It’s a radical plan to balance the federal budget by slashing the sacred cows of American entitlement spending: Social Security and Medicare. And it’s scrambling the political landscape: Sarah Palin loves it. Republicans in Washington are split, wary of the electoral fallout of the spending cuts with the midterm looming. And Democrats are gleeful, confident that they can exploit Ryan’s plan to divide the GOP and perhaps even conquer in a few competitive places this fall.
Threatening to cut Social Security and Medicare is considered political suicide, especially with so many voters in America, the baby boomers, just now qualifying for these programs.
That has many Republicans wary of Ryan's plan. But one famous Republican is not hesitating to show her support.
Sarah Palin has been quick to attach herself to Ryan's rising star, giving him a shoutout in her speech to the Tea Party Convention in Nashville and volunteering his name as a promising presidential candidate.
I am always amazed when people give Palin credit for being political savvy. The woman is wandering in a desert of ignorance and her supporters are stumbling along behind her.
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If no one had SS or Medicare now, after this economic disaster, what would have happened?
ReplyDeleteWe are living the reason we have these programs right now.
That's our baby grill there - wanting to pitch seniors, the sick and disabled out on their noses. Sure weeds out the population when you reduce their ability to buy food, meds, keep a roof over their heads. Yeah, go, Scarrah, go -- all the way to Hades.
ReplyDeleteThis woman is shameless, self-centered, and totally insensitive to the needs of others - her own children included.
Sure is nice she gets free health care, huh?
Gryphen, she has her own safety net:
ReplyDeletestupid people. Please put a stop to this psychopath.
She's a one-woman death panel.
ReplyDeleteHow funny. A nice grandson of a neighbor helped clear my car of snow so I could get out. We talked over a number of things. He says the teens he knows don't want to know anything about politics, but he is interested. ( I suggested he is smart to stay interested) but he is afraid that social security and medicare would be removed from his grandparents who he loves by Obama. It is interesting that now it is Sarah Palin talking avout getting rid of these two items. She has just lost the tea baggers. That was their main beef with President Obama.
ReplyDeleteSince this is a republican idea to cut Medicare, will those tea-bagging idiots still scream, "government, keep your hands off our medicare!"? What a bunch of kooks, lol!
ReplyDelete$P is known for her inconsistency. I'm going to review the similarities and differences between the candidates she is backing. It will be enlightening in the fact that it will prove she has not a clue as to what she's in favor of nor what she allegedly opposes.
ReplyDeleteWe know Scott Brown is pro-choice, yet not a word was said about his stance on abortion. I'm sure when we look at Brown, Perry, Paul, McCain, Ryan & others, we'll find more differences than similarities. In doing so, we'll be forced, once again, to ask, "does she have a clue as to what she stands for?".
puh=lease....Sarah only likes him because he a good looking guy, so is Scott Brown, and Rand Paul is ok too (well the hair is tragic, but nice looking guy).
ReplyDeleteHas Sarah endorsed any female candidates? She may have, but I missed it.
As far as supporting cuts to medicare and social security. It will ensure that Palin won't get elected...her base (of medicare and social security recipients) will drop her ass in a heart beat.
Palin doesn't need any of those benefits...after all, she's a wealthy woman now! Who cares about hard working people who paid into the system their whole lives and deserve it. Maybe she could ask those unregulated bankers and corporate types who secretly fund her activities to re-fund the magically disappearing retirement plans for the working folks instead of paying themselves millions of dollars in bonuses. Oh that's right, I forgot, she's a charitable X-tian who is only out for herself.
ReplyDeletePalin's not politically savvy. She has her finger on the pulse of a certain brand of idiot in this country, though. And she exploits that. I, too, don't get why many intelligent people give her any credit at all. Shannyn Moore, on her radio show the other day, acted as if Palin could win the GOP nom. No way. I'm just as guilty as anyone of getting worked up over Palin, but the rational side of me KNOWS that there is no way that she would even try to run. And, if she did, the GOP would take her down like a caribou with one bum leg. This is all about money-making for one person and her name is Sarah.
ReplyDeleteSo, Sarah, have you had that talk with Chuck and Sally yet about declining Social Security and Medicare? How about Todd turning down tribal health care for the family? Let's see your family set the example before jumping on the Paul Ryan bandwagon.
ReplyDeleteMess with SS and the tea baggers will find out just how short their "revolution" will be.
