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Obama warns seniors on Social Security.

By MIKE GLOVER, Associated Press Writer
1 minute ago



GRESHAM, Ore. - Hours before being greeted by the biggest crowd of his campaign, Democrat Barack Obama quietly told a small group of seniors Sunday that Republican John McCain would threaten the Social Security they depend on because he supports privatizing the program.

Fire officials estimated 65,000 packed into a riverside park for a spectacular afternoon rally at a sun-splashed scene on the banks of the Willamette River in Portland. They said an additional 15,000 were left outside and dozens of boaters could be seen floating in the river.

"Wow, wow, wow," Obama said as he surveyed the audience. "We have had a lot of rallies. This is the most spectacular setting, the most spectacular crowd we have had this entire campaign."

While more subdued, his appearance early in the day before about 130 people at an assisted living facility to talk Social Security was a significant attempt to tie the GOP's presidential nominee-in-waiting to an unpopular President Bush on a pocket book issue that motivates seniors — and also concerns younger generations worried about their own future retirement.

"Let me be clear, privatizing Social Security was a bad idea when George W. Bush proposed it, it's a bad idea today," Obama said. "That's why I stood up against this plan in the Senate and that's why I won't stand for it as president."

Bush proposed a Social Security plan in 2005 that focused on creating private accounts for younger workers, but it never came up for a vote in Congress. Democrats strongly opposed the idea and few Republicans embraced it.

Obama said McCain would push to raise the retirement age for collecting Social Security benefits or trim annual cost-of-living increases. Obama has rejected both ideas as solutions to the funding crisis projected for Social Security in favor of making higher-income workers pay more into the system.

"We have to protect Social Security for future generations without pushing the burden onto seniors who have earned the right to retire in dignity," he said.

McCain spokesman Tucker Bounds accused Obama of making "misinformed partisan attacks."

"John McCain has been clear about his belief that we must fix Social Security for future generations and keep our promises to today's retirees, but raising taxes should not be the answer to every problem," Bound said.

It was a day of coastal campaigning for the two Democrats still competing for the party's presidential nomination.

Obama was in Oregon, where he is favored to win the state's presidential primary on Tuesday. Hillary Rodham Clinton spent a second straight day in Kentucky, where she is favored to win when its voters head to the polls the same day.

She attended worship services at a Methodist church in Bowling Green, and happily sang hymns and joined in Bible readings. But her smile faded when the pastor launched into a sermon about adultery, asking his congregants whether the devil had ever whispered over their shoulders in their marriages.

Her mood appeared to brighten by the time she arrived for a rally at Western Kentucky University.

"Now, my opponent said the other day he wasn't coming back, so I've got the whole state to myself," Clinton said, sounding happy not to be sharing the Kentucky spotlight. "What a treat."

Later Sunday, the Clinton campaign collected about $150,000 at a backyard fundraiser in Fort Mitchell, a northern Kentucky suburb of Cincinnati. Nathan Smith, the event's host, is vice chairman of the Kentucky Democratic Party and a superdelegate — but he still has not committed to supporting Clinton.

Obama, the front-runner for the nomination, has begun casting himself as the inevitable nominee and using his time to distinguish himself from McCain as he pivots toward the fall campaign. He has scheduled appearances later this week in Iowa and Florida, two key swing states.

He underscored that speaking with reporters in the Portland suburb of Milwaukee, saying he'll use the Iowa visit as another way to focus on November.

"We thought it was a terrific way to kind of bring things full circle," said Obama. "We still have some contests left but if Kentucky and Oregon go as we hope, then we think we will have a majority of pledged delegates at that point and that's a pretty significant mark, that means that after contests in every state, or almost every state and the territories, that we have received a majority of the delegates that are assigned by voters."

He declined to declare victory.

"It doesn't mean we've declared victory because I won't be the nominee until we have a combination of both pledged delegates and super delegates to hit the mark," said Obama. "What it does mean is the voters have given us a majority of delegates. Obviously that's what this primary and caucus process is all about."

During the meeting with seniors, Obama was asked why McCain seems to have avoided the enormous press scrutiny the Democrats have gotten.

Obama said McCain has benefited from a Republican nomination process that ended early while the Democratic race continues. He said the attention both candidates receive will grow more intense as the race settles into an Obama-McCain contest.

"It's very understandable that the press has focused on myself and Senator Clinton because it's been a pretty exciting race," Obama said. "The fact is that the press will submit him to the same scrutiny they are giving to me."

