Will not seek re-election...because he knows he'd lose.

http://www.indystar.com/article/2010021 ... reelection

The retirement announcements just keep piling up for the DNC.

_________________
Hold my beer and watch this...

Could this have anything to do with it?

Your Social Security



Just in case some of you young whippersnappers (& some older ones) didn't know this. It's easy to check out, if you don't believe it.
Be sure and show it to your kids. They need a little history lesson on what's what and it doesn't matter whether you are Democrat or Republican. Facts are Facts!!!



Our Social Security

Franklin Roosevelt, a Democrat, introduced the Social
Security (FICA) Program. He promised:

1.) That participation in the Program would be
Completely voluntary,


No longer Voluntary



2.) That the participants would only have to pay
1% of the first $1,400 of their annual
Incomes into the Program,


Now 7.65%



3.) That the money the participants elected to put
into the Program would be deductible from
their income for tax purposes each year,


No longer tax deductible



4.) That the money the participants put into the
independent 'Trust Fund' rather than into the
general operating fund, and therefore, would
only be used to fund the Social Security
Retirement Program, and no other
Government program, and,


Under Johnson the money was moved to


The General Fund and Spent



5.) That the annuity payments to the retirees
would never be taxed as income.


Under Clinton & Gore


Up to 85% of your Social Security can be Taxed



Since many of us have paid into FICA for years and are
now receiving a Social Security check every month --
and then finding that we are getting taxed on 85% of
the money we paid to the Federal government to 'put
away' -- you may be interested in the following:

------------ --------- --------- --------- --------- --------- ----

Q: Which Political Party took Social Security from the
independent 'Trust Fund' and put it into the
general fund so that Congress could spend it?

A: It was Lyndon Johnson and the democratically
controlled House and Senate.

------------ --------- --------- --------- --------- --------- --------- --

Q: Which Political Party eliminated the income tax
deduction for Social Security (FICA) withholding?

A: The Democratic Party.

------------ --------- --------- --------- --------- --------- --------- -----

Q: Which Political Party started taxing Social
Security annuities?

A: The Democratic Party, wit h Al Gore casting the
'tie-breaking' deciding vote as President of the
Senate, while he was Vice President of the US

------------ --------- --------- --------- --------- --------- --------- -

Q: Which Political Party decided to start
giving
annuity payments to immigrants?

AND MY FAVORITE:

A: That's right!


Jimmy Carter and the Democratic Party.
immigrants moved into this country, and at age 65,
began to receive Social Security payments! The
Democratic Party gave these payments to them,
even though they never paid a dime into it!

_________________
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"I don't feel like Satan, but I am to them"
Neil Young

Unless I'm reading it wrong, it says that recent polls showed him significantly ahead.

_________________
Proud LGBTQQ Individual

Uh, no.
He's trailing what was his strongest challenger, Mike Pence.
http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_ ... ana_senate

But he's retiring because of this:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/co ... 03974.html

_________________
Hold my beer and watch this...

Was that detailed in the article you linked to? I thought the article just said that polls suggested he was ahead of his strongest challengers.

_________________
Proud LGBTQQ Individual

I don't know I didn't read the 2nd page of that article...
Mike Pence was leading him in polls 47% to 44%

Anyway it looks like he screwed the Dems here, intentionally or not.
He announced this only 3 days before the deadline to collect signatures. So the Republicans have a deep field of challengers lined up and the Dems are left there waving their dicks in the wind.

_________________
Hold my beer and watch this...

Who knew Hope and Change actually referred to a GOP revolution in congress? Wow...what a difference a year can make.

_________________
Oh lord, it's hard to be humble, when you're perfect in every way. I can't wait to look in the mirror, 'cause I get better looking each day. To know me is to love me, I must be a hell of a man. Oh lord, it's hard to be humble, but I'm doin' the best that I can.

Partisanship is a very bad thing.

Anyone else think it's time for a serious hard look and perhaps an overhaul of our political system?

_________________
Wheelhouse

Yes. The time has come for Sharia Law.

_________________
Oh lord, it's hard to be humble, when you're perfect in every way. I can't wait to look in the mirror, 'cause I get better looking each day. To know me is to love me, I must be a hell of a man. Oh lord, it's hard to be humble, but I'm doin' the best that I can.

