Posted on 09/09/2004 1:01:04 PM PDT by RWR8189
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Rhetoric |
NARRATOR: “George Bush: $200 billion for Iraq.”
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The Facts |
Kerry Supported War In Iraq …
Kerry Voted For Iraq War Resolution. (H.J. Res. 114, CQ Vote #237: Passed 77-23: R 48-1; D 29-21; I 0-1, 10/11/02, Kerry Voted Yea)
Kerry Agreed With Removing Saddam Hussein. “I agree completely with this Administration’s goal of a regime change in Iraq – Saddam Hussein is a renegade and outlaw who turned his back on the tough conditions of his surrender put in place by the United Nations in 1991.” (Senator John Kerry, Speech To The 2002 DLC National Conversation, New York, NY, 7/29/02)
… But Voted Against Funding For Our Troops.
Kerry Voted Against Senate Passage Of Iraq/Afghanistan Reconstruction Package. (S. 1689, CQ Vote #400: Passed 87-12: R 50-0; D 37-11; I 0-1, 10/17/03, Kerry Voted Nay)
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NARRATOR: “In America, lost jobs and rising health care costs. George Bush's wrong choices have weakened us here at home.”
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The Facts |
Nearly 1.7 Million Jobs Created In Last Year; Unemployment Dropped To 5.4%. “U.S. employers added 144,000 workers to payrolls in August, the most since May and the first acceleration in five months, suggesting the economy is emerging from a midyear lull. The unemployment rate fell to 5.4 percent. The increase follows a revised gain of 73,000 jobs in July that was larger than estimated last month. Manufacturing employment rose 22,000 and the jobless rate decline[d] from 5.5 percent in July.” (Kevin Miller, “U.S. August Payrolls Rose 144,000; Jobless Rate Falls to 5.4%,” Bloomberg, 9/3/04; Joint Economic Committee Website, “1.7 Million New Jobs Since August 2003,” http://jec.senate.gov/index.cfm?FuseAction=Charts.Detail&Image_id=84, Accessed 9/8/04)
Consumer Confidence Increases In July. “U.S. consumers grew more confident about the economy in July as companies became more willing to hire new workers … The Conference Board … said its measure of consumer moods climbed to 106.1 in July from a revised 102.8 in June, just above Wall Street forecasts for a rise to 102.0. It was the fourth straight monthly rise in the index.” (“U.S. Consumer Confidence Jumps Again In July,” Reuters, 7/27/04)
Household Wealth Reaches Record $45.153 Trillion. “U.S. household wealth grew to a record-high $45.153 trillion in the first quarter of 2004, boosted by rising real estate and mutual fund values, the Federal Reserve said … In its quarterly ‘Flow of Funds’ report, the Fed said household balance sheets rose $665.5 billion over an upwardly revised $44.488 trillion figure for the fourth quarter of 2003 …” (“Household Wealth Reaches Record $45.153 Trillion,” Reuters, 6/10/04)
President Has Increased Americans’ Ability To Save For And Control Their Health Care Expenses
President Bush Enacted Health Savings Accounts (HSAs) To Help Millions Of Americans With Out-Of-Pocket Medical Expenses, And Offered New Proposal To Make HSAs Even More Affordable. “The Medicare bill that President Bush signed into law establishes new tax-free savings accounts for individuals and groups who purchase affordable high-deductible health plans. Businesses and individuals who take advantage of these accounts will save substantial sums on health insurance premiums and gain more control over health care expenditures. The tax-free, portable accounts will help families pay their routine medical expenses and provide a tax-preferred means of saving for future health care needs. … The President’s proposal will allow individuals who establish HSAs to deduct the premiums they pay for their low-premium, high-deductible health insurance policies. This new deduction will be available to taxpayers whether or not they itemize. It will reduce the net cost of these policies and encourage the use of HSAs for saving for health care needs and making wise, cost-effective health care choices.” (The White House, “Expanding Access And Increasing The Affordability Of Health Insurance Through Health Savings Accounts,” Fact Sheet, 8/9/04)
ü Tens Of Thousands Have Purchased HSAs Since They Became Available On January 1, 2004. “HSAs became available to consumers on January 1, 2004, and real data is emerging to replace speculation. In the first six months, tens of thousands of Americans have purchased HSAs. … Assurant Health received applications representing 56,396 members for Individual HSAs in the first four months of 2004, far more than the number of MSA applications Assurant received in the first four months of 2003.” (Laura Trueman, “Health Savings Accounts: Myth Vs. Fact,” Brief Analysis No. 479, National Center For Policy Analysis, 7/19/04)
