Tom Carper’s Attack on Social Security
Carper wants to kill Social Security in order to save it for his sons. That’s mighty big of him isn’t it? I’d suggest that one way to save it would be to allow Tom Carper to continue paying into Social Security beyond the first week of the new year. If rich folks like Carper kicked in a few cents more each year, we could stop taking about this phony issue. But that would expose me as one of those dirty hippies. Also, why increase payments into the system when you can cut the benefits being paid out to poor losers, as Carper envisions?
[Wistful Aside] You know, it wasn’t so long ago that if a Democratic Senator threw his lot in with the GOP’s plans to dismantle Social Security in phases like Carper is doing, he would be an outcast…. a pariah.
Heck, you youngsters might not know this, but they used to call Social Security “the third rail” of American politics. That was a reference to the electrified third rail of a subway track. Nowadays, it is open season on Social Security and only poor people take public transit, so that metaphor has lost its’ zing.
Now is the part of the post where I’d normally call for someone to tell me why The Honorable Mr. Carper continues to call himself a Democrat, but honestly… what does sit even mean to be a Democrat anymore? I guess we’ve still got the gays and abortions. That’s something.
I’m still confused about the Republican talking point that people my age don’t believe Social Security will exist by the time we retire. In the direction things are headed, I agree, but I also only agree because their policy proposals would make it go away. Social Security *could* be just fine with a few minor adjustments to the payroll tax well into my retirement (late 2050s I guess?). Only reason for me to anticipate its disappearance is because I expect them to cut it. So the cut-it-to-save-it argument is really getting me lost.
Tommy Carpetbagger, DINO-of-Delaware,who never met a bank he wasn’t ready to go steady with after just one date at the soda shop, needs to be primaried by a progressive candidate.
But I don’t see that happening.
I want to vomit every time I see that Lazarushian-leather mug of his.
Oh, and Jason.Take a shower, you dirty hippie.
Just kiddin’.
I’m not sure this Carper thing will go anywhere. Democrats have been pretty adamant about not touching Social Security and Obama has said several times that SS does not contribute to the deficit and is not in trouble.
That is good to hear UI. I guess the Obama statements about not cutting SS have gotten lost in the din.
Why bother?
Now is the part of the post where I’d normally call for someone to tell me why The Honorable Mr. Carper continues to call himself a Democrat, but honestly
Any of the *fighting* progressives see anything wrong with this?
How about the lack of a call to actually push back on Tom Carper’s BS?
Oops! Sorry, I forgot that what we do here is just complain about the lack of Democratic purity — not actually put in some effort to push people you’ve actually voted for in the direction you want.
Keep on *fighting*, man.
The “Why bother?” goes here. Not up above Cassandra where the internet tubes deposited it.
*Fighting* progressives in action, folks.
🙄
Yeah. I’m in the Progressive PTSD ward. I guess I should just shut up.
The Howard Dean campaign got me off the bench in April of 2004, so I’m in year 8 of showing up at marches, making phone calls, writting letters to the editor and assorted hippie shit.
I’m not asking for sympathy, I’m agreeing with you.
The question is and has been why do the Delaware Dems continue to support this carpetbagger. Where are the liberals and progressives in that caucus? Carper has worked against the blue state of delaware since he came to office. So, if we are really serious about getting this CIA buffoon out of office, now is the time to come to the aid of your country.
Carper said, “For the last 6 months I have been working with coal state democrats”! Why tom, do we have coal mines in Delaware or are you getting some Koch Brothers money to support coal. This dimwit also wants the federal government (we the people) to finance the “new nuclear power industry”. Meanwhile no insurance company in the world will give the NRC insurance. Did you know every nuclear power plant in this country is “insured by us”…we the people? Its a fact. So Carper the deadbeat from WVA was opposed to the public option, voted for every war, supports the bankster/gangsters, Wall Street, insurance companies, credit card companies…where in his agenda is he working for the People of Delaware. This man is so disgusting and such a lowlife at the corporate dole, if the Delaware Democratic Party doesnt challenge him in the next election, we the people must.
Until progressives learn that we will “wax the tails” of Democrats that infer they “fly” with us, we are as doomed as Icarus.
He. Must. Go.