ReplyDeleteWhy, Sarah, I think that is a stroke of genius for you to want to cut Social Security and Medicare! Gosh, just wish you had mentioned that in your speech at the Teabaggers Convention. You know, where you asked people about that "hopey changey" thing? Here's a little hint: remember when Bushy tried to introduce back in 2005 just SOME Social Security funds being invested privately; you know so people wouldn't be so dependent on the government doing everything for them? Don't remember huh? Okay, why don't you check on it and get back to us? We'll be right here.
ReplyDeleteYep. That's why she said "I ain't your mama" during one of those campaign rallies I watched.
ReplyDeleteAnd, that's why 254 aged or disabled Alaskans died from lack of Medicaid services during her partial term in office. Did that take 254 people off the APF roll?
Hitler got rid of dead weight and the disabled, too.
Great post, Gryphen!
Whoops ! There goes about 50% of the Teabaggers..... headed for the door.
ReplyDeleteBetter start reading "tea leaves" instead of "palms".
Here, Sarah. Have some more rope. Looks like you need more with which to hang.
ReplyDeleteThe longer the fall, the harder the snap.
BAustin asked if Sarah had endorsed any women candidates. I don't think she has. Here in Texas there are two women competing in the GOP primary an establishment candidate and a Tea Party type. She's campaigning hard for Rick Perry. I think she is desperately trying to prove that she's savvy. Whenever a Republican man is talked about as being someone to watch she rushes in and tries to sound as if she spotted him first. Remember that embarassing back and forth with Scott Brown? She was bragging that they had talked on the night of his win, trying to create an illusion of connection - which if you think about it, is what she tries to all the time. Brown said he couldn't remember. Poor Sarah the hot guy didn't even remember you. She insisted and then he said that , yes there had been a call. She tries to seem like an inside player, a power player, when she's really a tabloid celebrity and fodder for comedians. Everyone who promoted her for the nomination should be ashamed of themselves.
ReplyDeleteclearly clueless. I have dryer lint that has more savvy.
ReplyDeleteAnother great post Gryhen.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you wholeheartly on your last sentence.
Unfortunately the good people of Wasilla didn't see that...when they put her into the political ring. Ditto for those that elected her as Govener of Alaska. Thus giving her the chance to be foisted on ALL of USA citizens.
The bottom line is we spend WAY too much on Defense. It just ain't required.
ReplyDeleteWe will NEVER have another tank battle like the first Gulf war. NEVER.
No air force on Earth will fly up to do battle with us. NEVER.
No Navy can touch 1/10 of our might, and no one will EVER try to.
We dont need 10 carrier battle groups.
We dont need thousands of tanks.
We dont need hundreds of fighter jets.
What we do need is a strong mobile modern professional Military (the current Military IS Professional and doing it mission bravely )but not entrenched in Cold War mentality and spend rates.
Smart brave men and women equipped to protect and defend our country against IED's, real terrorists, internet attacks, nuclear and bio threats.
This is what we need. If we continue down the military/industrial path Ike said we should avoid, we are doomed.
"I am always amazed when people give Palin credit for being political savvy. The woman is wandering in a desert of ignorance and her supporters are stumbling along behind her. "
ReplyDeleteagreed. seriously people, the hand thing was NOT a distraction from other issues. the hand thing was her full dipshit-ness on display.
let's hear chuck and sally talking about how they don't want their social security or medicare! yeah like THAT'S going to happen, lol.
"I'm Sarah Palin, and I'm here to tell you that I want my parents to lose their social security and medicare."
ReplyDeleteDid she bother to look around at the crowd at her tea party rally? The few who are not already on SS and Medicare will be applying in the next 2-3 years.
ReplyDeleteWay to cut off the ONLY group that's firmly in your corner...go Sarah! Keep this up and by the end of 2010 you'll have alienated all of the supporters whose last names aren't Palin.
Terrific post. I clicked on thetitle & read the Benjamin Sarlin article. Ol' Fred Malek. Don't these people EVER go away!!
ReplyDeleteThat article says Fred is a member of Sarah's "kitchen cabinet". Cracked me up. I hope Sarah doesn't ask Fred to bring the entree during their kitchen get-togethers. Follow the link to a story about Malek that I do like to bring up at every opportunity.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/03/10/AR2006031001843.html
That reference used to be included in Malek's Wiki bio but today I find that bio has been shortened considerably and the doggie incident isn't included unless you search for the Colbert King article in the footnotes.
Don't count on the fact that TeaBaggers will flee if / when they find out she backs thosse wanting to do away with SS & Medicare. A whole bunch of teabaggers / seniors will only have to be told that down is up and up is down. That's where Beck & Rush & FauxNews come in.
$5 says that Malek is behind Scott Brown too. IMO, when you see Malek, you get a twofer with John McCain. Nice group of folks. /scarcasm
I have designed a plan to shore up Social Security which may also solve the wall street financial crisis.
