Social Security News 5-24-12

 SSW/SSSC mention***

CQ (NAT)

Social Security’s Planned Shortfall Raises Concerns

05-19-12

David Harrison

The crux of the debate is a basic philosophical question: Should Social Security be considered from the point of view of the unified budget or from the point of view of the trust funds?

“It’s one of those optical illusions: Do you see the faces or do you see the vase?” asks Nancy Altman, co-director ofSocial Security Works and a longtime advocate for the program.

http://public.cq.com/docs/weeklyreport/weeklyreport-000004090645.html

 

South Florida Sun-Sentinel (FL)

Obama, 50, says `tweaks can fix Social Security

05-24-12

William Gibson

"Social Security is not in an immediate crisis,” Obama told the magazine. “It's not the driver of our deficits, the way Medicare and our health care programs are. We can easily tweak the Social Security program while protecting current beneficiaries, ensuring that it's there for future generations."

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/business/sfl-obama-50-says-tweaks-can-fix-social-security-20120524,0,6802831.story

 

National Journal (NAT)

Insiders: Entitlement Politics Favor Democrats 

05-24-12

Eighty-five percent of Democratic Insiders said they thought debate about a trio of federal programs - Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid -- will help the party on Election Day. Of the 103 votes cast by Democratic insiders, only one said they thought the politics would help Republicans.

http://hotlineoncall.nationaljournal.com/archives/2012/05/insiders-entitl.php

 

Huffington Post (NAT)

Alan Simpson: 'What A Wretched Group Of Seniors You Must Be'

05-23-12

Arthur Delaney

Former Sen. Alan Simpson is not happy with the California Alliance for Retired Americans.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/05/23/alan-simpson-bowles_n_1539606.html

 

Associated Press (NAT)

Social Security a focus of debate in Arizona seat

05-23-12

Staff

Kelly said he will protect Social Security benefits already earned but give choices to future generations, while Barber said allowing people to not participate would undermine Social Security's finances and lead to its collapse.

http://www.nola.com/newsflash/index.ssf/story/social-security-a-focus-of-debate-in-arizona-seat/27999e5d9cf7405cbe76764d8ffc548e

 

Daily Kos (Blog)

Alan Simpson back to attacking seniors, while some Democrats laud his work

05-23-12

Joan McCarter

This is just a reminder of where Alan Simpson is coming from for our fearless Democratic leaders. Because, somehow, despite the fact that the old coot does continue to lie about the Social Security Trustees Report and what it says about the future of the program, Bowles-Simpson, aka the failed Catfood Commission or simply "BS," has become some Democrats' favorite rallying point.

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2012/05/23/1094229/-Alan-Simpson-back-to-attacking-seniors-while-some-Democrats-laud-his-work-

 

National Review (NAT)

Alan Simpson vs. The Haters, Again The Corner

05-23-12

Daniel Foster

Politico has a letter, dated April 6, from freewheelin’ former senator Alan Simpson (R., Wyo.) to a group called the California Alliance for Retired Americans, who had been distributing material railing against the fairly modest structural reforms to Social Security proposed in Simpson-Bowles. It’s great stuff: Erskine Bowles and I thoroughly . . .

http://www.nationalreview.com/corner/300844/alan-simpson-vs-haters-again-daniel-foster

 

Augusta Free Press (VA)

Politics Notebook: Kaine talks Social Security, new Obama TV ad The Valley. Virginia. Defined.

05-24-12

Staff

Kaine discusses Social Security in Martinsville On Tuesday, Tim Kaine met with retirees and seniors in Martinsville as part of his two week tour to discuss ways to strengthen Social Security and Medicare and other issues of importance to older Americans.

http://augustafreepress.com/2012/05/24/politics-notebook-kaine-talks-social-security-new-obama-tv-ad/

The Sacramento Bee (CA)

Taxpayer Group: Jim Pendergraph Supports $2 Trillion Tax Hike -

Americans for Tax Reform

05-23-12

In an endorsement meeting with the Charlotte Observer, Pendergraph said, "balancing the budget would require something like the Bowles-Simpson plan, and specifically said taxes may have to rise as part of a comprehensive plan to erase the deficit."

http://www.sacbee.com/2012/05/23/4510868/taxpayer-group-jim-pendergraph.html

Politics

 

