Fully Myelinated

McCain is a disgrace on Social Security John McCain's most recent comments on Social Security are absolutely breathtaking in their stupidity. He's admitted he doesn't really know much about economic policy, but this is ridiculous.

Asked by a young woman if she is likely to receive Social Security benefits someday, McCain said it was unlikely "unless we fix it."

"Americans have got to understand that we are paying present-day retirees with the taxes paid by young workers in America today," he said. "And that's a disgrace. It's an absolute disgrace, and it's got to be fixed."

Matt Yglesias:

Of course in their day, present-day retirees were working and their tax dollars were paying folks who were retired back then. And in exchange for that service when they were workers, today's retirees get to enjoy a secure retirement. Yes, on my dime. And in exchange I expect that when I retire, ensuing generations will be there for me. I call it generations looking after each other, so that those who built the present with labors in the past get to enjoy some of the fruits of their labor. The federal government calls it Social Security. John McCain calls it a disgrace.

Kevin Drum:

This is nuts. McCain is talking as if he just figured out that this is how Social Security works and he's scandalized by it. Needless to say, though, this is the way virtually every retirement system in the world works, and it works fine. What's more, if Social Security really does turn out to have a shortfall in future years, it's easily fixed by a very modest combination of higher taxes and reduced benefits ? exactly the bipartisan, reach-across-the-aisle solution forged in 1983 that McCain is constantly praising (and that he voted for as a freshman congressman).

In short, this comment shows McCain to be either a) disgracefully stupid, or b) disgracefully dishonest. I don't think there is a c), so take your pick.

Posted by shgreene ( Jul 09 2008, 08:12:19 PM EDT ) Permalink

Jesse would approve As we've been hearing so much lately about how Jesse Helms would always stand for what he believes in no matter the personal cost, perhaps he would appreciate this story:

RALEIGH - L.F. Eason III gave up the only job he'd ever had rather than lower a flag to honor former U.S. Sen. Jesse Helms.

Eason, a 29-year veteran of the state Department of Agriculture, instructed his staff at a small Raleigh lab not to fly the U.S. or North Carolina flags at half-staff Monday, as called for in a directive to all state agencies by Gov. Mike Easley.

When a superior ordered the lab to follow the directive, Eason decided to retire rather than pay tribute to Helms. After several hours' delay, one of Eason's employees hung the flags at half-staff.

The brouhaha began late Sunday night, when Eason e-mailed eight of his employees in the state standards lab, which calibrates measuring equipment used on things as widely varied as gasoline and hamburgers.

"Regardless of any executive proclamation, I do not want the flags at the North Carolina Standards Laboratory flown at half staff to honor Jesse Helms any time this week," Eason wrote just after midnight, according to e-mail messages released in response to a public records request.

He told his staff that he did not think it was appropriate to honor Helms because of his "doctrine of negativity, hate, and prejudice" and his opposition to civil rights bills and the federal Martin Luther King Jr. holiday.

Posted by shgreene ( Jul 09 2008, 12:16:52 PM EDT ) Permalink