Time to Leave the Table

E.J. Dionne Jr : There is a name for those who continue to sit at a gambling table even after they learn that the game is fixed. They are called fools. Now that President Bush has proposed Social Security benefit cuts through "progressive indexing," his critics are said to have an obligation to negotiate in good faith to achieve a solution. There are just two problems with that sentence: The words "good faith" and "solution."...read on

Daily Kos:

Bush has refused to put his own tax cuts on the table as part of a Social Security fix. Repealing Bush's tax cuts for those earning more than $350,000 a year could cover all or most of the 75-year Social Security shortfall. Keeping part of the estate tax in place could cover a quarter to half of the shortfall. Some of the hole could be filled in by a modest surtax on dividends or capital gains. But Bush is resolute about protecting the interests of the truly rich by making sure that any taxes on wealth are ruled out of the game from the beginning. The Social Security cuts he is proposing for the wealthy are a pittance compared with the benefits they get from his tax cuts. The president is keeping his eye on what really matters to him....

The idea that all options are on the table is another GOP talking point lie. All options that fulfill the hatred for Social Security as a social program are on the table.

Somerby pointed out a good response by Senator Chris Dodd