ABC Social Security Hit Piece

ABC Good Morning America | 2/26/04 | Tomahawk

[tomahawk]

In yet another disgusting display of leftwing bias and stupidity, ABC News this morning with Diane Sawyer did a Social Security "story" which consisted of people in their 40's and 50's whining that if they don't have a lot of Social Security, their lives are ruined and they were counting on it. Then Diane asked the reporter, "What are the candidates for Presidents saying about this?" The reporter responded dutifully, "John Edwards says that the tax cut Pres. Bush enacted for the wealthy should be rescinded so that this can be avoided" (like that would do ANYTHING to fix the 70 million baby-boomers retiring and bankrupting the system at current benefit levels) and John Kerry has similar views.

[tomahawk]

When the main media outlets are lying to the American people non-stop, we won't be able to win unless we take on the F'ing media and make them be honest. Passivity on this means American is finished.

[zook]

I watched about 30 seconds of this before flipping the channel. What a pile! They mean to tell us that they didn't find a single person who wasn't a little scardy cat?

On ABC radio news at 7:30, they were working hard to tie Greenspan's statement to Bush policy. "Bush took a political hit..." something like that. I think someone from the DNC writes copy for ABC News.

[Loyal Buckeye]

Individual Retirement Accounts proposed by Pres. Bush in the last election. Enough said.

[camle]

and where the heck were all these whiners and complainers 10 years ago when Newt Gingrich tried to fix the system?? They werew all whinine "Don't you dare TOUCH social security" it's going under folks, and we can thank the good demagogues of the DNC for it.

[stopem]

Greenspan is a idiot, he knew this issue would make Bush look bad!

But bottom line is that the taxcuts are FEDERAL taxes, social security is Payroll taxes. What does one have to do with the other?

People earning over $87k a year do not pay payroll taxes question is do they collect SS when they reach 65? Now that would not be fair.

They should raise the age to 70-72. They should look into the ones collecting SSI and take the drug addicts off SS. Addicts who cant work are considered disabled and are placed on SS and all sort of programs were they can collect from the govt. That is an outrage.

[OldFriend]

So all the years of warning that social security was going to be in trouble when the boomers retired was all a hoax.

It's only now that President Bush granted tax relief to TAXPAYERS that social security benefits are really in jeopardy.

[Alberta's Child]

One positive aspect of this issue is that future Social Security outlays are so enormous that simple fixes like "taxing the rich" will be as effective as using a bucket to drain the Pacific Ocean. John Edwards knows this, as do the folks at ABC News.

Those "Baby Boomers" who are living in their delusional dream-world are apparently the only ones who don't.

[FITZ]

Social Security is in trouble. It needs to start getting cut --- it needs to be ended. You could tell it was in trouble when they said they needed to bring in indigent people from the third world who could work for $4 an hour to save it.

[keysguy]

You are right as rain. We can never foget that we literally are the foot-soldiers for Bush's campaign. We need to offer advice he can win with. Not only did Sawyer do a hit job on him ABC co-ordinated t.v. with radio cause at 7:30 eastern Ann Compton did a mini-hit on national radio that was so biased you could drive a truck through it journalistically. Greenspan didn't help yesterday and bush's resonse was anything but clear cut. The bush campaing has to learn that social security is one of the only whining posts the dems have left, we can't afford to let them open all that spin again. No one knows how to demagogue social security like the rats do. They did it under bubba and it kills off the real issues like terrorism. It rattles the old people and we loose a few votes.

[Moby Grape]

Cuts ARE needed, but one has to wonder if Greenspan planned this because (being a democrat as he is and married to lefty reporter Andrea Mitchell) he KNEW Bush would get the hit for this.

[Celantro]

>people in their 40's and 50's whining

Friend, this is not "whining". Those of us in our 50s were forced into this social security deal. I certainly could have done better with my life savings than social security did for me but the deal was that they would save my money and I had no choice but to go along with their plan. Okay, so we did. NOW government is going to tell us they have no choice but to welsh on the deal they forced us into? Now that they've collected money from me for 30 years?

Don't think of those who want what is rightfully theirs as being the others. They are us. What you have paid into social security is yours and the lousy interest rate they plan to give you on your money is yours too. Don't you let anybody take that from you regardless of how much money you plan to sock away to supplement your social security payments. And don't you think of people in their 40s and 50s as being others either because you are on your way there (I hope) regardless of how young you are now.

I agree that social security stinks but you don't change it by welshing on the deal long after you forced others into it. When my time comes, I want my money and I want it with whatever interest I am entitled to. I didn't save that money to give it to those who will use it to support immigrants, illegal and otherwise. If we need money moved into this system lets get that money by imposing a penalty on those who are found within our borders illegally. Lets get them out of here so that they don't cost us a fortune in jail space, medical bills, etc.

We are all getting old together friend. If they want to stop collecting social security tax, I'm probably okay with that but we cannot steal what has already been collected from those working Americans who own it.

[tomahawk]

I've been paying into Social Security to, but as you know, the money is not there, it has been spent.

I have also been saving for my retirement.

The "solution" the Dems will advance is to raise taxes, making it harder for me to save for myself and my family.

The solution is to make it clear to everyone that you are responsible for your own retirement. Otherwise, hardly anyone will be able to, and Social Security still will be broke.

[OldFriend]

Social security will not be broke. You most likely will have to work longer before you begin to collect but it will not disappear altogether.

[uncbob]

Individual Retirement Accounts proposed by Pres. Bush in the last election. Enough said.

ALL retirement systems are going to be in trouble
They ALL depend on a lot more people putting in than taking out

HINT Banks, stock market funds,etc etc don't have that money in a vault someplace

It is all FUNNY MONEY and the banks don't have the funds on hand to cover all the withdrawals that will be necessary as retirement age groups increase

If SS goes belly up they whole system will since they are all based on a LOT more putting in than taking out and any crash in the SS will have far reaching effects to the other systems

[tomahawk]

You may be right, but it won't be enough to live on. It is only safe to assume it won't be there at all, and to save accordingly (if the Govt. will let you!).

I believe Social Security is a Ponzi scheme, which we have regrettably forced into, but at some point, those who "contributed" won't get paid, because there aren't enough new people to force into the scheme.

[keysguy]

You are absolutely right and if you keep pointing that out before the election the rats will win.

[banjo joe]

were forced into this social security deal

Well said, as is your entire post.

I'm now approaching 50, and when I think of all the $ I've paid into the system, and how much I'll eventually recoup, I get almost physically ill.

[StoneColdTaxHater]

Did Diane note that Ponzi Schemes like Soc sec are illegal??

[bluegrass]

Lately it seems every news program is one giant hit piece.
"Bush sucks, the economy sucks, your future sucks, everything sucks"
It's a wonder we don't all take a bottle of pills, then go jump off a cliff.

[uncbob]

Greenspan is a idiot, he knew this issue would make Bush look bad!

Exactly he should be fired immeadiately for incompetence

He waits until there is only 4 years to go for a disaster
Where the hell was he during the Clinton years

I hate to say it but the economy is in big doodoo
Greenspam ain't got no more rabbits to pull out of the hat
Interest rates can't go lower and the credit card bubble will blow sky high soon enough
And of course he will warn us the day before it happens