"People will lift the hood and kick the tires with John McCain, just like they do with me," he said, who traveled Sunday with his wife, Michelle.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080519/ap_on_el_pr/democrats
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scare tactics at best. but i think B.H.O. missed a few things; mccain wants seniors to drink polluted water and breathe dirty air. He wants all the elderly to have to choose between healthcare and food so that their only alternative is dog food, which he owns stock in dog food companies, I'm sure. I also think mccain probably will close all the hospitals to older citizens. that's just the start, though. for more, go to mccainhatesoldpeopleandwantsthemtodie.com
jj- just more of the same election time desperation. anybody w/ a lick of sense knows seniors would be given the opportunity to 'opt out'. BHO is just going back to the tired old DEM playbook of scaring the retired generation because they don't relate to Barack as well as they do McCain 'cause he is also a 'seasoned' citizen.
that's weak, JJ, Barak, DNC et al



mccain is the lesser of 3 evils, but that's still evil!
One could make quite a bit more investing the money SS takes out and putting into a private account. Put all of that money in mutual funds and high yield savings accounts and you wouldn't have to worry about the government screwing up your retirement.

Keeping SS in the hands of the federal government allows them more access to your money. They need it to throw away on the massive interest accruing on our federal debts.

If you're counting on SS and the federal government to be there for you when you retire, I hope you like raman noodles.
Imagine someone using scare tactics in a political arena !! HORRORS !!!!!! What will they come up with next- saying the other side will appease terrorist ?? I just can't believe it !

On a more serious side, I see what (is left) of my 401k after the Republicans screwed up the economy. Maybe that is the BEST reason NOT to privatize SS.
quote:
Originally posted by NashBama:
One could make quite a bit more investing the money SS takes out and putting into a private account. Put all of that money in mutual funds and high yield savings accounts and you wouldn't have to worry about the government screwing up your retirement.

Keeping SS in the hands of the federal government allows them more access to your money. They need it to throw away on the massive interest accruing on our federal debts.

If you're counting on SS and the federal government to be there for you when you retire, I hope you like raman noodles.


What you say is so true..... but since the Working ppl of America has no choice in paying into something already terminal,,,, then what you are saying is just wishful thinking....... but true......
quote:
Originally posted by excelman:
Imagine someone using scare tactics in a political arena !! HORRORS !!!!!! What will they come up with next- saying the other side will appease terrorist ?? I just can't believe it !

On a more serious side, I see what (is left) of my 401k after the Republicans screwed up the economy. Maybe that is the BEST reason NOT to privatize SS.


Would you like to clue us in on what "the Republicans" did to the economy? Also, your 401k is a marathon run, not a sprint. I don't really give a **** what my 401k does today. All I care about is what it will look like 20 years from now.
quote:
Originally posted by skymaster:
You can’t compare investment returns from a 401K to ss and think ss is the best place for your money. The government is taking your ss and putting that money in jeopardy. Give me my ss money to invest and I will retire a millionaire many times over while you get your 1500.00 a month ss.


What also makes 401k better is that most employers match a certain part of your investment. You are making money immediately, even if the stock or mutual fund you buy never goes up.
quote:
On a more serious side, I see what (is left) of my 401k after the Republicans screwed up the economy. Maybe that is the BEST reason NOT to privatize SS.


Last time I checked, you are the only one who can withdraw from your 401k, not the republicans. The republicans and democrats have already dipped into SS quite a bit to pay intrest on federal debt.

The best way to keep the government out of your retirement is to privatize it. Who knows how to spend your money best, you or a group of politicians?
quote:
Originally posted by Southern Patriot:
quote:
Originally posted by excelman:
.


Would you like to clue us in on what "the Republicans" did to the economy? Also, your 401k is a marathon run, not a sprint. I don't really give a **** what my 401k does today. All I care about is what it will look like 20 years from now.


Well , allrighty then, I'll be glad to clue you in.

