Posted on 02/12/2005 12:50:41 PM PST by Wolfstar
PRESIDENTIAL NEWS OF THE DAY: The President and Mrs. Bush are spending the weekend at the White House. There are no scheduled public appearances.
There was some confusion on FR this week as to whether or not Karl Rove was promoted. He was, in fact, promoted to Deputy White House Chief of Staff. For those interested in the details, here is a link to the daily WH press briefing at which Rove's appointment was discussed in full.
For those who are interested in the Jeff Gannon matter, here's a link to the daily WH press briefing in which this matter was discussed.
THE WEEK AHEAD: The President's schedule for the upcoming week was not announced at the Friday WH press briefing. However, the WH and others did make some announcements during last week about upcoming visits with foreign leaders.
The President will host Romanian President Basescu at the White House on March 9th, 2005.
Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko is likely to visit Washington next month to hold talks with GWB, the former Soviet republic's Deputy Prime Minister Oleh Rybachuk said.
Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmad Aboul Gheit is to meet US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice in Washington on Tuesday, State Department spokesman Richard Boucher said.
QUOTE OF THE DAY: From the President's radio address, 2/12/05.
Social Security was created decades ago for a very different era. In 1950, about 16 workers paid into the system for every one person drawing benefits. Today, we have only about three workers for each beneficiary, and over the next few decades, baby boomers like me will retire, people will be living longer and benefits are scheduled to increase dramatically. Eventually, there will be just two workers per beneficiary. With every passing year, fewer workers will be paying ever-higher benefits to ever-larger numbers of retirees.
So here is the result: 13 years from now, in 2018, Social Security will be paying out more than it collects in payroll taxes; and every year afterward will bring a new and larger shortfall. For example, in the year 2027, the government will somehow have to come up with an extra $200 billion a year to keep the system afloat. By the year 2033, the annual shortfall would be more than $300 billion a year. And by the year 2042, the entire system would be bankrupt. If we do not act now to avert that outcome, the only solutions would be dramatically higher taxes, massive new borrowing or sudden and severe cuts in Social Security benefits or other government programs.
To keep the promise of Social Security alive for our children and grandchildren, we need to fix the system once and for all. Fixing Social Security permanently will require a candid review of the options. In recent years, many people have offered suggestions, such as limiting benefits for wealthy retirees; indexing benefits to prices, instead of wages; increasing the retirement age; or changing the benefit formulas and creating disincentives for early collection of Social Security benefits. All these ideas are on the table.
The Dems' Week from Hell by Noemie Emery,
from the Feb. 14-21, 2005 issue of "The Weekly Standard." Brilliantly describes the state of the Democrat party these days.
Saturday Dose going up. Please wait until the all clear before posting other images/photos. Thanks.
wow. you're early. and so am I !!!
Rummy not looking terribly pleased to be in the company of Kofi Annan in Munich.
NATO Secretary-General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer chats with our Defense Secretary before the start of the 41st Conference on Security Policy in Munich. NATO should prepare for a role in supporting any future agreement to end the Israeli-Palestinian conflict Scheffer said on Saturday.
Rummy has almost as many different facial expressions as his boss, GWB.
Our Secretary of Defense speaks with Russian Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov, who said that North Korea had made "the wrong choice" if it had quit international talks aimed at resolving a stand-off over its nuclear programs.
The Prez and babies (SO cute) -- he adores them, and most babies respond well to him.
g'day Wolfstar! Thanks for the ping.
Good evening/afternoon
Thank you!
Does this mean I am Number One,
or, are you counting yourself?
If I am number one for the first time in the 4 plus years since Rintense started this thread, I intend to bookmark it for posterity.
Speaking of which, I wonder whose days in the life we'll be celebrating four years from now? It can't be as fine as these years have been with the incredibly attractive and wonderful Bush family, plus Condi, Cheney, Rummy and all the great other staff.
I know one thing;; there will be no thread if a certain woman gets in.
But, let's not think about that now... this is a special day.
It didn't start out that way. My microwave rolled over and died, leaving me to contemplate life w/o a microwave.
It wasn't pretty, so I just returned from Wal-Mart, having purchased another.
But, hey, I'm all giddy now.
I love the Barney GIF it is cute
Good day, Altura. I can't stay very long at all. Have work (as in my job) to do today. Thought I'd get the Dose up and then folks can keep it going as they wish.
Good day to you, Oz, and you are most welcome.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.