Senator Kerry: “Under no circumstances should benefits be cut to try to balance the budget"

[ProSense]

Senator Kerry Talks Medicare, Social Security

by: Sondra Shapiro

AARP Massachusetts recently held a Tele-Town Hall Meeting to hear from our members about protecting Medicare and Social Security during the federal deficit debate. Senator John Kerry (D) and more than 7,000 Bay State residents joined the call. Sondra Shapiro, executive editor of the Fifty Plus Advocate covered the event. Her article is reprinted with permission.

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“Under no circumstances should benefits be cut to try to balance the budget,” said Kerry during the town meeting. He said that Social Security is not the driving force of our “near-term deficits” and is not currently in crisis. But, he said it could be reformed to strengthen it for the rest of the century. And, he has no problem with those discussions “paralleling” deficit negotiations.

“Social Security is easy to fix. I am confident we can fix and strengthen it without cuts in benefits,” said Kerry. He added that the principals for Social Security reform should be:

• The need to return long-term solvency to strengthen Social Security for future generations;
  
  
• Opposition to any measure that privatizes or weakens the system;
  
  
• Opposition to any approach that slashes benefits for future generations;
  
  
• That no current beneficiary should see his or her benefits reduced;
  
  
• Strengthening retirement security for the most vulnerable, including low-income seniors; and
  
  
• Maintaining very robust disability and survivor benefits.

more

Edited title.

[politicasista]

1. What did Senator Kerry do to people today?

to have his liberal credentials be scrutinized? Is it because some favorite liberals were not chosen?

[Davis_X_Machina]

2. No Senator Sanders. n/t

[politicasista]

3. Ok

It is not like he cut in front of Sanders in line or even undermined Obama. like the T-Zone here indeed.

[Davis_X_Machina]

4. Well, they really wanted Reid to appoint Kucinich..

....but there's a minor technical hitch, it seems.

Because on DU, "Dennis Kucinich" is always the answer -- even when you're not quite sure what the question is....

[CakeGrrl]

5. Well, they still have the three House Dems to appoint

But brace for the "fix is in" deluge if Kucinich isn't there.

:crazy:

[politicasista]

7. +10

:rofl:

[Tennessee Gal]

6. Thank you for posting facts - words out of his own mouth.

[blm]

20. unfortunately, even here at DU, some will ignore the truth as they elevate hyperbole against

Kerry

[MannyGoldstein]

8. There's that bullshit "no SLASHING" language again.

Unbelievable.

[ProSense]

9. Here

“Under no circumstances should benefits be cut to try to balance the budget”

Do you see the word "slash" or "cut"?

More selective outrage?

[Mass]

10. Actually, he did not use "slash" but "cut benefits"

at least in the direct quote. It would be interesting to know if the "slash" in the bullet points was actually said by Kerry or by the reporter.

[woo me with science]

13. And no reductions for CURRENT beneficiaries.

No, this does not reassure at all.

[Inuca]

16. What is unbelievable is

how you can hook into single words and turn them into major outrages, you do it over and over again. I do not know what Kerry has in mind, but some form of means testing for instance would be an example of "no slashing". Believable or unbelievable?

Putting out heads in the sand does not help. SS NEEDS some adjustments to make it sustainable for the long term. Saying "don't touch anything" and talking about cat food does not help and is as myopic as "no tax increases ever"

[karynnj]

18. Manny, this is a semantics problem that is very far fetched

Kerry's two sentences - in normal English - mean the same thing. The fact that Carney decided he could great a special meaning for a word does not mean the meaning of the word has changed. Here if there were JUST the slashing phrase, you could validly claim that Kerry's comment was ambiguous. Note - ambiguous, not that it meant what Carney says it does. As it is the other sentence that Prosense gave you at least twice is not ambiguous in the least. The two sentences together reinforce each other.

Wouldn't it be more productive to attack your other Senator - at least until Kerry actually takes a stand you disagee with.

[blm]

19. And then there are those here who have no WISH to comprehend even basic facts if they see a way

to bash a true progressive leader who actually GETS into the arena they would never enter. They only believe what faux lefties tell them to believe.

[Dawson Leery]

11. kick

[Name removed]

12. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[golfguru]

14. Just don't cut mine....

then I won't care.

[SidDithers]

15. K&R. That's a pretty clear and definite quote...nt

Sid

[NorthCarolina]

17. Pfffttt....The GOP already has Baucus in the bag on that. He will be the 6th Republican.nt

[politicasista]

21. One last evening kick

Best wishes to Kerry's spokespeople Roger Lau and Bridgid O'Rourke (they have been good so far:)). They are going to need your facts before this hits the social media outlets.


Peace out. :hi: