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Surprisingly - Tim Russert actually asked the question - and pushed for answers.
What's your take on their responses? I still heard only one "get them all out" amongst the major candidates... thank you Governor Richardson raising the question, for working with us to get it in front of the voters and for giving us a clear and very good answer.
Thank you as well to Senator Dodd for fighting the good fight in the Senate to end the war now and for making it clear that all candidates in the Senate could help do the same!
It's good to see that some of our candidates actually do step it up!
PS - Don't forget to help light up the map telling DC we want out of Iraq now! and give us a hand tossing $5 to the Blue America PAC whenever you want to throw things at the TV.
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here we are again
Zed for President.
DODD!
Gays! Run away!
So what are the odds that Timmeh is going to ask hard questions of the Goopers when their time comes?
What no hands up in affirmation?
I’m so surprised.
Different rhetoric, same agenda.
Hillary being better than I thought on hate crimes.
Hillary on same sex marriage. She says that everybody needs to take up this issue with their own children. Gay and lesbian rights is a big issue. Bill tomorrow and she hopes everyone (Obama) will be there to vote for it! What a polite slam!
Hey LL I followed your New Thread link downstairs, seemd like we’re in tandem. Baseball get a bit boring?
OT but…This just in…
2 Patriot Act Provisions Ruled Unlawful
Actual progress?!
Hey MM! The debate is my bright shiny object tonight ;-)
A meaningless debate that will immediately dissolve down the memory hole.
Okay, EPU’d… Ya gotta admit, if you want a “happy furry kitty” soundbite Sen. Obama is your go-to guy. I was hoping for a bit more…
LoudounLib @ 11
Well it’s a much better distraction then most.
I actually think this debate ranks just behind the You-tube debate in spiritedness and real demarcation lines being drawn amongst them…! I’m glad that Kucinich and Gravel were invited, too!!! 8-)
Everythingseemssoneat @ 12
It’s a LOT healthier than Paris Hilton or any of her ilk…
Marion in Savannah @ 13
Has he been called first yet?
Actual progress?!
That’d be an affirmative.
PeteCO @ 17
NO
Have to give Hillary credit-she comes across very naturally. Very calm, thoughtful, and unscripted.
She has come a long way as a candidate.
Still think she’s lying down with the wolves, though.
Portland case is result of FBI fingerprint and warrants screw-up in jailing lawyer Brandon Mayfield for Madrid train bomb.
Marion in Savannah- In a way it’s more sinister because they are pretending to oppose Bush.
I just sent a little bit of the money I withheld this year from Alaska Public Radio to New Hampshire Public Radio for hosting this. The nutcase woman isn’t from NHPR, but from some cable news network, IIRC…
Another OT, but worth it:
“The incident rate for Blackwater is higher, there is a distinction,” said a senior American government official who insisted on anonymity in order to discuss a sensitive ongoing investigation. “The real question that is open for discussion is why.”
Why? Because the founder, Erik Prince, is a Christian Reformed Church fundamentalist who believes is double pre-destination: (1) He is going to his heaven irregardless of acts on Earth because it is pre-destined, and (2) the rest of us not in his cult are pre-destined to go to hell. Thus, no remorse or regard for others–they’re going to hell, anyway, get in their way, just grease the skids for them. Spread the word.
neokneme @ 10
No thanks to our Brave Democrats in Congress. And as it wends its way up the legal food chain to the people who elected GWB (- one swing woman and one wing nut and plus 2 double wing nuts) any guesses on how it will all end?
Howdy y’all!
This is a boring debate. I liked the last one better.
neokneme @ 10
At least it won’t be overturned by the Ninth… Yet, once it hits the supremes I lose faith…!!!
I don’t think gay marriage is quite the boogey man it was a few years ago.
Even people I know that used to be vehemently opposed, now seem resigned. They see that the world is changing. One Muslim I know says he now sees the issue as a civil rights issue.
PeteCO @ 17
He got the first question.
social security and medicare up
Biden do you agree about upping the retiring age
do you support taxing everyone’s ss”
Biden you either have to do that or raised taxes.
Marion in Savannah @ 13
the triumph of hope over experience.
THANK YOU!!!!! Why do I pay Social Security on my entire annual income and my boss only on his first 6 weeks of income?
WHo just said “raise the cap” on SS?
Social Security; Or you could stop flushing money down the crapper in Iraq/n, Timmeh. But I don’t suppose that option occurred to you, did it?
Is Hillary avoiding the question and wimping out?
Marion in Savannah @ 32
right on.
To much Hillary time!
