Wednesday, February 08, 2012

Bill Clinton and the fight to save Social Security

Bill Clinton had planned to reform Social Security with private accounts and Medicare with vouchers. What happened? Monica Lewinsky. "Left wing Democrats in Congress threatened to throw him under the bus in the impeachment proceedings unless he completely dropped the reform ideas they regarded as
heresy. Unfortunately for the country, he obliged." John Goodman reports at Health Blog.
Clinton was serious. He had his Treasury Department draw up detailed plans. In fact, when Pat Moynihan, the colorful intellectual senator from New York, was appointed by President George W. Bush to co-chair the Social Security reform commission, the first thing he did was ask the Treasury to send him the Clinton-era planning documents so that the commission could continue where Clinton’s policy team left off.
Now think about the motives of the Democrat left here. Private plans for retirement--same thing as Bush wanted--something all of us with half a brain have been doing for years even if covered by SS; vouchers for Medicare--isn't that what Federal employees have--choices? Wouldn't that have cut down on waste and fraud by increasing competition? So what would be the problem? Democrats can't stand the word choices, unless it's killing an unborn child--then they're all for it. It would have cut into their power over the people. Democrats just have to have the power, because then they control the votes.

No comments: