McCain Seeks Privatization

http://www.courant.com/news/opinion/letters/hc-letboxc0517.artmay17,0,6228506.story

May 17, 2008

On the TV program "Live With Regis and Kelly," Sen. John McCain became uncharacteristically befuddled when asked about Social Security's problems. Was privatization the answer? asked Regis. No, said the senator, but then he continued in a rambling, inchoate fashion:

"I'd put everything on the table to start with, but second of all, that we ought — young workers ought be able to put part of their salary, part of their taxes into Social Security, into an account with their name on it."

That certainly sounds like privatization to me.

And it is consistent with his remarks made in a March 3 Wall Street Journal interview, in which he unequivocally supported privatization and went on to say that he is considering raising the Social Security retirement age to 68 and reducing the annual cost of living adjustment. Don't bother looking for any of these specifics on the senator's website (you'll find only a vague promise to "modernize" the system).

Actually, aside from his most recent remarks, Sen. McCain has been consistent in his support for some form of privatization. In 2006, he voted to shift Social Security's annual surplus into a reserve account that would be converted into private accounts. And earlier, the senator voted to replace Social Security's guaranteed benefits with income from risk-based private investments.


FULL story at link.

SS privatization
immigration
the war in Iraq

there is no reason for the Dems to do anything but run a clean race accentuating the issues.

As Mike Whitney reported for Information Clearing House at the end of October in 2006 -- a day before Halloween -- the US was then engineering the drop in the dollar to "improve competitiveness" -- i.e. subsidize US exports in a flawed attempt to reduce the growing balance of trade gap. Was it a trick or treat? Read on.

The result was summed up in his headline: "The U.S. Dollar is kaput. Confidence in the currency is eroding by the day."

Whitney saw then what our media has still yet to report or understand.

"The financial crisis that we now face was created by design. It is intended to destroy the labor movement, crush the middle class, quash Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security, reduce our foreign debt by 50 or 60%, force a restructuring of America's debt, privatize all public assets and resources, and create a new regime of austerity measures which will divert more wealth to the banking and corporate establishment."

This was months before the sub-prime meltdown in August 2007, or the more recent hike in food prices and oil prices. Their plan, blessed by business and the banks, was implemented step by step. The consequence was intended.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/danny-schechter/behind-the-rise-in-prices_b_102330.html

This needs to be publicized. The MSM is playing blind to it.

I haven't heard the guy yet complete a thought without sounding befuddled. He's old and it shows and I don't think he's got it together enough to be president of the USA. Right now, for the first time maybe, he has to watch what he says, and can't be the maverick we've heard so much about. So he stumbles and bumbles as he tries to guard his words from attack. But that's a trick this old dog is having trouble learning.