ü Almost One-Third Of Applicants With eHealthInsurance Were Uninsured For At Least Six Months Prior To Signing Up For HSAs. “Nearly one-third (32.8 percent) of all HSA applicants to eHealthInsurance – and about half of those with incomes under $35,000 – had not had coverage for at least six months prior to enrollment.” (Laura Trueman, “Health Savings Accounts: Myth Vs. Fact,” Brief Analysis No. 479, National Center For Policy Analysis, 7/19/04)
ü “Nearly Half (46 Percent) Of HSA Purchasers Have Family Incomes Of Less Than $50,000, According To eHealthInsurance.” (Laura Trueman, “Health Savings Accounts: Myth Vs. Fact,” Brief Analysis No. 479, National Center For Policy Analysis, 7/19/04)
President Bush Has Acted To Reduce Prescription Drug Costs
Bush Administration Implemented Program To Save Consumers As Much As $3.5 Billion Each Year By Moving Low-Priced Generic Drugs To The Market Faster. “President Bush today announced new regulations to hasten the pace at which generic drugs are brought to market, a measure the administration says will save $3.5 billion annually after it takes effect Aug. 18. … Specifically, the regulations will limit original drugmakers to one 30-month ‘stay’ blocking the entry of generic drugs by filing patent lawsuits. … The FDA also said it will make internal changes, speeding its review procedures to reduce the time it takes for generic drugs to be declared safe. With a $13 million increase in its budget for generic drugs requested by Bush, the FDA aims to reduce its generic drug application process to 17 months from 20 months.” (Dana Milbank, “New Drug Rules Aim To Speed Generics,” The Washington Post, 6/13/03)
Under Medicare Law Signed By President Bush, Millions Of Beneficiaries Are Now Using Drug Discount Cards To Save Up To 18 Percent On Name Brand Drugs And 30-60 Percent On Generics. “Seniors and people with disabilities can begin using their Medicare-approved drug discount cards to garner savings on prescription medicines. … Analysis by CMS shows that Medicare beneficiaries can expect discounts of up to 18 percent off the average retail prices for name brand drugs and discounts of between 30 and 60 percent on generic drugs. Mail order and Internet discounts through the cards offer savings of up to 24 percent from comparable services.” (U.S. Department Of Health And Human Services, “HHS Secretary Urges Seniors To Sign Up For Discount Cards,” Press Release, 6/1/04)
ü Low-Income Seniors Can Receive $1,200 Credit Over The Next 18 Months That Will Offer Savings Of 30 To 70 Percent On Their Prescription Expenses. “On top of the discounts, low-income beneficiaries can qualify for a $600 credit this year to help pay for their prescription medicines and another $600 in 2005. Any money from the credit not spent this year will carry over into 2005. For millions of low-income beneficiaries, these savings translate to 30 to 70 percent or more reductions in their drug costs.” (U.S. Department Of Health And Human Services, “HHS Secretary Urges Seniors To Sign Up For Discount Cards,” Press Release, 6/1/04)
ü “Just Over 4 Million Seniors Already Are Saving On Their Prescription Medicines Through Medicare-Approved Prescription Drug Discount Card.” (U.S. Department Of Health And Human Services, “HHS Proposes New Rules To Deliver Better Benefits And Savings On Drugs For Medicare Beneficiaries,” Press Release, 7/26/04)
Available To All Medicare Beneficiaries In 2006, New Drug Benefit Will Cover About 50 Percent Of Costs For Seniors Who Currently Have No Drug Coverage. “Medicare beneficiaries who wish to receive the prescription drug benefit can choose to enroll either in a Medicare health plan or prescription drug plan with a monthly premium of around $35. The drug coverage will be available to enrollees who choose the traditional, fee-for-service Medicare plan as well as any Medicare Advantage program. All beneficiaries, regardless of their income, will receive significant help with their drug bills and protection from high drug costs under the new Medicare prescription drug plans. After a $250 deductible, the standard drug benefit paid by the federal government in 2006 will be 75 percent of the drug costs up to an initial coverage limit of $2,250 and 95 percent of the beneficiary’s drug costs once the beneficiary spends $3,600 out-of-pocket. There is no annual plan maximum and that coverage will never run out. On average, the new benefit will cover about half of beneficiaries’ prescription drug costs for those currently without coverage.” (U.S. Department Of Health And Human Services, “HHS Proposes New Rules To Deliver Better Benefits And Savings On Drugs For Medicare Beneficiaries,” Press Release, 7/26/04)
