After detailing a long and accurate list of the mistakes made by the GOP in their quest to "reform" Social Security, Brooks turns to Democratic "blunders", unleashing this gem:
| The party's greatest failures have come in the past few weeks. Sensing the inadequacy of the first Bush approach, many Republicans have floated brave concessions. Several leading Republicans proposed a big payroll tax increase for the upper class and upper-middle class. Senator Robert Bennett suggested progressively indexing benefits to protect the poor and working class from cost-saving steps.
These offers are more progressive than any Republicans have made before or are likely to make again. But the Democrats played the Yasir Arafat role at Camp David. They made no counteroffers. They offered no plan. They just said no. |
Only one problem, David. There is no crisis. In fact, it is entirely possible that if left alone the system will be just fine on its own from now until forever. According to the most recent report by the Social Security Trustees, the worst case scenario is that sometime in the mid 21st century the system will for a decade or two run deficits. Which, of course, reminds us of the real problem. The deficit the federal government is currently running, a deficit by and large the result of two factors: Bush's irresponsible tax cuts, and Bush's irresponsible war in Iraq.
If it weren't for that deficit, one entirely of Bush's making (remember the multi trillion dollar surpluses projected when Clinton left office?), the "problems" we will perhaps one day face decades from now wouldn't be problems at all.
So... the Democrats "blundered" by not "compromising" to "fix" Social Security and save it from a GOP concocted "crisis"? Erm, no. Try again.
How does this guy get published?
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