This Is Exactly How They are Going To Cut Social Security

[Donnachaidh]

http://my.firedoglake.com/imperialflow/2010/11/04/i-know-exactly-how-theyre-going-to-cut-social-security/

Recently in an interview between John King and Sen. Jim DeMint the following statement was made:

King: A question first on what comes ahead. Many have said that now that the Republicans have the house and more conservatives in the Senate, when will we know if you’re serious about keeping your promises about spending and the debt. If there is a vote in the congress on raising the debt ceiling, so that the government can continue to print money and spend money should the Republicans say no?

DeMint: I think Republicans will say no. Unless the raising of the debt ceiling is accompanies by some dramatic spending cuts, something that will direct us to a balanced budget in the future, Republicans will not support an increase in the debt limit.

The tell is not only in the answer, but in the question King poses as well.

Take specific note of the phrasing, “If there is a vote in the congress on raising the debt ceiling, so that the government can continue to print money and spend money…” The two clauses of that statement are completely orthogonal to one another. The government will have to print money to spend it because the debt ceiling would keep them from creating it via debt issuance. The debt ceiling has exactly zero bearing on the government’s ability to print money. This misdirection is the setup by the media to justify the con.

DeMint’s comment details the faux-leverage that the Democrats will claim the Republicans used to force their hand to cut Social Security. “Unless the raising of the debt ceiling is accompanies by some dramatic spending cuts…” The claim that comes down from the Democratic leadership will be, well if we didn’t give into the Republicans by cutting Social Security, we wouldn’t have been able to raise the debt ceiling, and it would be the end of the world as we know it. It won’t be true that the world will come to an end, nor that the debt ceiling needed to be raised, but it won’t matter, because the Democrats will sell it that way, the Republicans will sell it that way, and the media already is.

More at the link --

[fascisthunter]

1. and I believe it... "faux leverage"

seems dems want to make cuts too but don't want to look like the bad guys.

[BrklynLiberal]

2. HOW ABOUT CUTTING THE F*CKING INSANE DEFENSE BUDGET???????

[SammyWinstonJack]

3. Hell will freeze over first. Know why they will cut SS benefits? Because they want to and

because THEY CAN! And because NO ONE WILL STOP THEM! :grr:

[blindpig]

5. Too true

What little cut the Pentagon gets will mostly be in the form of cuts that will hurt rank & file personal, past and present, procurement will hardly be touched.

Cut the Pentagon budget by 90%.

[femrap]

4. And how about

Bernanke who is printing money like there is no tomorrow. The Fed is buying billions and billions of dollars of Treasuries...this is NOT the norm. It is just going to make The End much Uglier.

I'm with you....turn the Pentagon into a Triangle!

[DCKit]

6. +1, What you said. n/t

[spanone]

7. DeMint: 'I think Republicans will say no'....the only word they know