ü Will Cover Approximately 95 Percent Of Drug Costs For Low-Income Seniors. “The new prescription drug benefit will allow all Medicare beneficiaries to enroll in drug coverage through a prescription drug plan or Medicare health plan with Medicare paying for 75 percent of the premium. Additional benefits for Medicare beneficiaries who have limited means will cover, on average, 95 percent of their drug costs.” (U.S. Department Of Health And Human Services, “HHS Proposes New Rules To Deliver Better Benefits And Savings On Drugs For Medicare Beneficiaries,” Press Release, 7/26/04)
Under President Bush, Access To Health Care Has Improved For Children And Those Without Insurance
Number Of Uninsured Children At “Lowest Level On Record” In 2003. “The percentage of American children with no health insurance has dropped to the lowest level on record because of expanded state programs, the government said … Only 10.1 percent of U.S. children were uninsured last year, the lowest level ever recorded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In 1997, 13.9 percent were not covered by health insurance. … Around 2.6 million more children were insured last year than in 1997, the CDC said.” (Daniel Yee, “CDC: Uninsured Children Hits Lowest Level,” The Associated Press, 6/30/04)
Under Bush Administration, 30% More Uninsured And Medically Underserved Individuals Are Receiving Care Through Community Health Centers. “Since 2001, the Bush Administration has increased the number of people served in health centers by almost 30%. When the President took office, there were approximately 3,300 health center sites serving approximately 9.6 million patients, including 4 million uninsured individuals. President Bush recognized the needs of the uninsured and medically underserved communities and promised to open or expand 1,200 health center sites to serve an additional 6.1 million Americans by 2006. By the end of March 2004, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) will have opened or expanded 614 health center sites.” (“Fact Sheet: Expanding Access To Health Care For Millions Of Americans,” The White House, 5/25/04)
President Bush Has Plan To Continue Expanding Health Care Access And Affordability
President Bush Has Urged Congress To Address Rising Health Costs Through Medical Liability Reform. “President Bush is trying to resuscitate a measure to place nationwide caps on medical malpractice awards, a move he has made a centerpiece of his election-year focus on health care. Bush argues that a nationwide ceiling would drive down soaring health care costs and save taxpayers money. … In response, the president was issuing a new appeal for the legislation …” (Scott Lindlaw, “President Pushes Effort To Limit Malpractice Awards,” The Associated Press, 1/26/04)
The President Also Proposed Refundable Tax Credits That Will Make Health Insurance More Affordable To Millions Of Low-Income Americans. “The Administration again proposes a tax credit that will facilitate individuals’ purchase of health insurance and health care. Individuals under age 65 who are not enrolled in public or employer-sponsored health plans would be eligible. The credit would pay for 90 percent of the cost of the premium, up to a maximum of $1,000 for an individual and $3,000 for a family of four. The percentage of the credit would depend on an individual’s income level. The credit would be phased out at $30,000 for an individual and $60,000 for a family. Like the TAA tax credit, the Health Care Tax Credit is refundable and can be paid in advance directly to the health plan.” (“Budget Of The United States Government, Fiscal Year 2005,” Office Of Management And Budget Website, www.omb.gov, Accessed 4/16/04)
President Bush Proposed Lowering Health Care Costs By Expanding Electronic Medical Records To Nearly All Americans Within The Next Ten Years. The plan includes:
ü “Adopting Health Information Standards. The President called for the completion and adoption of standards, collaboratively developed with the private sector, that will allow medical information to be stored and shared electronically while assuring privacy and security.”
