At least that's what the Bridge and Tunnel Assailant's speech today about "Entitlements" appears to indicate. It looks like even he has finally realized what Greg Dworkin and David Waldman told us more than a year ago on Daily Kos radio: For President, Chris Christie is toast.
According to excerpts obtained by The Wall Street Journal, Christie is proposing cutting Social Security benefits to seniors who make more than $80,000 a year and also eliminate benefits for those making $200,000 or more.
He will also call on raising the national retirement age from 67 to 69.
So another Republican ignores
Ike's advice:
Should any political party attempt to abolish social security unemployment insurance and eliminate labor laws and farm programs you would not hear of that party again in our political history. There is a tiny splinter group of course that believes you can do these things. Among them are a few other Texas oil millionaires and an occasional politician or business man from other areas. Their number is negligible and they are stupid.
Christie is many things, all negative, but (at least on one level), he's not stupid. Advocating social security cuts is not even the best red meat for the right wing base, which revels in demonizing programs limited to the poor, the immigrant and the "blahs" more than Soocial Security and Medicare. But it is choice porterhouse for Wall St. and Christie is going to have to pay those mounting legal fees somehow after he can't use NJ State funds anymore.
His proposals are horrible on the merits. It is a terrible idea to means test social security. It already is means tested, but more cutting at the top will make it just another program for "them," leaving it susceptible to those who demonize non-rich people getting what they deem "free stuff." It also is being cut as we speak by the increase of the retirement age to 67 -- a cut that is costing boomers huge amounts already.
So Gov, just hope that the banker you interview with is not a commuter from New Jersey to Wall Street.