ReplyDeleteHere are 2 links to a video on the plan that I have produced. Please watch both. I had to put 2 videos up on You tube due to their 10 minute limit.
It's called the 2009 Progressive Social Security Modernization Plan.
If you like it, contact your congressperson(s).
http://tinyurl.com/chtk2f
http://tinyurl.com/cu7vpm
Ken Swiatek
How will the "Keep your hands of my Social Security" tea bagging rabble react when they realize that Medicare is part of their retirement package as well?
ReplyDelete"I am always amazed when people give Palin credit for being political savvy."
Just call Sarah a walking Talking Point-ed Head.
Someone at palingates emailed the DOA health insurance and they do not require a BC for a birth of a child!!!
ReplyDeleteSo why did they need one for Trig?
emrysa said: seriously people, the hand thing was NOT a distraction from other issues. the hand thing was her full dipshit-ness on display.
ReplyDeleteSo true! And not just her dishit-ness. The hand thing is what happens when Sarah is hopped up on whatever drugs she's on. Then she becomes like a 2-year-old. If she can't see you, you can't see her!
So Sarah is a one woman death panel, eh? Be cause there will be a lot of elderly people dying if they lose their medicare.
ReplyDeleteRick
$arahs poll numbers are collapsing. Even with the Repubs.
ReplyDeleteKeep in mind that Timothy Geitner wants to go after entitlement programs meaning Social Security. Also, Peter Orsag wants to make 401ks automatic which is a first step in privatizing Social Security.Yeah, those bank IRa's are paying 1% interest these days thanks to Bushshivit revolution!
ReplyDeleteThat idea is about as intelligent as Bush wanting to privatize Social Security. Imagine what many current seniors would be going through right now if he had.
ReplyDeleteWants to cut SS, huh? Just what does she think the majority of mentally disabled folks live on? How does she think she's gonna apply for SSDI when her own kid gets old enough? She's so adamant that she has done a wonderful thing for this baby and while I don't belittle the idea that every child is precious and deserves the best life possible, the way she's dealing (not dealing, rather) with little Trig is to assure that he won't be at the top of his potential for hearing, sight, communication, etc, so he is very much likely to be one of the very sort of folks for whom SSDI was set up to begin with.
ReplyDeleteI too have a son born with a potentially disabling condition (full-blown autism) but he is not and I hope never will be on SSDI; in fact he holds a very 'normal' and responsible job; that would be solely because he got the needed attention as he grew up---she expects it just to 'happen' apparently, and those are the very children who end up on SSDI.... So--she takes no responsibility now and then advocates removing what little income he would be eligible for in the future. God save the poor kid; it's for sure she's not going to.
Here she slammed former Junior Senator turned hated Governor Frank Murkowski for his purchasing and using a private jet and for cutting Alaska's own version of SS - the longevity bonus ($250 a month for elderly Alaskan residents) as her populist Gubernatorial platform. An effort to cast herself as different than the proven corrupt Republican culture in Alaska.
ReplyDeleteNow email threads reveal how she and the shadow Governor concocted conspiracy theories whenever Public Safety Commissioner Walt Monegan c/wouldn't make
available a plane for her clan travel on trivial State matters
and now she applauds cutting SS AND Medicare?
Who is the death panel all of a sudden?
Anybody who credits Palin with political savy is a moron. Over the course of the last two years, Palin has made the most inexplicably stupid moves imaginable. Even if her actions were governed solely by the basest of self interests - which they were - her moves make no sense at all. Quitting as governor was virtually suicidal for anybody who seems to want to run for POTUS. No matter how much verbal piehole effluent she spews, there is NO plausible reason for that move other than she couldn’t handle the job and that she was greedy. She basically gave a great big “FUCK YOU!” to the citizens of Alaska. No way to spin that any other direction. After seeing the recently released e-mails it is crystal clear that for much of her 0.5 term, she WAS NOT the governor, Todd was.
ReplyDeleteHow much do you want to bet that more than HALF of the teabaggers are either on Medicare or Social Security or both? You think these halfwit goobers will be willing to give up THEIR MONEY? Hell no they won’t. I saw many teabaggers interviewed this last summer, who after they shrieked themselves hoarse wailing about “SOCIALIZED BIG GOVERNMENT SPENDING!” were asked if they were on either federal program. Most answered “yes.” They did not comprehend the irony. When they do, they will be after Palin with pitchforks and torches. No way in hell they will consent to balancing the budget by sacrificing THEIR ENTITLEMENTS! Because, after all, that’s what “entitlement” means.