Oh, it’s the old, “What are you REALLY doing besides bitching” argument from Cassandra.
I don’t know Cassandra, I would think that putting up a post on a blog that has a few thousands hits a day is doing something.
Why do you blog though? If, as it seems, blogging is pointless?
This argument angers me. One great thing about a blog, and posting on one, is that you get to vent a little.
And perhaps, if enough people read the post and vent with you, then who knows, maybe they change a few votes.
It worked for Dr. Katz is my guess.
So, spare us your keyboard commando’s are worthless. Or quit blogging and show us what a real Fighter is.
The Howard Dean campaign got me off the bench in April of 2004, so I’m in year 8 of showing up at marches, making phone calls, writting letters to the editor and assorted hippie shit.
Why you bother falling for this bullshit line from Cassandra is beyond me. It’s her standard go to line when someone bashes “her” side.
You know what I do? I vote. I don’t write letters, I don’t go to meetings. I vote.
I take care of my kids, I drive an hour to work each way, I speak with my vote. Luckily that is something. It may not measure up to what YOU think is acceptable behavior that justifies a blog post, but it’s something.
Your qualifications for what justifies someone complaining and allowing them to do it mystify me.
I’ll remind you DV, that I’m not the one bellyaching all of the time and contorting himself into all kinds of silly positions in order to be the aggrieved party. Where I come from, if you aren’t happy with what is going on, you at least try to change your circumstances. And sitting at your blog rage, raging away at your keyboard doesn’t count for shit unless you’ve motivated some one, some where to join you in some action to push for what you want. I get that you don’t exactly get how politics works (hint — venting ≠ political action — see Chris Bowers for how it gets done. Or even Dr. Katz — who didn’t sit at a keyboard and rage away — he made the sacrifices to run for an office), but there is no reason whatsoever for you to get mad when people ask you what you are *doing* about everything that so are oh so aggrieved over.
You’ll stop being mad at this question when you actually have an answer for it. Until then, you can be counted as some angry hot air and not much else.
ps.
I actually wrote a post about this last night and told everyone that I was waiting for permission to use some text that didn’t belong to me. That post asked people to do something — not that they would have, but asked people for more than just some comforting rage. Jason stepped on that to post this up.
I imagine cassandra_m doing her “Church Lady” superior dance whenever I read her posts.
She’s SO FUCKING sure of herself and FULL of herself.
Then I’ll mark you down as part of the Oompa Loompa Caucus too, skip. Because apparently the thing you are interested in is posting up belligerent threats to people you never have any real possibility of delivering on.
Where is the threat?
You are paranoid.
See a doctor.
I’m not paranoid. And I’m not accusing you of threatening *me*. Which would be laughable in any case.
And I’ll note that you’ve spent more time attempting to criticize me than actually deal with the points. It is called Striking A Nerve.
Yeah, most paranoids DENY they’re PARANOID.
That’s a given, babe.
And I LIKE criticizing you. You’re easy to rile up due to your paranoia.
So,HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA….cassy.
Look cassandra_m-I’m mostly messin’ with you.Let’s ease up.We’re allies.
And I’m sorry.
*EDIT*
I took back my comment because Skip apologized.
No idea why these posts are flipping themselves.
Feel free to apply your standards to me.
I’ll apply mine to you.
Voting isn’t enough. Check.
Writing on a blog isn’t enough. Check.
Where I come from, voting is how you act. Taking the time to educate others is a way of acting. If that education takes place in the form of a blog and people read it. Then, I accomplish something.
I’m still not sure why you even blog though. If it’s pointless and is no ends to a mean, why bother. It’s your standard not mine.
I’m hardly the one contorting myself. Coming from a rabid partisan I laugh at this comment.
I no longer support Obama. I’m not an apologist for his broken promises. I don’t come from the “he’s better than the other guy” camp of logic so I don’t have to bend my ideology to support “my” guy. I don’t support more troops in Afghanistan, I wanted Gitmo Shut down, I wanted people held accountable, I wanted tax cuts to expire, I wanted a health care bill with teeth.
I wanted a lot of things that Obama has NOT delivered on that he PROMISED He would. Where I come from, when someone breaks a promise, I no longer support that politician or make excuses for his lies.