I understand you don't like the Democratic party, but are you trying to say we should do away with social security tomorrow? That's like saying "take away this red Ferrari, I would have preferred a black one". While the system is being run poorly, it WAS STILL a good idea.

I'm also curious why the Republicans didn't ever fix it when they were in power? If something is broke you don't stand around complaining about it, it makes you look like a douche. You FIX it.

I don't believe anyone said that...he was just pointing out how a once good idea got systematically raped...mostly by one party

You're effing kidding me right?
Are you that young or did you not pay attention from 2001-2006?

Social Security reform was arguably the #1 domestic policy GWB tried to reform. Certainly the #1 domestic policy where he spent his political capital.
It was the theme of one of his state of the union addresses.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_Sec ... n_proposal

It's the Democrats that stick their fingers in their ears when you bring up Social Security reform.

_________________
Hold my beer and watch this...

They BOTH take their turns sticking their fingers in their ears depending on the issue. It's a two party system.

I'm very aware of his attempt to privatize(gamble) S.S. While I can't prove it, I'd assume it was an effort to make more money for Wall St.

On a more personal note, I can't imagine you liking the idea of the government taking your money, and then TELLING you HOW to invest it for YOUR future?? This sounds diametrically opposed to your personal position.

BS, you only called out one party and they were the ones that most recently have tried to do something about SS insolvency.

You didn't say anything about the methods of reform, just that Republican's had done nothing to fix it...and you called them "douches" for it.
You were wrong.

Where do you see me defending SS?
I don't really have an issue with a voluntary, state run, retirement plan.
As long as it's voluntary and pays for itself.

It originally did.
Democrats changed that into an involuntary plan, spent the money, and turned it into a ponzi scheme.

_________________
Hold my beer and watch this...

I never said I didn't like the Democratic Party or Social Security - Fuck I've been paying into SS for 33 years, and am hoping to get something out of it. It does piss me off that one party does seem to be fucking up SS more than the other, so I probably would gravitate away from that party on the subject of SS.

_________________
-------------------------------------------------------
"I don't feel like Satan, but I am to them"
Neil Young

Back on topic, the always sane folks over at Kos seem to thing it would be a good idea for John Mellencamp to run for Bayh's open seat since he could easily collect the signatures in time.

http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2010/ ... e-internet!

_________________
Hold my beer and watch this...

I don't think either party can ever really solve any major issues. Not when everyone is busy representing those that fill their coffers with campaign donations rather than the american people.

_________________
Proud LGBTQQ Individual

This.

/Thread over.

First, I didn't call out any parties. YOU guys said Dems ruined SS. I said the Repubs never fixed it(when they had majorities over the years). Nice attempt to put words in my mouth though. Look at it this way. If health care fails, is Obama then a genius, because he "tried" to fix it?????????????/ nice double standard to follow it up, eh???

Are you insinuating only Dems "stick fingers in their ears". Sounds like it, otherwise it's NOT BS.

Next, are you FOR OR AGAINST the current SS system, or do ya just want to skirt answering by claiming to be "libertarian"?? Please just give me a simple answer on this one. No 6 line answer which ignores the question.

IMHO, a "voluntary" system won't work, so the Dems made a good choice by making it involuntary. Old people starving under bridges makes for a bad country. I don't recall too much about Bushies plan being "voluntary" at all, either, so his "fix" would have been a complete fail iyo, right??.

When I attack the Republicans, I don't try to pretend I'm not, I'll admit it.

Last I checked, the Republicans have more seats coming open due to retirement than the Democrats.

They also have more seats coming open in total in both houses.

Next, are you FOR OR AGAINST the current SS system, or do ya just want to skirt answering by claiming to be "libertarian"?? Please just give me a simple answer on this one. No 6 line answer which ignores the question.

IMHO, a "voluntary" system won't work, so the Dems made a good choice by making it involuntary. Old people starving under bridges makes for a bad country. I don't recall too much about Bushies plan being "voluntary" at all, either, so his "fix" would have been a complete fail iyo, right??.

When I attack the Republicans, I don't try to pretend I'm not, I'll admit it.[/quote]

The current SS system needs to be looked at, are you for giving out more money to illegals than people who have contributed to the fund???

How many years have you been putting money into this system only to see it pissed away????

_________________
-------------------------------------------------------
"I don't feel like Satan, but I am to them"
Neil Young