ü “Doubling Funding to $100 Million for Demonstration Projects on Health Information Technology. To build upon the progress we have already made in the area of health care standardization, the President’s proposed FY 2005 budget includes $100 million for demonstration projects by hospitals and health care providers that will help us test the effectiveness of health information technology and establish best practices for more widespread adoption in the health care industry.”
ü “Fostering The Adoption Of Health Information Technology. As one of the largest buyers of health care, the Federal Government can create incentives and opportunities for health care providers to use electronic records.”
ü “Creating a New, Sub-Cabinet Level Position of National Health Information Technology Coordinator. The President will charge the National Coordinator with working with government, industry, and experts in the field to help fulfill his vision of a health care system that is patient-centered and that gives patients information they need to make clinical and economic decisions – in consultation with dedicated health care professionals.” (“Innovation Economy Policy Book,” Executive Summary, The White House, 4/26/04)
President Bush Also Has Plan To Curb Rising Health Care Costs By Enabling Small Businesses To Form Purchasing Pools To Negotiate Lower Health Insurance Costs For Their Workers. (“President Bush’s FY 2005 Budget,” Fact Sheet, The White House, 2/2/04)
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Kerry Team Supports, Understands Outsourcing
“‘Kerry Is Not Against Outsourcing,’ Kerry Spokeswoman Stephanie Cutter Said.” (James Kuhnhenn and Ron Hutcheson, “Bush, Kerry Almost Meet In Iowa,” The San Jose Mercury News, 8/4/04)
Jason Furman, Kerry Economic Policy Adviser: “John Kerry Recognizes That We Live In A Global Economy And That We Cannot Keep All Jobs In America.” (Washington Post Website, “Economy: Kerry Economic Adviser,” Live Online Chat, http://discuss.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/zforum/04/furman080604.htm, 8/6/04)
“Supports” American Businesses Taking Jobs Overseas. “Benedict Arnold does not refer to somebody who in the normal course of business is going to go overseas and take jobs overseas. That happens. I support that. I understand that.” (Jerry Seib, John Harwood and Jacob Schlesinger, “Excerpts From An Interview With John Kerry,” The Wall Street Journal, 5/3/04)
In December 2003, Kerry Recognized You Can’t “Just Stop” Outsourcing. “Well, any candidate for president who stands up and tells people, as some are, that they’re going to just stop [outsourcing] by getting tough on trade or whatever, is lying to the American people. Outsourcing is particularly painful at this moment because we haven’t been creating jobs, and we haven’t been creating jobs to some measure because of the overhang of the 1990s, the excess capacity that we were left with and the need to sort of burn it up.” (Sen. John Kerry, Remarks At Council On Foreign Relations, New York, NY, http://www.cfr.org/campaign2004/pub6576/john_kerry/making_america_secure_again:_setting_the_right_course_for_foreign_policy.php, 12/3/03)
Kerry Plan May Actually Hurt Job Creation
St. Louis Economist Said Kerry Tax Plan Will Hurt Job Creation. “How exactly would Kerry’s job-creation campaign, which begins by repealing the Bush tax cuts for Americans earning more than $200,000 a year, work? ‘A tax increase in the short run acts as a near-term drag on aggregate demand and slows the rate of increase in jobs,’ said Chris Varvares, president of Macroeconomic Advisers, a St. Louis-based consulting firm that maintains one of the large macroeconomic models of the U.S. economy.” (Caroline Baum, “Kerry’s Tax Plan To Create Jobs Doesn’t Add Up,” Bloomberg.com, 2/24/04)