I don’t have to contort myself every time I write a blog post. You on the other hand, have to narrow your opinions, guard what you write, b/c in the end the position you take against the other side will eventually come back to bite you in the ass. In your world, its D v. R.
Feel free to fall back on your standards though, they are serving you well.
look at all the Change you brought with pounding the pavement in 2007.
At the end of the day, Politics is the art of the possible.
The Democratic party is made up of may factions, progressives being one of those factions. Another faction, more hidden and behind-the-scenes is corporate big money support. After big business taking over the Republican’t party, they moved into the Democratic party.
Carper is a money D, not a for-the-people D. Obama and Markell are in similar molds as well. Center left, not a friend to labor, or the middle class one could argue.
The Democratic party would be better served if they ran on a 2 pronged platform. #1, “Plan for the Middle Class” and #2 “Bring our Troops and our Jobs Home” There is NO talk in D cicles about closing loopholes for corporations shipping jobs overseas and there should be. Coons talked about it on the stump, but that was the extent of that.
CARPER has got to go
Feel free to apply your standards to me.
You’re the one who started down this *venting* business. You can’t exactly be surprised when it is pointed out that this isn’t especially effective political action.
Where I come from, voting is how you act.
Really? You vote and then you go home to wait for your politicians to just deliver on everything you want? No wonder you are always so disappointed. While you are busy *educating* other people, it would be sorta nice if you’d start with yourself. Because you really need to understand why that doesn’t work. And again, both Chris Bowers and Dr. Katz (who you specifically mentioned as an example) are instructive here. Neither of these guys are just raging away. But then, these guys strike me as more goal- and action-oriented anyway.
In your world, its D v. R.
For what I write here, that is largely true. But I’m also not in the position of writing about any of these elected folks as if they were absolute rulers and being really mad that they don’t *act* like absolute rulers. I’m not in the position of having to spend alot of time justifying why no one should expect more than keyboard rage from me, either. And I’m not in the position of having to tell people that my work here is more important than it really is. But I don’t mind being in the position of reminding people that demanding perfection from everyone but yourself is a really lazy road.
But enjoy yourself! You’ve got that rage away thing down pat!
your siting politicians as examples of action. I’m not a politician, I brought them into the discussion b/c bloggers had an impact in their elections.
No wonder I’m so disappointed? I did get out and pound pavement in the last presidential election Cassandra. I’m disappointed b/c I voted for the guy and did as much as I did.
Obviously you aren’t disappointed with anything and are happy with your vote and volunteer service.
All the action you are taking doesn’t seem to be amounting to much though. At least from where I’m standing, Obama still has gitmo open, tax cuts where still extended, patriot act too, oh and FISA was never addressed.
So, explain to me how your standard of pounding the pavement AND voting resulted?
and again, I vote that’s how I act. Are you saying it’s pointless for me to vote b/c I don’t march in the streets? I don’t understand this logic from you.
Are you saying voting doesn’t matter?
I’m so very confused by your logic and standards. words don’t matter, but actions do. Getting out and physically doing something is how you gauge action and give someone real street cred.
But, Obama delivers a speech on not extending tax cuts, then extends tax cuts and I don’t see a post from you talking about how his actions aren’t in line with what he says.
You have a real double standard you like to apply. And, you apply it quite often.
I’m fine with not marching and handing out info cards door to door.
You can’t exactly be surprised when it is pointed out that this isn’t especially effective political action.
Really? Obama gave a speech pivoting to the left. Who’s to say he wasn’t reacting to criticism from the left, which maybe caused him to decide the enthusiasm gap was big enough and he’d better stop digging?
In the last week the left blogosphere I would unscientifically say has quadrupled its level of dismay, cries of betrayal, and withdrawals of support for Obama.
Maybe speaking truth to power isn’t so ineffective after all. He is hearing us. Obama sure as hell didn’t pivot to the left because of people whining about purists.
Pivot to the left? {bogle}
Obama sets out essentially the Catfood Commission report as the place he *starts* negotiating from and *this* counts as pivoting to the left???
Oy vey. The self-serving cluelessness just gets expands to fill all available space, apparently. But if you want to take credit for the pivot to the Catfood Commission, help yourself, man.