Palin has no plans or strategy. She shoots from the hip without aiming at all. She consults no one outside her idiot tribe and their instincts are no better than hers. She has no work ethic at all. She is lazy and undisciplined, she is an incurious simpleton, she is arrogant, she is petty and vindictive, she is a liar, and those are her GOOD qualities. There is no doubt that she is fixin’ to auger in and quite spectacularly so. The only question is as to when and how. THAT will be the enjoyable part.
If Palin is stupid enough to back killing Social Security and Medicare, she will simply be hastening her own demise. If any of her posse are not completely political tone deaf, they will tell her to back off and right away. If not, she may finally alienate the teabaggers once and for all. If they go, who will support her?
She's led a charmed political life. A little over 600 votes atthe beginning and she's given / takes liberties to tout her executive managerial 'skills.' hiring a city manager for a job she said was not rocket science is yet another example of how she's always been given a pass.
ReplyDeleteThere are hundreds, perhaps now thousands of people who's hard work she coat-tailed or co-opted as her own success.
How does such a pitifully thin and superficial resume be so loaded down with dense bull$hit weight?
In 1984 Margaret Thatcher decided to implement a new social welfare program by privatizing state benefits. It turned into the dismal failure as written about in the article below. People were expected to take their tax rebates and put them into personal savings vehicles for their own retirement benefits. It was a monumental social failure. People did not save and when time came for them to retire, there was nothing for them to retire on.
ReplyDeleteOf course, the problem was that the British system relied on people voluntarily saving. If we go to a privatization of Social Security, with which I have no problem per se, it must be a mandated program and it must be guaranteed in much the same way the FDIC guarantees bank accounts. If could work well, if it were done properly. But it MUST be mandated. And it must be something that a person could not touch until they reach retirement age, just as one cannot touch Social Security funds before retirement now.
http://www.prospect.org/cs/articles?articleId=8997
Britain's experiment with substituting private savings accounts for a portion of state benefits has been a failure. A shorthand explanation for what has gone wrong is that the costs and risks of running private investment accounts outweigh the value of the returns they are likely to earn. On average, fees and charges can reduce pension lump sums by up to 30 percent on retirement. The nation's savings industry, which sells those private accounts, has already acknowledged this. Which brings us to irony No. 2: Just as the United States prepares to funnel untold billions to its private sector for the management of private accounts, back in 2002, many U.K. insurance companies, mindful of tough new rules against giving bad advice, began to write to their customers urging them to consider abandoning their private savings and returning to the state pension system -- something hundreds of thousands of Britons have done already.
And this is the system that the United States is seeking to emulate?
Following Sharon in Florida's post, there is a good post at Talking Points Memo describing Sarah's inner circle, or the people who have Sarah's ear right now: http://tpmmuckraker.talkingpointsmemo.com/2010/02/introducing_sarah_palins_brain_trust.php
ReplyDeletesjk I couldn't agree with you more.
ReplyDeletethis country spends ridiculous amounts of money on defense. year after year... we're are throwing more money out the window than we could possibly ever imagine. when you think about it, it's no wonder that this country is broke. just imagine where we might be today if we didn't throw all that money away for the past 7 decades. it boggles the mind.
what you feed, grows. this country feeds the war machine at the expense of everything else.
This just points to the fact that we better watch the GOP like a hawk,they just might come up with a good idea that slips by us.No doubt Palin sinks herself every time she opens her mouth.Beware of the sheep in wolves clothing.The right is getting desperate and I would'nt be surprised at anything they do to win,lie,cheat,use subterfuge(Disguise a rising star as one of ours)It would be easy to believe there were GOP defections.In otherwords dont trust the GOP as far as you can throw it.They are on the road to self destruct and that makes them twice as dangerous.
ReplyDeleteShe will find a way to blame it all on our president. And, msm will support her.
ReplyDeleteThe original intent of Social Security was to get the old people to retire and free up jobs for younger people. Also, the problem during the great depression was the absence of unemployment insurance.
ReplyDeleteBy having social security and unemployment insurance, we still have cash coming into the bottom of the economy. Imagine what would happen if this stopped.
Go back in your county's history and look at old folks' homes and orphanages. Is that a better alternative?
We need these programs to maintain dignity, if nothing else.
Gasman is on fire tonight! Well said.
ReplyDeleteI wish the MSM would discuss Palin's plans about Medicare. I think that might be the one thing that would really, truly sink her. But, it appears the MSM is making money off of her,too, so they don't want to lose their money/cash cow just yet.
ReplyDeleteMy great grandmother literally died in the poor house. But now, even that cushion no longer exists. Elderly people are really at risk from any repug president, Sarah included.