TexBetsy @ 35
filibuster?
heh — a prez-candi said “dissing”
Marion in Savannah @ 32
And my clients who make millions pay none, since all of their income is capital gains.
Ed*ard Teller @ 23
New England Cable News—on comcast stations in MA, NH, RI, ME, and VT I think
TexBetsy @ 35
yup.
Marion in Savannah @ 32
If Buffett and Gates state they pay too little in taxes, WTF??? Hmmm….
Hillary: we’ve got to get back to fiscal solvancy.
Our current president has never like SS.
Bipartisan compromise. Fiscal responsibilty is first.
TexBetsy @ 35
So it would seem… Yep… Everything’s off the table until… WEASEL
Eureka Springs @ 37
How else will they make their narrative a self-fulfilling prophecy?
LoudounLib @ 39
I know…i smiled when I heard that
Alicia @ 36
I’m old enough to vaguely remember when Social Security stopped being taken out of my paycheck about 2/3 of the way through the year. Oh yeah, we noticed.
Hillary excellent on SS.
Eureka Springs @ 37
The Repubs are betting on the rabid, foaming Billary-haters to swarm out.
leslie @ 47
“The times they are a-changing!” *g*
PeteCO @ 46
and that’s precisely what it will be!
Hillary on social security and taxes. We (Hill/Hill) had a plan. I do think we need a bipartisan conference on this. It will take presidential leadership. I will do everything possible to make sure social security is solvent. Bush has used the trust fund for other issues. She is pissing off the Timmeh, because she will not take anything off the table!
Temmeh is attacking every candidate! He wouldn’t dare during a pug debate.
Eureka Springs @ 37
Don’t want to piss her off or else access to Bill is cut off. Clinton Has Staff Kill Negative Article
Elliott @ 38
At least she has the courage to filibuster somewhere, eh? Maybe because she looked HORRID at 0300 during the real one. On radio, right now, she looks smashing!
AnnieW @ 40
That isn’t fair at all!
Can they get social security when they are old?
tex, that was tim’s question.
so far obama, hil and biden (?) said it’s got to be part of the plan.
sorry, I’m serving dinner.
PeteCO @ 46
MSM and republicans are desparate for Hillary to be nominated. All the trash is primed and ready to sling–leaves time to hack it up on the golf course and screw underaged Dom. Rep. girls.
Obama hears young people who don’t think SS will be around. I hear middle aged people who think that.
SnarKassandra @ 57
Yes, they can.
tejanarusa @ 48
All of my income is taxed, my husband’s paycheck is larger and he stops his contribution halfway thru the year. We do notice the difference, but both of us support lifting the cap.
Biden seems to be the one left out of this debate.
Marion in Savannah @ 62
NO FAIR!!!!
Why is he interrupting Richardson? Rude…
timmeth… funny money.. aasshat
Can somebody that was in jail and didn’t work for 10 yrs get social security when they get old?
Hah - Dodd - (part of a list) - financial literacy important. Isn’t that the truth. And working for a “financial services company,” I see the IL-literacy every day.
Richardson say’s no.
Stop raiding the SS fund.
Grow the economy.
Go Bill.
PeteCO @ 60
and I’m already pushing 60 and i don’t want to hear “raising the retirement age”.
AND i dont think it’ll be here for me.
Timmeh is staying away from John Edwards
Marion in Savannah @ 61
And you better believe they take it too.
Timmeh is starting to think he’s asking himself the questions, and that he should answer them.
I don’t understand why no Democrat is willing to say that every dollar should be subject to SS tax.
Is Timmeh working some wing-nut mind-control on ‘em?
SnarKassandra @ 67
yes if they have enough working years to pay into the system…
Compared to the Rethug debates, at least reality is on the table.
The Goopers live in fantasy land.
Anyone think John is gonna make it?
Loo Hoo. @ 73
heh heh heh
I can’t imagine DKucinich doesn’t have restless leg syndrome by now
I sure wish he could be allowed to speak.
leslie @ 70
I’m worried about raising the retirement age too…
AnnieW @ 61
The cap relates to the max you can receive, no? My hubby also reaches a point where he doesn’t pay. But if you remove the cap on deductions would you also raise the amount he can collect?
Snark, one pays SocSec taxes only on the first $97K of income.So-if you make 90K or less, you pay on 100% of income…one who makes 900K pays SS taxes 0n 10%.
SnarKassandra @ 57
I’m no expert, but they are eligible for some portion if for a certain number of years they contributed. I don’t know what that cut off is.
