Is there any other way to put it?
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And apparently they’re proud of their handiwork. You break it, you own it, Tea Party.
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Reality-based commentary on politics.
HeartlandDem says
I would like to see and hear A LOT more of Senator Kerry speaking on these issues on national and local (including central and western region) media outlets. We need to get control of the debate and bring some intelligence and solutions to the fiscal challenges and economic imbalances in our nation.
mannygoldstein says
From the interview:
This is a very surprising and disturbing.
Social Security has zero solvency problems, unless we assume that the economy is about to get even worse and stay that way for decades. Even then, it’s perfectly fine for more than two decades.
Medicare/Medicaid don’t have problems, either. Rather, the problem is with runaway health care costs. If our costs are brought in line with the rest of the industrialized world, then Medicare and Medicare are perfectly fine. Otherwise we harm all Americans with punishing health care costs, and make our businesses uncompetitive when they pay for health care.
Once again, even Democrats like Kerry see working Americans as easier targets than the people actually causing these problems. This is bad, bad stuff.
I much preferred Dr. Dean’s words on Face the Nation today:
mski011 says
The problem with Medicare and Medicaid is fundamentally the ridiculous price Americans pay for medicine. Even at the lower rates most, not all medical establishments accept, our medicine is grossly overpriced and frankly does not appear to buy better outcomes. That needs to be reformed, above and beyond what ACA would have done. As much as I supported the public option, that would not have changed that fact either. If we correct the cost mechanism, we solve public and private health expenditures billions if not trillions.
As for Social Security, true it is solvent, but tweaking it, including chained CPI coupled with raising the cap on payroll taxes could help defray the interest payments the gov’t owes itself for social security while making the programs financial footing even firmer.
mannygoldstein says
From a letter Frank sent to constituents last week:
mski011 says
Those lower rates were a reference to the lower rates Medicare/Medicaid pay.
judy-meredith says
focusing on a good message.
Good for him.
Christopher says
I propose that no Democrat use the noun “downgrade” between now and the 2012 election without modifying the term with the adjective “tea-party” in front of it.