The Washington Post (NAT)

Nancy Pelosi’s risky pander on taxes

05-23-12

Editorial Board

How much federal revenue would be lost by moving the cutoff point to $1 million? Citizens for Tax Justice estimates it at about 43 percent in 2013, and there is no reason to think that the loss would be any smaller in future years. If anything, as the economy improves and incomes rise, the loss could be larger. And among the biggest beneficiaries of Ms. Pelosi’s “middle class” largess would be those earning more than $1 million a year, because they would enjoy the benefit of paying lower marginal rates on the first $1 million of income. Indeed, an estimated half of the benefit of the lower rates would flow to, yes, millionaires.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/nancy-pelosis-risky-pander-on-taxes/2012/05/23/gJQA1GOdlU_print.html

 

The New York Times (NAT)

G.O.P. Nightmare Charts

05-23-12

Charles M. Blow

On moral issues, long-term trends for the Republican Party are not good.

http://campaignstops.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/05/23/g-o-p-nightmare-charts/?src=me

 

National Journal (NAT)

Poll: Warren Surviving Heritage Controversy

05-23-12

Jim O'Sullivan

The recent scuffle over Elizabeth Warren's claims of Native American heritage appears not to have damaged her so far in her bid to unhorse Republican Massachusetts Sen. Scott Brown. A poll released Wednesday night showed Brown with a one point lead, 41 percent to 40 percent, down from nine in the same poll in February.

http://hotlineoncall.nationaljournal.com/archives/2012/05/poll-warren-sur.php

 

NPR (NAT)

Bankrupt In Paradise

05-24-12

Caitlin Kenney

The public pension fund of a U.S. territory in the Pacific Ocean recently filed for bankruptcy. If the case is allowed to proceed, it could have major implications for retirees all across the U.S.

http://www.npr.org/blogs/money/2012/05/24/153442859/bankrupt-in-paradise

 

ABC News (NAT)

Hillary Clinton: U.S. hacked Yemen al-Qaida sites

05-24-12

Dana Hughes

From Yahoo! News: In a rare glimpse into cyber warfare tactics, a top U.S. official has explicitly acknowledged that the U.S. government hacked into websites run by Al Qaeda’s affiliate in Yemen, changing advertisements that boasted about killing Americans into advertisements that underscored the deaths of Muslim civilians...

http://news.yahoo.com/secretary-hillary-clinton-hacked-yemen-al-qaeda-sites-020500553--abc-news-topstories.html

 

The Hill (DC)

With his eye on 2013 Senate majority, McConnell lets Boehner take the lead

05-24-12

Alexander Bolton

McConnell has let House Speaker Boehner take the lead in recent political slugfests. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (Ky.

http://thehill.com/homenews/senate/229269-with-his-eye-on-2013-majority-mcconnell-lets-boehner-lead

 

The Daily Beast (NAT)

Malkin Award Nominee - The Dish

05-23-12

Andrew Sullivan

I'd like Obama to commit more emphatically to a Simpson-Bowles type-deal. But without any Republican give on taxes, that's impossible. And his actual record on spending is, as usual, better than his Republican predecessor's.

http://andrewsullivan.thedailybeast.com/2012/05/malkin.html

 

The New York Times (NAT)

Heidi Heitkamp of North Dakota Attacks Obama's Leadership

05-24-12

Andrew Rosenthal

Heidi Heitkamp, who's running for Senate in North Dakota, accused the president of failing to "unite the country."

http://takingnote.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/05/24/right-wing-talking-point-democratic-candidate/?ref=politics

 

National Journal (NAT)

Report: Most Individual Health Plans Cover Less Than Health Care Law Requires

05-23-12

Margot Sanger-Katz

Most individual polices currently on the market could not be sold on state exchanges in 2014, a new  report  concludes.

http://www.nationaljournal.com//healthcare/report-most-individual-health-plans-cover-less-than-health-care-law-requires-20120523

 

The Washington Post (NAT)

The 4 policymakers who could decide the 2012 election

05-24-12

Ezra Klein

Here’s why Angela Merkel, Mario Draghi, John Boehner, and Ben Bernanke are likely to decide our next president.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/ezra-klein/post/wonkbook-the-4-policymakers-who-could-decide-the-2012-election/2012/05/24/gJQA4zhrmU_blog.html