ReplyDeleteAnd the concept of mandated private Social Security is simply preposterous. Which giant bank do YOU trust enough to handle all the accounts – Goldman Sachs? Bank of America? Citi? They would be paying themselves billions in management and administrative fees, bonuses, and salaries, and that's just for starters. On top of that would be highly questionable accounting methods, a lack of capitalization and transparency, trading on the Social Security 'stocks', and derivatives. It boggles the imagination to consider it for even a moment. But have no doubt: Wall Street has been lobbying for JUST THIS VERY SCENARIO for years.
This is the result when we have privately financed political campaigns. When it costs one billion dollars to become president, the entire system is permanently corrupted and unfixable. WE MUST BECOME NOISIER THAN THE TEA-PARTY to correct it.
If Sarah really believed the tea bag
ReplyDeletephilosophy, she'd be supporting Debra
Medina, the TB governor candidate (& who is really catching on in TX,)running against the neocons Rick Perry & Kay Bailey Hutchison. Sarah Palin is a $$-grubbing gadfly. No core
beliefs at all. If she didn't have a DS baby she's used as a launching pad
to continue her "fame" long after
McCain's losing campaigne, we wouldn't even be talking about her today.
Sharon TN
Social Security, Medicare, meh. Those are not going to be around when I'm of age no matter who is in charge of our nation. That's been stated many years before now by smarter minds that are in charge of affairs now.
ReplyDeleteIt's so important for 40 and 50 somethings to focus on sound investments, both personally and thru IRA and 401K.
Chuck every available penny into an IRA each year and invest wisely, nice write off on taxes for your max $3000 contribution before April 15. Time spent arguing on blogs could be better spent planning your future through investing.
Some of what's wrong with our country right now can make you a boatload of money if you pay attention and invest wisely. You can't individually change the course of events in America, but you can make money off what is so wrong right now.
Crass and uncaring, yes. Feathering a nest for a retirement that I will be personally responsible for without gov't intervention, you betcha.
"Crass and uncaring, yes. Feathering a nest for a retirement that I will be personally responsible for without gov't intervention, you betcha."
ReplyDeleteis that anything like investing in fossil fuels simply because it pays, despite the fact that it's killing us and all other life on this planet?
this is disturbing. I hope I misunderstood your post.
"$P is known for her inconsistency."
ReplyDeleteThat's because she is unable to retain information in her brain for more than 24 hours. It has to be erased to make room for more superficial talking points.
This is the first bit of sanity Sarah has attached herself to-- ever. We are going to have to cut entitlements. Nobody who has any brains believes otherwise. Means testing is the most sane way to do it. And the Bush prescription drug crap remains an unfunded liability that is about to turn into an economic armageddon.
ReplyDelete4:13am. Well, of course, GW spent the babyboomers' social security on the streets of Iraq didn't he? Thanks for mouthing his thoughts again for us. say ruh makes a bad idol for worship. She doesn't have a lucid thought in her head ever and it is a lie to say she does.
ReplyDeleteAk pet mom, your post is disturbing to me. Are u serious or being sarcastic? Sound investments huh?? And what would those be? Even the most conservative investors have lost a good chunk of their portfolios I the past few years.
ReplyDeleteAnd what about all of the disabled who paid into ss and Medicare and unexpectedly needed them. What if you developed MS or Parkinsons or cancer and could not work? Could u pay 400 a month for cobra? And what INS co is going to give you health care after that?? Oh your sound investments are supposed to help ? They would be gone in a few months.
These programs exist for a reason! The word entitlement is so negative. Disability can happen to anyone. And these people would just take away these programs without thought?
Sarah is a monster. She thinks family should help not government. Not everyone has family. America is going downhill. If they managed ss and Medicare correctly they would be ok. The money you put in should stay in and earn interest but we are constantly borrowing to pay for wars.
You keep up with your sound investing pet mom. Invest in what? American companies that are all doing badly? Wall Street? Government bonds? The greed of people like Sarah has destroyed our country.
Her own Republican Base is turning against her..G-Man check out what this conservative host had to say about her..
ReplyDeletehttp://www.liveleak.com/view?i=2e5_1266098088
AKPetMom, I lost more than hjalf the money in my retirement IRA in just 6 months so the distribution, which supplemented my ss, was reduced by one third. The money I put away for retirement was invested in varied consertative issues.
ReplyDeleteI am currently retired and cannot work even if I wanted to for serious medical problems.
So, tell me just what sound investments I should invest what is left of the retirement IRA in?
Please move on if you are here just as a a Palinbot troll.