Kerry Advisor Says Plan Would Create Few Jobs. “[P]eter R. Orszag, an economist at the Brookings Institution whom the Kerry campaign consulted about the plan … [said] the proposal would probably not create many U.S. jobs … ‘In terms of short-term employment growth, there’s very little effect,’ he said.” (Julie Hirschfeld Davis, “Kerry Offers Plan Designed To Curb Outsourced Jobs,” Baltimore Sun, 3/27/04)
Plan Wouldn’t Stimulate U.S. Hiring. “As for the Kerry plan, David Wyss, chief economist for Standard & Poor’s, says … it [is] unlikely that Kerry’s tax policy changes would bolster hiring here, even with major changes in the tax code.” (Peronet Despeignes, “Candidates Offer Competing Plans For Job Creation,” USA Today, 3/26/04)
ü Former Clinton Advisor Agrees. “[C]hristian Weller, senior economist for the liberal think tank the Center for American Progress, said he doesn’t know if the Kerry proposal will have much impact on a company’s decision about where to base a job. ‘Tax cuts typically are a very small component in company’s hiring decisions,’ said Weller, whose colleague Gene Sperling is a former National Economic Advisor in the Clinton administration and a key economic adviser to the Kerry campaign. ‘It won’t necessary slow the move of companies and jobs overseas,’ said Weller …” (Chris Isidore, “Economists Mixed On Kerry Plan,” CNN.com, 3/26/04)
Kerry Advisors Admit Plan Will Do Little To Stem Outsourcing, Third Parties Agree
Kerry’s Own Advisors Won’t Predict If Plan Will Reduce Outsourcing. “Mr. Kerry’s advisers wouldn’t predict whether his plan actually would reduce the flow of jobs outsourced from the U.S. …” (Bob Davis and John Harwood, “Kerry Targets Job Outsourcing With Corporate-Tax Overhaul,” The Wall Street Journal, 3/26/04)
ü “Campaign Officials Acknowledged That The New Plan Would Not Stop The Broader Trend Of Outsourcing Jobs To Low-Wage Countries.” (Edmund L. Andrews and Jodi Wilgoren, “Kerry To Propose Eliminating A Tax Break On U.S. Companies’ Overseas Profits,” The New York Times, 3/26/04)
Tax Expert: Kerry Plan “Not A Solution.” “But others were not so sure the effects would be that significant, partly because the change would affect companies only locating in countries with lower tax rates than the United States, such as Ireland or Singapore. Joel Slemrod, an international tax expert at the University of Michigan Business School … added that the change in tax incentives probably would not be large enough to overcome other factors encouraging companies to shift employment abroad, such as lower wages. ‘To those who see [outsourcing] as a problem, this is not a solution,’ he said.” (Ronald Brownstein, “Kerry Wants To End Tax Break For Corporate Profits Abroad,” Los Angeles Times, 3/26/04)
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Kerry’s Plan Will Not Lower Cost Of Health Care For Families
Kerry’s Plan Would Shift More Health Care Costs To Taxpayers Without Reducing Spending. “Mr. Kerry would partly take the burden off employers by making government responsible for 75% of the cost of catastrophic cases, those running up more than $50,000 in bills. He says these cases account for nearly 20% of private insurers’ costs. But then what? The cost is just transferred to taxpayers but there’s no injection of efficiency into incentives, no reason to imagine total costs won’t continue to grow wildly.” (Holman W. Jenkins, Jr., Op-Ed, “Faint, Desperate Hope For Health Care Leadership,” The Wall Street Journal, 3/17/04)
ü President Of National Business Group On Health Said “Giving The Government Responsibility For Highest-Cost Medical Cases Shows A ‘Blank-Check Mentality.’” “The notion is to have taxpayers take the risk of very costly illnesses in exchange for companies’ agreeing to cover all workers, funnel savings to them and take steps to slow the growth of health spending. Mr. Thorpe estimates that companies would have to spend $68 billion over 10 years to provide the required coverage, resulting in a net savings of $222 billion for the companies. … Helen Darling, president of the National Business Group on Health, a coalition of employers, said that the idea is appealing to business ‘if you were voting only on that particular provision.’ But, she adds, giving the government responsibility for highest-cost medical cases shows a ‘blank-check mentality.’ Once a worker’s bill hits the ceiling, she says, ‘there’s no reason for anyone to pay attention to costs.’” (Sarah Lueck, “Businesses Are Wary Of Kerry Health Plan,” The Wall Street Journal, 7/26/04)
