Oh heck. You mean Republicans are bashing Democrats for proposing to cut Social Security again?
by digby
I have never understood why Democrats who have to run for office are so wedded to the idea that they will be rewarded for being “the adults in the room” and doing the “hard stuff” like cutting Social Security and Medicare benefits but they do. You’d think they’d remember what happened to them in 2010 when the Republicans ran against the Medicare cuts in the health care reforms by portraying them as monsters turning old people into Soylent Green. But they didn’t.
The president may have decided to keep his proposal to cut benefits from his new budget, but it’s quite clear from the talking points that they still very much want to get “credit” for being willing to do it. And I suppose if what you want is credit from the Masters of the Universe and wealthy donors that does make some sense. Many of them insist they are willing to kick in some chump change but only if everyone has “skin in the game” (although it must be noted that their “skin” is a small hangnail compared to the full field dress that’s being proposed for the elderly poor.)They are also big on “fiscal responsibility” and low debt — for everyone but themselves. Because they’re so good.
But if a Democrat thinks he or she is going to get credit from voters or that the Republicans are playing by some kind of Marquess of Queensbury rules that stipulate one mustn’t be ever so hypocritical, he or she needs to think it through a little bit more clearly.
[The National Republican Campaign Committee] sought to turn former state CFO Alex Sink’s attacks on David Jolly on Social Security against her. Sink, the Democratic candidate, takes on Republican Jolly and Libertarian Lucas Overby in a special congressional election for an open seat in Pinellas County on March 11.
On Thursday, the NRCC bashed Sink for saying she supported Simpson-Bowles.
“Alex Sink supports a plan that raises the retirement age for Social Security recipients, raises Social Security taxes and cuts Medicare, all while making it harder for Pinellas seniors to keep their doctors that they know and love,” said Katie Prill, a spokeswoman for the NRCC. “Sending Alex Sink to Washington guarantees that seniors right here in Pinellas County are in jeopardy of losing the Social Security and Medicare benefits that they have earned and deserve.”
Yeah, I’m going to guess that her opponents will get plenty of mileage out of her support for cutting Social Security … in Florida.