David Pakman Show: Is the Republican Party As We Know It Gone Forever?

Source:David Pakman Show- with a look at the big political elephant in the room. (Pun intended)

"Is President Obama's reelection the end of the Republican Party as we know it?" 

From the David Pakman Show

We've heard things like this after 2006, when Democrats won back the Congress (House & Senate) and again in 2008 when Democrats won back The White House and expanded their majorities in Congress. 

But anyone who follows American politics very closely, should get a head examination and pay full price for that because it would be very worth it. But on a more serious note: anyone who follows American politics closely, knows how short the political seasons are. 

By middle of 2009, House Democrats were already in real jeopardy of losing the House. And it looked like Senate Republicans could at least pick up. bunch of seats and perhaps even take back the majority, even though they needed 10 seats in the Senate to do that. And of course we all remember 2010 mid-terms where Democrats didn't just loose heavily, but 62 seats in the House, 6 in the Senate, President Obama's reelection chances weren't looking good, they lost a bunch of legislative seats, as well as state legislatures, as well as governorships, and this was just 2 years ago. 

Come back to me in 2014 and 16, after Democrats hold the Senate, win back the House, Hillary Clinton or some other Democrats gets elected President and then we can talk about much trouble the Republican Party is in and at risk of disappearing, or at least becoming a long-term, as well as small, opposition and minority party in America. 

The Real News: Paul Jay- Interviewing Bill Black: 'Drums Beating to Privatize Social Security'

Source:The Real News Network- TRNN., talking about Social Security reform.

"Bill Black: A group of Democrats called "The Third Way" are working with President Obama towards the "grand betrayal" on social security."

From The Real News Network

I'm not for full privatization of Social Security. I want to guarantee all money thats paid into it to be paid out to the people who paid into it once they retire, meaning I wouldn't allow workers to take money out of current payroll taxes to invest in their own Individual Retirement Account or IRA. But what I am in favor of is what's called Social Security Plus, something that Congressional Democrats proposed about ten years ago.

Under Social Security Plus, current payroll taxes the way they are as it relates to Social Security, but allow workers to voluntarily increase their own payroll taxes by let's say an additional three percentage points to let's say 9%, where they could take 1/3 of that which would be matched by their employer. If they work for themselves , then they could increase their own payroll taxes by 6% and people could use this money to create their own IRA out of Social Security Plus, to invest as they see fit through another job or other investments, stock market and so-forth. Tax free but they wouldn't be allowed to spend any of that money until they are eligible to retire.

We have two problems as I see it as it relates to Social Security: a long-term funding issue with Social Security. And a problem with our pension system where Social Security is still being depended on to keep retirees out of poverty. Where what we could be doing instead is empowering people to set up their own pensions and be able to retire more comfortably. So we don't have so many people on Social Security in the future who can't live without it.