ü Because Kerry Puts Mandates On Businesses In Order To Qualify For Reinsurance Pool, Large Employers With Many Part-Time Workers Probably Would Not Participate. “To qualify, companies would have to institute disease-management programs, which are designed to help reduce the long-term expense of such chronic illnesses as diabetes and heart disease. In addition, employers would have to offer health coverage to all workers, including part-timers. Employers, therefore, would have to weigh the cost of covering all workers against the benefit of the subsidy. Large employers with many part-time workers - such as Wal-Mart, for example - probably would pass, [health policy expert Ken] Thorpe said.” (Marilyn Werber Serafini, “Targeting The ‘Worried Insured,’” National Journal Magazine, 2/7/04)
Kerry Opposed Or Voted To Block Medical Liability Reform At Least Ten Times. (H.R. 956, CQ Vote #137: Motion Rejected 39-61: R 10-44; D 29-17; I 0-0, 5/2/95, Kerry Voted Yea; H.R. 956, CQ Vote #140: Motion Agreed To 65-35: R 24-30; D 41-5, 5/2/95, Kerry Voted Yea; H.R. 956, CQ Vote #141: Motion Agreed To 56-44: R 13-41; D 43-3, 5/2/95, Kerry Voted Yea; H.R. 956, CQ Vote #144: Passed 53-47: R 48-6; D 5-41, 5/2/95, Kerry Voted Nay; H.R. 956, CQ Vote #151: Motion Rejected 46-53: R 44-10; D 2-43; I 0-0, 5/4/95, Kerry Voted Nay; H.R. 956, CQ Vote #152: Motion Rejected 47-52: R 45-9; D 2-43; I 0-0, 5/4/95, Kerry Voted Nay; H.R. 956, CQ Vote #160: Motion Agreed To 54-44:: R 46-7; D 8-37, 5/10/95, Kerry Voted Nay; H.R. 956, CQ Vote #161: Passed 61-37: R 46-7; D 15-30, 5/10/95, Kerry Voted Nay; S. 1052, CQ Vote #212: Motion Agreed To 52-46: R 2-45; D 49-1; I 1-0, 6/29/01, Kerry Voted Yea; S. 812, CQ Vote #197: Motion Agreed To 57-42: R 6-42; D 50-0; I 1-0, 7/30/02, Kerry Voted Yea)
Kerry Missed Both 2004 Votes, As Well As 2003 Vote, On Medical Liability Reform Legislation. (S. 2061, CQ Vote #15: Motion Rejected 48-45: R 47-3: D 1-41; I 0-1, 2/24/04, Kerry Did Not Vote; S. 2207, CQ Vote #66: Motion Rejected 49-48: R 48-3; D 1-44; I 0-1, 4/7/04, Kerry Did Not Vote; S. 11, CQ Vote #264: Motion Rejected 49-48: R 49-2; D 0-45; I 0-1, 7/9/03, Kerry Did Not Vote)
ü Medical Liability Reform Could Save Between $60 Billion And $108 Billion In Health Care Costs Annually, Making Health Insurance More Affordable For Millions. “The [medical malpractice] litigation system also imposes large indirect costs on the health care system. Defensive medicine that is caused by unlimited and unpredictable liability awards not only increases patients’ risk but it also adds costs. The leading study estimates that limiting unreasonable awards for non-economic damages could reduce health care costs by 5-9% without adversely affecting quality of care. This would save $60-108 billion in health care costs each year. These savings would lower the cost of health insurance and permit an additional 2.4-4.3 million Americans to obtain insurance.” (“Confronting The New Health Care Crisis: Improving Health Care Quality And Lowering Costs By Fixing Our Medical Liability System,” U.S. Department Of Health And Human Services, 7/25/02)
Kerry Supported Law That Set Formula For Determining Medicare Premiums. The current formula was passed by Congress in The Balanced Budget Act (BBA) of 1997, which was supported by Sen. John Kerry and passed the Senate by a vote of 85-15. Since the early 1980s, Congress regularly voted to set the Part B premium equal to 25% of program costs and the 1997 BBA made the formula permanent. (H.R. 2015, CQ Vote #209: Adopted 85-15: R 43-12; D 42-3, 7/31/97, Kerry Voted Yea)
