Social Security
Below is a portion of the transcript of CNN's Crossfire's Super Tuesday Showdown recorded on March 2, 2004. Participants were Bob Novak, James Carville, Paul Begala and Tucker Carlson. It was transcribed as follows:
Novak: "But I will tell you the truth about Social Security. It's a Ponzi scheme. It's going to go bust eventually after we're all dead. And what we've got to do is put it on a means test and cut benefits."
Carville: "So you would like to get rid of it?"
Novak: "I would." (crosstalk)
Carville: "Republican position" (crosstalk)
Begala: "We have an honest Republican at the table, two of them, in fact, Bob and Tucker."
During the so called (crosstalk), I heard Bob Novak say: " It's a Socialist program and should be abolished", but the comment was not recorded.
This Republican controlled Congress passed massive tax cuts favoring the very wealthy, a prescription drugs program that is a give away to the pharmaceutical industry, an education program that leaves no child untested, and tax breaks to corporations for shipping jobs overseas. The Republican Party has nothing to offer except more of the same deception.
The trend toward privatization is being promoted by Republicans on the county, state and national level in order to reduce accountability. In the long run it is not an effective cost-saver or guarantee of efficiency, but continues to make faceless corporations more powerful than OUR government.
Bush has admitted that privatization will do nothing to save Social Security. However, he continues to push an individual ownership agenda. Social Security can be made solvent by merely raising the FICA cap on employee and employer contributions. It's the employer contribution, which Novak views as a Socialist program. Considering the record of the Bush regime, changes other than raising the FICA cap will not benefit most Americans.
Democrats are not the party that is playing a partisan game, they have said take privatization off the table and get serious about saving Social Security.
Novak: "But I will tell you the truth about Social Security. It's a Ponzi scheme. It's going to go bust eventually after we're all dead. And what we've got to do is put it on a means test and cut benefits."
Carville: "So you would like to get rid of it?"
Novak: "I would." (crosstalk)
Carville: "Republican position" (crosstalk)
Begala: "We have an honest Republican at the table, two of them, in fact, Bob and Tucker."
During the so called (crosstalk), I heard Bob Novak say: " It's a Socialist program and should be abolished", but the comment was not recorded.
This Republican controlled Congress passed massive tax cuts favoring the very wealthy, a prescription drugs program that is a give away to the pharmaceutical industry, an education program that leaves no child untested, and tax breaks to corporations for shipping jobs overseas. The Republican Party has nothing to offer except more of the same deception.
The trend toward privatization is being promoted by Republicans on the county, state and national level in order to reduce accountability. In the long run it is not an effective cost-saver or guarantee of efficiency, but continues to make faceless corporations more powerful than OUR government.
Bush has admitted that privatization will do nothing to save Social Security. However, he continues to push an individual ownership agenda. Social Security can be made solvent by merely raising the FICA cap on employee and employer contributions. It's the employer contribution, which Novak views as a Socialist program. Considering the record of the Bush regime, changes other than raising the FICA cap will not benefit most Americans.
Democrats are not the party that is playing a partisan game, they have said take privatization off the table and get serious about saving Social Security.
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