"Turncoat Joe" Hates The Elderly

Social Security has been one of the best programs ever created by the federal government. It has done exactly what it was meant to do for decades now -- provide a minimum income for the elderly to keep them out of abject poverty. And even though it will have some minor fiscal problems years from now, it is a problem that can be easily fixed by asking the rich to pay the same percentage of FICA taxes that workers pay. There is no reason to privatize the program, raise the age to qualify for it, cut benefits, or change the cost-of-living raises for it.

It should come as no surprise that Republicans would like to do all of those things to Social Security. They voted against it when it was created, and have been trying ever since then to do away with it. Even today, Republicans hate Social Security (and its companion program -- Medicare), and given the chance, they would happily abolish both programs.

Now we learn that former Democrat Joe Lieberman (I-Connecticut) would also like to join in with Republicans in cutting Social Security (and Medicare). Lieberman would like to take some of the money going to elderly Social Security (and Medicare) recipients and spend it on the already bloated military budget. Here is what he had to say to Fox News:

I want to indicate today to my colleagues that Senator Coburn and I are working again on a bipartisan proposal to secure Social Security over the long term, we hope to have that done in time. To also forward to the special committee for their consideration. So, bottom line, we can’t protect these entitlements and also have the national defense we need to protect us in a dangerous world while we’re at war with Islamist extremists who attacked us on 9/11 and will be for a long time to come.

I am shocked that at his age Lieberman is willing to throw his fellow elderly Americans to the wolves. He seems to have hung around Republicans long enough to catch their disease -- the disease of "I've got mine, so screw the rest of you".

What makes this even crazier is that the military and Social Security are not even paid for out of the same funds. The bloated military budget comes out of discretionary spending and is paid for by income taxes. Social Security (and Medicare) are not paid for by income taxes, but by paroll taxes (like FICA) specifically dedicated to those programs. Cutting Social Security (and Medicare) will not free up more money for the military budget.

The people of Connecticut can't get rid of this idiot fast enough.