New Premiums Reflect Increased Health Care Costs And Payments To Doctors. “The increase, which amounts to 17 percent, results largely from increased payments to doctors and reflects rising medical expenses generally, officials said. … Medical costs have been rising faster than inflation for more than a decade, reflecting innovations and better care for patients. Medicare is not immune to such increases, although program administrators have long tried to slow such increases with measures that often amount to price controls. These controls have so enraged many health care providers that they appeal directly to Congress, where doctor groups and others have sought more money for treatments. Such appeals led Congress last year to roll back expected cuts in many payments to doctors and instead to order that such payments increase 1.5 percent, an important reason for this year’s premium increase.” (Gardiner Harris, “Citing Higher Costs, U.S. Plans Record Rise In Medicare Premium,” The New York Times, 9/4/04)
Kerry Says We Need To Help Social Security, But Critics Say He’s Abandoned Serious Solutions
“Kerry Has Not Laid Out A Clear Path To Solvency For Social Security And Medicare.” (Janet Hook, “Major Fiscal Worries Not On Anyone’s Agenda,” Los Angeles Times, 7/27/04)
ü Kerry And Democrats “Vague Or Silent” On Solutions For Entitlement Programs. “[K]erry and the [Democrat] platform are vague or silent on some of the far-reaching issues that will confront the next president: how to address the burgeoning budget deficit and the financial instability of Social Security and Medicare. Kerry has said he wants to halve the deficit in four years, but independent experts have questioned whether that promise squares with costly domestic initiatives he has proposed. And he has offered few details on how he would handle the bigger problems that loom after 2008, when large numbers of baby boomers begin to draw government retirement benefits.” (Janet Hook, “Major Fiscal Worries Not On Anyone’s Agenda,” Los Angeles Times, 7/27/04)
Magazine Said “No Serious Economist” Believes Kerry Solution Will Work. “In 1996, Senator Kerry argued that America needed to consider bold options in pensions reform, including raising the retirement age and means-testing pension benefits. Now he rejects that position, claiming economic growth will fix America’s pension problem. … No serious economist believes such a blasé approach will work.” (“The Problem With Kerrynomics,” The Economist, 5/1/04)
Washington Post Says Kerry Has Abandoned Social Security Solutions. “Citing a ‘generational responsibility’ to fix Social Security, [Kerry] said in 1996 that Congress should consider means-testing benefits. But that Kerry is nowhere to be found on the campaign trail.” (Editorial, “Populism Redux,” The Washington Post, 2/1/04)
Columnists Say Kerry Campaign Material Short On Solutions. “In his ‘Compact with America’s Seniors’ Kerry says ‘the greatest generation seniors should be able to count on Medicare and Social Security, on affordable prescription drugs, on quality options for long term care.’ You will find nothing else on Social Security in that compact. A nice statement, now what’s the policy, we ask? Evidently, for John Kerry, in regard to Social Security, as in national security - do nothing.” (Seth Leibsohn and Shaun Small, Op-Ed, “Kerry Do-Nothingism,” National Review Online, 2/10/04)
Newsweek Says Kerry Rarely Addresses Social Security On Trail. “[F]rontrunner John Kerry pays lip service to protecting senior’s benefits. But one could travel for days on his campaign bus before learning that the system needed any fixing at all. This is surprising since experts in both parties are convinced that Social Security needs a dramatic overhaul, soon. … Democrats, riddled with internal dissent on the proper course for fixing the system, have trouble distinguishing themselves as anything but defenders of the status quo.” (Jonathan Darman, “No Time For A Great Debate,” Newsweek Online, 2/17/04)
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