most she might be able to pull off (and I doubt this, considering that he is already ahead of Romney in polls that include her) would be to play the role of spoiler. Far more likely she is just keeping her name up there long enough to play Kingmaker among the NotRomneys'.

You want Perry? Seriously?

The only one I would look at in this current crop from the Republicans is Huntsman.

 

[Donc]

your continued faith in the ability of Congress to pull off the mathematically impossible because it would be politically expedient is touching, but horribly naive. In ImaginationLand, of course we can simply go to the Magic Money Tree and pay everyone's full benefits forever, but in RealityLand, we don't have the money.

Amazing isn’t it that we have money for two wars and your claiming that we should screw the elderly that includes more than a few that have fought in a war that has cost our country58000 lives and 350000 casualties.

Yep, thata go over like a fart in church.:2wave:

 

[cpwill]

So, lets see, you have an insurance policy and pay premiums all your life and the insurance company says: "Sorry, we've run out of money, tough luck." You're okay with this scenario?

you seem to have "what's fair" confused with "what is within the bounds of reality". if my life insurance company were to go bankrupt, of course I would be upset. that would change the fact that they have no money not a whit.