If McConnell gets his way, they'll have to suppress Republican voters, too:
Translation: "entitlement" in GOP-speak means the social safety net programs that so many (not rich) people pay in to and depend on: Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid. As for not being able to sustain Medicare, that's bullshit. The fix for that is as easy as the fix for the imaginary shortfalls in Social Security: expand the program to include everyone, for Medicare; for Social Security, lift the cap on the payroll tax. And as for the deficit, which is the Republicans' other big excuse -- try not giving away everything to the 1% next time you "reform" taxes.
And McConnell is very much aware that he's playing with fire:
So he wants Democrats to do the dirty work.
Let's face it, Republicans have been trying to get rid of Social Security for eighty years, and Medicare/Medicaid for fifty -- since those programs were created.
And don't forget: McConnell and all his accomplices in the House and Senate will retire with nice pensions and medical care -- which we will pay for.
In an interview with Bloomberg News, McConnell said, "I think it would be safe to say that the single biggest disappointment of my time in Congress has been our failure to address the entitlement issue, and it’s a shame, because now the Democrats are promising Medicare for all."
He added, "I mean, my gosh, we can’t sustain the Medicare we have at the rate we’re going and that’s the height of irresponsibility."
Translation: "entitlement" in GOP-speak means the social safety net programs that so many (not rich) people pay in to and depend on: Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid. As for not being able to sustain Medicare, that's bullshit. The fix for that is as easy as the fix for the imaginary shortfalls in Social Security: expand the program to include everyone, for Medicare; for Social Security, lift the cap on the payroll tax. And as for the deficit, which is the Republicans' other big excuse -- try not giving away everything to the 1% next time you "reform" taxes.
And McConnell is very much aware that he's playing with fire:
Shrinking those popular programs -- either by reducing benefits or raising the retirement age -- without a bipartisan deal would risk a political backlash in the next election.
So he wants Democrats to do the dirty work.
Let's face it, Republicans have been trying to get rid of Social Security for eighty years, and Medicare/Medicaid for fifty -- since those programs were created.
And don't forget: McConnell and all his accomplices in the House and Senate will retire with nice pensions and medical care -- which we will pay for.
No comments:
Post a Comment