Make no mistake, the target is Social Security, and Democratic candidates for the Senate and House will have to either stand for Social Security or expect to loose the election handily.
Social Security provides disability insurance and survivor’s benefits, but when people talk about it, they tend to be referring to its role as a program that provides income support to retirees. The average monthly benefit of $1,170 replaces about 39 percent of the person’s pre-retirement earnings. Over the next two decades, the “replacement rate” is slated to drop to 31 percent. That is less than in most developed countries – the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development ranks it 25 out of 30 member nations.
and goes on to further note,
The size of that fix is significant, but not astonishing. Over the next 75 years, the shortfall will be equal to about 0.7 percent of gross domestic product. How much is 0.7 percent of GDP? To put that in perspective, the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities calculates that it’s about as much as Bush’s tax cuts for the rich will cost over the same period. Saying we can afford those cuts—which is the consensus Republican position—but not Social Security’s outlay is nonsensical. (My emphasis)
So I am glad that Dana Milibank is the Post’s liberal to be named later, since FOX lost theirs.
Terraformed 