Kevster @ 76
He’ll win the general election if he can get the nomination. But…
Edwards; “Why would you trust a bunch of politicians who say the same thing over & over?”
No sh!t.
SnarKassandra @ 64
Ironically, by lifting the cap of $88,000 on SS to $250,000 would make SS solvent for another 50 yrs…!!!
Edwards is saying politicians use double talk on SS. He doesn’t understand why somebody who makes millions of dollars only pays taxes on the first 97K, while someone making 20K pays SS taxes on all of it. GOOD FOR EDWARDS!
Ah! Finally! Edwards! Sense on the cap!!!
Leaning more toward him all the time….
I Like Edwards.
John has really grown since 2004.
I followed him from Illinois to Ohio to Wisconsin then, and I’d do it again today
Good answer on SS, Edwards - the doughnut. Good answer about privatization, Kucinich.
SnarKassandra @ 67
You get Social Security based on your income (up to a limit, I think) when you were working. If you weren’t working you don’t add to the Social Security you will get. If you’re a woman who leaves the workforce to raise her child you won’t get Social Security credit for those years. Yeah, it’s unfair and it sucks…
Alicia @ 71
All of the press is. That’s why his numbers aren’t moving. And they know it.
The press really wants Hill—just like the repigs do. They are all salivating over the prospect.
John Edwards. Now more than ever.
solai @ 80
SS received is based on your working income anyway. So amount withheld wouldn’t much matter. It doesn’t really now–the eldest recipients got back what they paid in in their first few years, because their contributions, in dollar amounts, were so small in the early years.
TexBetsy @ 88
On domestic issues, I don’t think anyone is better.
I have concerns on foreign affairs though.
Dodd, no one political party can get this done. Parroting Hillary.
LoudounLib @ 93
In your heart, you know he’s right!
Watching Ken Burns’ The War on PBS this week. Powerful storytelling thru the voices of ordinary small town Americans about the realities of WW 2.
Should be required viewing for all school children–and all bellicose politicians quick to send other people’s kids to war. And all Americans who have forgotten the lessons of history.
Also saw John Ratzenberger [think the Cheers know-it-all] yesterday talking about the outsourcing of manufacturing weakening America’s ability to defend itself. We can’t make our own anything any more.
Will take a longer look later at the threads about the Dartmouth debate.
Demand better. Be better.
So what happens if someone doesn’t work enough years even if they had a good job for 10 yrs?
Loo Hoo. @ 96
After today’s votes, NO political party can get this done
Alicia @ 71
I noticed that earlier. Then he asked Edwards a baited question. Ooh, Hillary interrupted..
SnarKassandra @ 67
Yes … in Canada …
Hillary- we were on the pathway of eliminating debt. You cannot give away what you are foing to do on SS until you have everything on the table to be considered. Fiscal responsibility is where the dems shine.
One party with a very strong majority which votes as a block can do whatever they want.. eh?
cripes, here comes “allison” again.
TexBetsy @ 99
You guessed it, Cassie - they are out of luck. No SS retirement benefits.
REmember that if you marry a man who wants you to stay home with the kids. *g*
My understanding was that the guy who made $97,000/yr would receive the same retirement benefit as the guy who made $300,000/yr. Is this not correct?
Edwards and Kunnich are the only one that do anything for me. Hillary is a godamn Republican. We need Gore…
Petrocelli @ 102
It depends, if for another 30 years there has been contributions, the answer is yes.
Dodd’s Talk Clock shows himself pretty much in the middle as far as elapsed talk time…he’s at 7 minutes, compared to Hillary’s 12-1/2 (highest, except for Russert, of course) and Gravel’s 2-3/4 (lowest)…
oops, TexBetsy - sorry I mistook you somehow for Snarkacassandra.
LoudounLib @ 93
YES! YES!! YES!!! YES!!!!
leslie @ 105
“Do the candidates still love Osama Bin Laden?”
tejanarusa @ 106
BUT if you divorce that man after 10 years, and he makes a good living, you can collect on his SS when he dies.
Marion in Savannah @ 112
Times two
Would you be in favor of a ban on smoking in public places? Hillary wants to regulate tobacco through the FDA, supports local decisions. No federal law at this time.
Obama, local communities too. I would support federal if local doesn’t work.
Biden, Edwards, Richardson, Kuchinich and Gravel in favor of a federal law.
Alicia @ 97
Yes, he is.
Another Kucinich zinger-”I’ve been breathing second hand smoke all night”
TexBetsy @ 99
There is a ‘default’ line, yet, housewives are reliant upon husband’s earnings…!!!
Clinton has had
more time than everyone even Timmeh.