>> Bush and the Republican Congress inherited one of the largest national surpluses in modern times - 2 Trillion Dollars, and a balanced budget, and an economy that was great, stock market having the largest gains in it's history.
The set about to show just how horrible government can be by pissing it all away with tax breaks for the rich, and invading Iraq, otherwise known as "Bush's Folly". On top of all this, they voted in the largest pork barrel bill disguised as a transportation bill ever, which included millions to build a bridge in Alaska to an island with 50 people living on it.
When he (actually they) ran thru the 2 Trillion dollar surplus, they started borrowing money from China to finance "Bush's Folly". The combination of "unbalancing the national books" and borrowing the balance from China led to a weakening of our dollar. Since our dollar was worth less, things purchased on the international market went up. In order to try to "heat up" the economy, the Federal Reserve Bank lowered interest ,something like 11 times, and printed more money. That made the dollar worth even less and the economy went even farther downhill. The even weaker dollar now caused other world commoditys to cost more (most notibally oil ) which has caused the cost of most everything to go up.
Since 401K's for the most part are a blend of stocks and bonds, the stock market began to tank, and bonds (which are based on interest rates) began to go down in value. All of this had a negative effect on 401K's.
Furthermore, since Reagan decided to de-regulate the housing loan industry, many lending institutions came up with "creative financing" in order to get people into houses they couldn't afford under normal circumstances. Everything was ok until the market started to tank, and that caused a slowdown in the economy , many many people out of work , or at least working for less than before, and the "creative financing" began to affect the loans, and people started loosing their houses. Now, under normal circumstances , that would be just okey dokey, but the sheer magnitude starts to bring down our banking industry.
So, lets do a quick summation of the state of the economy since Clinton : 2 Trillion $ surplus pissed away. 2 Trillion more $ in the hole. Dollar going down in value each and every day. Oil going up each and every day(and everything associated with it) . People loosing their (good) jobs each and every day. People loosing their houses each and every day. Banks writing off losses each and every quarter. The economy as a whole getting worse every day.
How's that for a start ?

PS: I have edited to add:
Things do not happen in a vacuum. Even in an economy as large as ours if you mess with one thing, it will have an effect on something else.
Our economy (as well as most other things) are not as simple as a Republican bumper sticker.

Another thing, SP, you may not give a tinkers damm about your 401k for another 20 years, but I am retired NOW. I care about it NOW. In 20 more years I may not give a damm one way or another, as my kids may be worring about it then.
Don't forget how the Democrats have messed over us.

Q: Which party took Social Security from an independent fund and put it in the general fund so that Congress could spend it?
A: It was Lyndon Johnson and the Democratic-controlled House and Senate.

Q: Which party put a tax on Social Security?
A: The Democratic party.

Q: Which party increased the tax on Social Security?
A: The Democratic Party with Al Gore casting the deciding vote.

Q: Which party decided to give money to immigrants?
A: That's right, immigrants moved into this country at 65 and got SSI Social Security.
The Democratic Party gave that to them, although they never paid a dime into it.

Then, after doing all this, the Democrats turn around and tell you the Republicans want to take your Social Security.
quote:
Originally posted by Southern Patriot:
quote:
Originally posted by excelman:
Imagine someone using scare tactics in a political arena !! HORRORS !!!!!! What will they come up with next- saying the other side will appease terrorist ?? I just can't believe it !

On a more serious side, I see what (is left) of my 401k after the Republicans screwed up the economy. Maybe that is the BEST reason NOT to privatize SS.


Would you like to clue us in on what "the Republicans" did to the economy? Also, your 401k is a marathon run, not a sprint. I don't really give a **** what my 401k does today. All I care about is what it will look like 20 years from now.




Yeah Right, If gas and food keeps going up at the rate its going. you won't have any left. Republicans have never liked Social Security and hated FDR for it.
Fuel and food prices are rising globally, not just in the US. One can't blame the Republicans for the rise. But, the left will ignore facts and logic and do so anyway.

If gas and then food prices are to come down in the US, we must develop more efficient vehicles, build more refineries, and develop our resources. Brazil became self sufficient not by just developing ethanol, 11 percent of their fuel, but by drilling everywhere on land and off shore. Their large finds off shore are so deep that some drill bits melt.

Yet, China is drlling 45 miles off our coast under Cuban license and we can't.
quote:
Originally posted by JJPAUL:
Scare tactics at best? I don't think so, ask a senior who is on SS. Republicans have cut SS and medicare to the point that medicare does not pay anything to the doctor or hospital. elderly people on SS have had to go back to work because it has been cut to nothing.



Absolute BS.
Road,

Application of Cost Of Living Allowance to a Retirement Benefit
Updated October 17, 2007

A COLA increases a person's Social Security retirement benefit by approximately the product of the COLA and the benefit amount. The exact computation, however, is more complex.

Each Social Security benefit is based on a "primary insurance amount," or PIA. The PIA in turn is directly related to the primary beneficiary's earnings through a benefit formula. It is the PIA that is increased by the COLA, with the result truncated to the next lower dime.

Example
If the initial PIA is $1,054.50 and it is increased by a 2.3-percent COLA, the new PIA would be $1,078.70 after truncation to the next lower dime.
http://www.ssa.gov/OACT/COLA/colaapplic.html
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
As one may see, the COLA is automatic and hasn’t been adjusted by congress in years. It rises with a cost of living factor. Still waiting for the response on cuts, JJP et al.
Last edited by Howard Roark
quote:
Originally posted by JJPAUL:
Scare tactics at best? I don't think so, ask a senior who is on SS. Republicans have cut SS and medicare to the point that medicare does not pay anything to the doctor or hospital. elderly people on SS have had to go back to work because it has been cut to nothing.


