Social Security News 11-1-12

 America Blog

Which members of Congress oppose cuts to Social Security, Medicare

Gaius Publius

11-1-12

This is an update to our previous post about the Grand Bargain and how to stop it.

A couple of items: 1. The “whip count” page — the page that shows which senators and House members support No Cuts — has been posted at the Huffington Post as well. You may want to bookmark that page. This issue will certainly heat up as Sandy dies down and the election frenzy passes.

http://americablog.com/2012/11/social-security-medicare-cuts-whip-count.html

 

Huffington Post (NAT)

Romney: Tribune of the Plutocracy

Robert L. Borosage

11-1-12

It's useful to remember the obvious. The flip flops on social issues, the lies and distortions, the empty five point plan recycled from previous Republican campaigns don't reveal it. The truth is much simpler. Romney is the candidate of, by and for the 1%. He is a plutocrat peddling the agenda of the plutocracy.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/robert-l-borosage/romney-tribune-of-the-plu_b_2056398.html

 

Politico (DC)

Democrats: Extending payroll tax cut contrasts with GOP

SEUNG MIN KIM and STEVEN SLOAN

10-31-12

Democrats gunning for another year-end fight over the payroll tax cut say an extension isn’t just good economics — it’s also good politics. Though a wide swath of their party loathes the nearly two-year old payroll tax cut — and even President Barack Obama has proposed ending it — many Democratic lawmakers, particularly in the House, are pressing their colleagues to keep the multibillion-dollar provision alive in the wide-ranging tangle of fiscal cliff negotiations awaiting Congress after the election.

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1012/83136.html

 

The Hill (DC)

Business group says Bowles-Simpson wants too much revenue

Bernie Becker

10-31-12

The Tax Relief Coalition, a group of more than 1,000 companies and business groups, said that President Obama’s fiscal commission, led by Erskine Bowles and Alan Simpson, was right to push for both spending restraint and tax reform. But the group, which includes the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the Business Roundtable, also said the current Bowles-Simpson framework concentrates too much on the tax side.

http://thehill.com/blogs/on-the-money/domestic-taxes/265117-business-group-says-bowles-simpson-wants-too-much-revenue

 

Washington Post (NAT)

Experts: Hacking of 3.6M SC returns from as far back as 1998 largest against state tax agency

10-31-12

CHARLESTON, S.C. — Millions of Social Security numbers and business records from tax returns as far back as 1998 were hacked in South Carolina and experts said Wednesday it may be the largest cyber-attack against a state tax department in the nation’s history.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/experts-say-hacking-of-36-million-tax-returns-in-sc-largest-against-state-tax-agency/2012/10/31/54026552-2381-11e2-92f8-7f9c4daf276a_story.html

 

Washington Post (NAT)

INTERACTIVE: Make President Obama’s tax plan add up!

Dylan Matthews and Ezra Klein

11-1-12

Wednesday we let you try to make Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney’s tax plan add up. It’s only fair that we ask you to do the same for President Obama.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/ezra-klein/wp/2012/11/01/interactive-make-president-obamas-tax-plan-add-up/

 

Concord Monitor (NH)

Letter: Social Security under siege

ANDREW D’AMICO

11-1-12

The Social Security Administration is under stealth attack by the conservatives in Congress. This, according to Michael Hiltzik of the Los Angeles Times.

http://www.concordmonitor.com/home/2589666-95/bass-agency-office-congressman

 

 

Politics

 

The Daily Beast (NAT)

Carl Bernstein on Mitt Romney's Radicalism

11-1-12

Mitt Romney, meanwhile, has applauded Republican/Tea Party efforts to privatize social security, eliminate environmental protection programs, restructure Medicare through voucher-like options, overturn Roe v. Wade, "self-deport" immigrants, and push for tax relief for the wealthiest citizens.

http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2012/11/01/carl-bernstein-on-mitt-romney-s-radicalism.html

 

ABC (NAT)

Obama, Biden Now Sing Different Tune on Medicare ‘Cuts’

Jonathan Karl

11-1-12

Democrats have defended the $716 billion in Medicare savings in the health care law by arguing that seniors would not be affected because  the only spending cuts would be in future payments made to Medicare providers — there would be no cuts whatsoever to actual Medicare benefits. But in 2005, then Sens. Joe Biden and Barack Obama had an entirely different view of spending reductions to Medicare providers.

http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/politics/2012/11/obama-biden-now-sing-different-tune-on-bushs-medicare-savings/

 

The Register Citizen (CT)

5th District debate focuses on Medicare, Social Security

Jordan Fenster

10-31-12

Both Esty and Roraback said they would support raising the income cap as a way to pay for Social Security benefits, and both said they would not seek to make additional changes to Social Security beyond that move. “In plain language, hands off Social Security,” Roraback said. “Social Security is a program that no one should touch.” Esty said she would advocate for “no changes other than adjusting that income cap.”

http://ct5thdistrict.registercitizen.com/2012/10/31/5th-district-debate-focuses-on-medicare-social-security/