Calling for tax increases on the rich less than four months after you sign tax CUTS for the rich is a whiplash-inducing pivot.
Anyway, the media is reporting that Obama is pivoting to the left, so that is the narrative now.
I brought them into the discussion b/c bloggers had an impact in their elections.
As one of the bloggers who went to town on Clatworthy AND interviewed Katz, I have no idea if bloggers had an impact on Katz’ election. And neither do you. By this logic, we should also be blamed for Bill Dunn’s loss to Tim Sheldon to run for NCCo Council President. The point remains that you have no idea what impact those of us writing about Katz and Clatworthy had on the election. And if you are paying attention to the political blogs around the country, those that are really successful are able to move their audiences to *do* something.
Obviously you aren’t disappointed with anything and are happy with your vote and volunteer service.
I am happy with my vote and my work. And I’d do the same thing again. But claiming a lack of dissapointment on my part is very dishonest, dv. Not that I should expect much more from you.
You have a real double standard you like to apply.
There’s not double standard. You just can’t understand why people won’t stand on their self-declared purity and be as aggrieved as you are. I’ve actually written multiple extensive posts about those tax cuts and I don’t much like that they got extended. Neither did President Obama, but you’ve not heard that part. But the price of extending those tax cuts was extending unemployment benefits for millions of Americans out of work through no fault of their own and other stimulative benefits. And getting those were brutally important. I know that you don’t understand how negotiations go, but I’m also clear that the fact your purity standards are always and everywhere more important than getting unemployment benefits to the people who needed them. Me, I don’t mind a limited compromise as long as some of the folks who needed it got their help.
I’m fine with not marching and handing out info cards door to door.
I rest my case about your not getting how politics works.
Anyway, the media is reporting that Obama is pivoting to the left, so that is the narrative now.
Which is all well and good until you start complaining that Obama is trying to implement the Catfood Commission report. I’ll be delighted to remind you of when you claimed that was a *pivot to the left*.
it’s funny you say self-declared purity when you are the one saying that the only way to show your stripes is to hand out flyers and make phone calls and do the grunt work needed to make change.
Tell me, what change have you produced?
Oh, and I do get how politics work, and all you are proving is you are just as much a part of the problem as anyone else is that supports the 2 party system. I don’t expect you to understand this, you are too mired in the us v. them scenario you think exists in politics apparently.
But please, feel free to “educate” us little people on all your “behind the scenes” knowledge. Perhaps you could actually write a post that is meaningful and informative. I’d love to know how politics really work. I’d love to hear how you make politics work cassy. I’d love to see how you have helped the process.
PLEASE DOOOOO TELL. OH PLEASE WISE SAGE.
And yet, what I don’t understand is you saying you get how politics work, and you do what REAL, TRUE supporters and Action Takers do, yet you are still disappointed? Strange, seems like you are working pretty hard to be so disappointed. Weird, I thought you knew how politics work too.
Is your end result not the same as mine? Disappointment and possibly a feeling of betrayal. If anything, you should be more enraged. Should you not? You, b/c you say so, are the pure one, the one marching, the one that gets how politics work. The real sharp tool in the shed apparenly. ME. I’m just a stupid angry troll that isn’t as wildly swift and all knowing.
And yet, here you sit, in the same boat as me. Watching no change, having little hope and seeing promise after promise broken.
So I applaud your efforts and your understanding of how politics work. You’re doing a fine job for a country and have produce a whirl wind of change and progressive ideas to the forefront of our community.
Your leg work and dedication are a model to us all.
I’ll continue to blog, you continue to march. Piss in one hand and wish in the other, you tell me which one fills up faster though.
you are just as much a part of the problem as anyone else is that supports the 2 party system
I don’t think “supports” is the correct word. We have a two party system. That is reality. I’d love a 3rd or 4th party, but so far no one has been able to make this happen. (Actually, I think Republicans have a good shot at this by either taking back or surrendering what’s left of the GOP to the Tea Party.)
But until a 3rd party emerges that can actually win then we live in a two party country. In 2012 the President will be Obama or the Republican. The only thing a 3rd party candidate can do is hurt one of those candidates.
now there you go again, pandora… using reality and pragmatism. Those things have no place in political discourse.