Russert Has Dean for Breakfast on MTP; Dean is Toast

NBC ^ | June 22, 2003 | nwrep

[FLCowboy,]

The cap on FICA wages are raised every year now. The cap is tied to inflation. It will reach 100K eventually by itself. Of course, higher contributions also mean higher payouts.

Higher payouts are not a function of higher inputs with social security. Higher inputs will only lessen the amount of the underrun now forecast for social security.

[alloysteel]

Tim Russert, neo-con?

Nope, just thinning the herd, and preserving intellectual purity for the party line. Howard Dean was straying from the electable portion of the spectrum, and the "skeletons-in-the-closet file" maintained on him by the gnomes of the Democrat(ic) Leadership Council were being trotted out as a warning for him to either ease off on certain positions, or get out of the Democrat race.

Old habits die hard for the powers behind the DLC. (Read: the venomous viper of a spouse to the "Former Occupant of the Oval Office, 1993-2001".) Remember, Herself had access to (and has almost certainly retained copies of) some 900 FBI files. The full record of those who had access was never documented anywhere.

[Sub-Driver]

he got flatten............was very entertaining, if only russert could do the same to that french looking Lurch.......

[the gillman@blacklagoon.com]

Always enjoy your posts. Got to admit, Russert does seem to like Kerry, but he has a family to protect.

I guess it's a matter of the economy. Around here, it's hard to imagine there will be anything left standing in another year, yet others talk about things being good.
Maybe it's a regional thing.

If America is in the same shape as Rhode Island/Southeastern Ma, a year from now, anything could happen.

Anything bad, that is.

[Bernard]

And the cap in 2003 is 89,400 USD, not the 84,900 USD he must be using as his reference material. So this guy is only one year behind reality? Sounds like an informed politican. When I see one who can claim that they did their own tax return (even if it's just using Turbo Tax) I will start to believe any comments about fair taxes.

In the meantime, it's just limosuine liberals and conservatives talking about something they don't understand.

[bonesmccoy]

You guys from Ark. put Bill Clinton in office and then permitted him to get spewed onto the national stage.

If you guys had held him accountable in the state gov't, we would be dealing with different international issues now.

[Mike Darancette]

Next Week Dennis Kusenich (D-MARS).

[cody32127]

Saw it-Stick a fork in him he's DONE

[nutmeg]

read later bump

[Principled]

That's what this thread is for.

IMO it's good to have a thread for each Sunday morning show. I find the "conglomerate thread" useless. It's like mixing in three unrelated threads. THe only thing they have in common is that they occur on Sunday morning.

[Lancey Howard]

Yeah, it will be interesting to see how Russert interviews Frenchie.

[Democratshavenobrains]

http://www.democraticunderground.com/duforum/DCForumID70/14521.html

Even most of the DUhers realize that this guy is a dullard.

[kabar]

You're right that "contributions" will go up. But higher contributions don't mean higher payouts, at least not per retiree. The problem with SS is that the number of retirees per SS "contributor" is going down. So SS taxes have to increase substantially just to meet present benefit levels, let alone increase them

Initally, you are correct. However, the benefits you receive are based on your contributions. Eventually, the the future retirees will be collecting higher benefits. Unfortunately, unlike the WWII generation, they will not take out as much as they put in.

Social Security is a pay as you go system. Contributions are deposited into general revenues (after an IOU is placed in the Social Security Trust Fund.) We will start paying out more than we collect around 2020, which means we have to either increase the FICA tax, reduce benefits, or raise the retirement age. Payroll taxes (Social Security, Medicare, and the like) comprise approximatley 40 percent (compared to 44 percent from income taxes) of the total annual revenue. Reform is imperative--the sooner the better. The problem is the lack of courage by Congress to address the issue in the interest of political expediency. They (especially the Dems) prefer to demigog the issue.

[kabar]

You're right that "contributions" will go up. But higher contributions don't mean higher payouts, at least not per retiree. The problem with SS is that the number of retirees per SS "contributor" is going down. So SS taxes have to increase substantially just to meet present benefit levels, let alone increase them

Initally, you are correct. However, the benefits you receive are based on your contributions. Eventually, the the future retirees will be collecting higher benefits. Unfortunately, unlike the WWII generation, they will not take out as much as they put in.

Social Security is a pay as you go system. Contributions are deposited into general revenues (after an IOU is placed in the Social Security Trust Fund.) We will start paying out more than we collect around 2020, which means we have to either increase the FICA tax, reduce benefits, or raise the retirement age. Payroll taxes (Social Security, Medicare, and the like) comprise approximatley 40 percent (compared to 44 percent from income taxes) of the total annual revenue. Reform is imperative--the sooner the better. The problem is the lack of courage by Congress to address the issue in the interest of political expediency. They (especially the Dems) prefer to demigog the issue.

[Principled]

a little profanity over there....

I've tried to go there, but they don't discuss... they rant.

I like it better here.

Here, I can say I advocate the elimination of the income tax and advocate the decriminalization of recreational drugs... I get (mostly) thoughtful, inquisitive replies. Not over there!

[Trident/Delta]

Is it true that in Arkansas, if you get a divorce, She's still your sister???

Semper Y'all

[Trident/Delta]

I diasagree. I read the entire thread. While there were on or two posters that felt Dean could have done better, the majority felt quite vehemently thatb Dean was their "anti-shrub" candidate.

Semper Reality

[Paulus Invictus]

This morning's newspaper had a list of the best sellers to date. Her fictional account of her miserable life was listed as number 1 in non-fiction. There was no indicationas to where that list came from, however.

[Arkie2]

You guys put Bill Clinton in office in the national election. If you guys hadn't voted for him we'd be dealing with different issues now and he'd just be some former govenor of a small southern state.

[auntdot]

Great turn of a phrase.