Author Topic: Bush and Clinton on same wavelength  (Read 843 times)

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TM7

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Bush and Clinton on same wavelength
« on: February 03, 2005, 10:30:55 AM »
For your info from National Review

 
 
 by Byron York
 

January 14, 2005, 8:07 a.m.
“Save Social Security First”?
Just a few years ago, Democrats talked about a crisis they now deny exists.



The latest line of attack against President Bush's still-unformed plan to reform the Social Security system is the charge that the White House is manufacturing a phony Social Security "crisis" to sell its proposal. "The fabricated crisis is the hallmark of the Bush presidency," Washington Post columnist Harold Meyerson wrote this week. "To attain goals that he had set for himself before he took office — the overthrow of Saddam Hussein, the privatization of Social Security — he concocted crises where there were none." A number of other commentators, and also some news reporters, have joined in the same theme in recent weeks.

 
A key document in the controversy, a strategy memo written in early January by White House aide Peter Wehner — a top assistant to political chief Karl Rove — does not use the word "crisis," but it does say clearly that Social Security is headed for trouble. "Our strategy will probably include speeches early this month to establish an important premise: the current system is heading for an iceberg," Wehner writes. "We need to establish in the public mind a key fiscal fact: right now we are on an unsustainable course. That reality needs to be seared into the public consciousness; it is the pre-condition to authentic reform."

To some commentators, Wehner's analysis suggested that the White House planned to stir up a phony "crisis." But in fact it appears that President Bush is not only relying on accepted economic wisdom about Social Security's future financial viability but also, in his campaign for reform, borrowing a page from the public-relations playbook of his predecessor, Bill Clinton.

In 1998, the major policy question in Washington was what to do with enormous anticipated federal budget surpluses. Republicans, arguing that a surplus meant the government was taking in too much money, wanted to cut taxes. Clinton wanted to kill any tax-cut proposal before it had a chance to gather support. So in his 1998 State of the Union speech, he came up with a famous slogan.

"What should we do with this projected surplus?" Clinton said. "I have a simple four-word answer: Save Social Security first."

Soon Clinton was going around the country, touting a coming Social Security "crisis." All of his administration's economic achievements, he said in February 1998, "are threatened by the looming fiscal crisis in Social Security." There should be no new spending — or, more importantly, no tax cuts — "before we take care of the crisis in Social Security that is looming when the baby boomers retire."

A number of Clinton's arguments back then sound uncannily like Bush's today, if one makes a few adjustments for newly revised figures on Social Security's finances. "We have a great opportunity now to take action now to avert a crisis in the Social Security system," Clinton said, again in February 1998. "By 2030, there will be twice as many elderly as there are today, with only two people working for every person drawing Social Security. After 2032, contributions from payroll taxes will only cover 75 cents on the dollar of current benefits. So we must act, and act now, to save Social Security."

Clinton's Social Security-crisis campaign, while a response to Republican plans for the surplus, was also a way for him to go on the political offensive during the Monica Lewinsky scandal. As the scandal grew, he became more interested in fighting off impeachment than forestalling tax cuts. But Social Security remained a potent rhetorical weapon. In September, Vice President Al Gore went to the Capitol for a Social Security pep rally with congressional Democrats, including House Minority Leader Richard Gephardt, Sen. Edward Kennedy, Sen. Barbara Boxer, and others. Gore said that in coming years — by 2032 — "Social Security faces a serious fiscal crisis." Everyone in the group stayed remarkably on-message as they warned that the future was dire.

"Save Social Security first," said Gore.

"Save Social Security first," said Gephardt.

"Save Social Security first," said Kennedy.

"Save Social Security first," said Boxer.

Today, some of those same lawmakers are leading the opposition to President Bush's initiative and no longer fear a crisis in Social Security. And indeed, by 1999, after GOP tax-cut proposals had been defeated and he escaped conviction in his Senate impeachment trial, Social Security's future became a less urgent issue to Clinton. In his 957-page autobiography, My Life, Clinton included no extended discussion of Social Security at all.

Back in 1998, Democrats realized it was politically safe to rally around Clinton's statements about a Social Security crisis because they knew he did not really intend to take any action that matched his rhetoric. They also knew that Clinton's words were correct; Social Security was then, as it is now, facing a "looming fiscal crisis." He just didn't plan to do much about it.

Now, things are different. George W. Bush, by all accounts, intends to take substantial action. And as he prepares the way for that action, he has decided to use elements of the old Clinton campaign to make his case. Last week, under questioning by reporters, White House spokesman Scott McClellan read an extended passage from Clinton's February 1998 "looming fiscal crisis" statement without first revealing the source of the quote. That wasn't President Bush, McClellan then explained. "That was February 9, 1998, in remarks given by President Clinton. This has been a problem that has been looming for quite some time."
 