Do you just make it up as you go along? You are right, Medicare payments are horrible; however, except for the legally imposed co-pay/deductible (I'm not even sure if there is a deductible), the doctor and the hospital by law can't charge the patient anything else.
quote:
Originally posted by CrustyMac:
quote:
Originally posted by JJPAUL:
Scare tactics at best? I don't think so, ask a senior who is on SS. Republicans have cut SS and medicare to the point that medicare does not pay anything to the doctor or hospital. elderly people on SS have had to go back to work because it has been cut to nothing.


Do you just make it up as you go along? You are right, Medicare payments are horrible; however, except for the legally imposed co-pay/deductible (I'm not even sure if there is a deductible), the doctor and the hospital by law can't charge the patient anything else.


For the record, there is a co-pay for Medicare, and from what I can gather, it is handled the same way as my Blue Cross handles it. Blue Cross also limits what a doctor can charge , what hospitals can charge, and what procedures/test can charge. A doctor may elect to NOT take Blue Cross, and they may elect to NOT take Medicare if they choose. If they do not take either insurance, the individual is responsible for the entire bill which will be above "usual and customary charges"

I'll give one example from personal experience; Several years ago I had my gall bladder removed. The hospital bill for the use of the operating room and one night stay was $7000.00. This is what someone without insurance would have to pay to Shoals Hospital.
However, insurance said that the charge should have been $2000 instead, and paid them 80% or that , and sent me an EOB (explination of benefits) stating my part was 20% of the $2000.00. Shoals Hospital promptly wrote off $5000.00 and billed me the $400.00.
This is a perfect example of the overcharges from the medical field, and why insurance coverage is so important. Without it, they can just charge whatever they want, and we either have to pay it or default on the bill.
Medicare works the same way.
quote:
Originally posted by RoadHawg:
quote:
Originally posted by JJPAUL:
Scare tactics at best? I don't think so, ask a senior who is on SS. Republicans have cut SS and medicare to the point that medicare does not pay anything to the doctor or hospital. elderly people on SS have had to go back to work because it has been cut to nothing.



Absolute BS.



IT IS NOT BS! I AM LIVING THAT LIFE AND IF YOU ARENT YOU BETTER START PRAYING IT GETS BETTER BEFORE YOU HAVE TO! YES ELDERLY IS GOING BACK TO WORK JUST TO EAT AND PAY FOR MUCH NEEDED MEDICATION. WE ARE THROW-AWAYS BY THE ACTIONS OF OUR VERY OWN GOVERNMENT.
If someone uses Medicare, they will be asked to sign an ABN. This is a form that says if the test you are having performed is not covered or is denied for some reason, you will be responsible for it. If they do not sign this paper, it is my understanding they cannot be charged. Some examples of denial may be some types of testing that are repeated (medicare says you should not have repeat testing in most instances) such as quarterly cholesterol, or follow pap following an atypical one, etc. You usually only get one of these types of tests per year. Alot of patients with Medicare have supplemental coverage which will cover the "copay".
It is my understanding that SS when it was first enacted was to be 1% of the first $1400 of your annual income, and it was promised to be deductable from their income tax, never be taxed, and to be used to fund the Social Security Retirement Program. Our legislators have stolen and borrowed from the SS funds, and then to insult us further have instituted a tax on 85% of the money "we" paid into the government, who we trusted to store for us until we needed it.

Tom kae it worse, it is my understanding that jimmy Carter managed to get it passed thru to allow Immigrants at age 65 to recieve SS payments, irregardless of the fact that they may have not contributed for any substanstial time
Al Gore was the deciding vote on the Senate floor to tax "our" social security, but yet the GOP is being painted as the ones which are ruining Social Security..what gives?

YET serve one term in Congress and you can get 100% retirement for "service to your country", what a disgrace, and yet they will continue to ask for more of your monies each April 15th.
quote:
IT IS NOT BS! I AM LIVING THAT LIFE AND IF YOU ARENT YOU BETTER START PRAYING IT GETS BETTER BEFORE YOU HAVE TO! YES ELDERLY IS GOING BACK TO WORK JUST TO EAT AND PAY FOR MUCH NEEDED MEDICATION. WE ARE THROW-AWAYS BY THE ACTIONS OF OUR VERY OWN GOVERNMENT.


Exactly why people shouldn't depend on the government to provide for them. This happens. Invest privately and make sure you take care of yourself. The only person who can spend your investments is you, not the government.

Plus the government will glue your caps lock key down.

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