.....TM7

Offline longwinters

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Bush and Clinton on same wavelength
« Reply #1 on: February 03, 2005, 01:02:39 PM »
Did not Clinton raid social security twice while he was president?  

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Offline Daveinthebush

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« Reply #2 on: February 03, 2005, 01:18:47 PM »
When I read the title of the post my first though was: Not another intern!
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Offline Shorty

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« Reply #3 on: February 03, 2005, 01:21:13 PM »
Whew!  I was begining to think that I was the only one who remembered that Social Security has been in "crisis" since Goldwater!  The crisis that "cannot be spoken of" is the fact that there is NO social Security trust fund.  It has been SPENT!

Offline Leverdude

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« Reply #4 on: February 03, 2005, 01:32:58 PM »
We can stop spending billons saving every third world country we bump into & put that money to work for Americans. Then in 20 years I might be able to collect on my investment & sit back to watch the news about them killing each other as I'm sure they will still be doing.

If I handled my budget the way our Gov't does I'd be broke too.

Our biggest problem is we, as a nation, strut about as if we are rich & capable of saving the world with our extra money.

We arent & we cant.

Just my opinion but how can a country with billions of $ in deficites help anyone?
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Offline Dali Llama

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« Reply #5 on: February 03, 2005, 01:44:03 PM »
Quote from: Leverdude
how can a country with billions of $ in deficites help anyone?
By going yet further into debt, say Dali Llama. :(  :cry:  :(
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Offline Leverdude

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« Reply #6 on: February 03, 2005, 01:59:37 PM »
Quote from: Dali Llama
Quote from: Leverdude
how can a country with billions of $ in deficites help anyone?
By going yet further into debt, say Dali Llama. :(  :cry:  :(


Yeah, with my money no less.  :?

Wouldnt mind so much if I could have one of them fancy rifles with night vision optics & such I bought for the troops once they were done with it.  :grin:
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Offline Brett

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« Reply #7 on: February 04, 2005, 03:26:54 AM »
Personally I welcome the idea of having more control over my own financial destiny.  Yes there are risk in playing the marked but the way the Federal SS system is looking now I really don't expect to get out what I've already payed in because: A) They will continue to lower benefits and raise the age at which I can start to collect (As it stands now most of us are lucky if they will collect for a couple of years before they die.  B) It may go bankrupt anyway, same result as the market crashing. So how is increasing taxes, taking more money away from me know,  to 'save' this failed system supposed to benefit me in the future?  Think about this... How would your retirement fund look today if you had been able to purchase stock in Coca-Cola, IBM, MicroSoft etc from the time you first started working and paying into SS?
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Offline magooch

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« Reply #8 on: February 04, 2005, 05:21:17 AM »
Brett, do the words "multi-millionaire" come to mind?

I'm retired now and investing in the stock market made early retirement possible for me.  There is no question in my mind that if I had started investing even earlier than I did, I would be sh**ing in some really high cotton these days.  At any rate though, I'm doing just fine and although I don't need Social Security, I paid my dues and I won't feel one bit guilty about spending it.
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Offline Brett

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« Reply #9 on: February 04, 2005, 08:51:13 AM »
[quote="TM7they came up with the SSA to more or less create a sure thing as a basis for retirement and disability insurance; not a retirement program itself,but a supplement.

....................TM7[/quote]

Ever hear the old saying "Never bet on a sure thing."?  :lol:
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Offline BamBams

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« Reply #10 on: February 04, 2005, 09:05:09 AM »
I'm totally for the privatization that Dubya was talking about.  After all, it doesn't require anyone to come up with more money, since it's a percentage of what is already coming out of their paycheck.

Second, it's completely voluntary.

Third, it's less money given to the beaurocrats

Fourth, it's more money being put into our economy to spawn new business and jobs - which is what makes America so great.
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Offline Brett

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« Reply #11 on: February 05, 2005, 03:54:09 AM »
Quote from: TM7
by all means do invest in the market in your own separate account.
.............................TM7


I Would love to, unfortunately by the time the State and Federal Gov'ments tax the $#%# out of me I barely have enough money left to pay the bills and buy groceries.  :P  

Does anyone really know what percentage of their income is payed out in taxes, I'm talking about all taxes; State &  Federal income taxes, sales taxes, fuel taxes, sin taxes, property tax, etc.?  My guess is that it is around 60% - 65% of our income.  I don't know about you folks but the last thing I want is another tax increase.  I say give me my back some of that money and let me invest it as I see fit.
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