Cutting Social Security, eh?

On the front page today at Daily Kos:

Thu Dec 05, 2013 at 12:30 PM PST

Daily Kos will not enable those who enable Third Way

….They apparently prefer Third Way keep operating in secret, with their Social Security-cutting agenda off the front pages…..

….So who else is enabling Third Way’s destructive agenda? Why, let’s name names!

House members

James Clyburn (Southern South Carolina)

John Dingell (Ann Arbor, Detroit’s western suburbs, Michigan)

Ron Kind (Southwestern Wisconsin, La Crosse, Eau Claire)

Joseph Crowley (NYC, Bronx, Queens)

Allyson Schwartz (Northeast Philly, eastern Montgomery County, Pennsylvania)

Jared Polis (Boulder, Colorado)

Senators

Thomas Carper (Delaware)

Claire McCaskill (Missouri)

Mark Udall (Colorado)

Jeanne Shaheen (New Hampshire)

Kay Hagan (North Carolina)

Chris Coons (Delaware)

When considering candidate endorsements and whether we engage in a race (primary or general), we’ve long considered membership (or potential membership) in the Blue Dog Caucus. As of today, we’re adding Third Way to our exclusionary list on our candidate questionnaire.

These electeds undoubtedly appreciate the open spigot to Wall Street campaign cash. Our job is to make sure they pay a price for their cozy arrangement….

[emphasis added]

Senator McCaskill is an honorary co-chair for Third Way.

A recent op-ed in the Wall Street Journal by Third Way:

Cowan and Kessler: Economic Populism Is a Dead End for Democrats

The de Blasio-Warren agenda won’t travel. Colorado is the real political harbinger.

By Jon Cowan and Jim Kessler

Dec. 2, 2013 6:57 p.m. ET

….Social Security is exhibit A of this populist political and economic fantasy. A growing cascade of baby boomers will be retiring in the coming years, and the Social Security formula increases their initial benefits faster than inflation. The problem is that since 2010 Social Security payouts to seniors have exceeded payroll taxes collected from workers. This imbalance widens inexorably until it devours the entire Social Security Trust Fund in 2031, according to the Congressional Budget Office. At that point, benefits would have to be slashed by about 23%….

Mr. Cowan is president of the think tank Third Way, where Mr. Kessler is senior vice president for policy.

Oh, really?

Elizabeth Warren Calls Third Way ‘Flatly Wrong’ In Social Security Fight

Posted: 12/05/2013 2:45 pm EST  |  Updated: 12/05/2013 4:37 pm EST

WASHINGTON — Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) took aim at the corporate-backed think tank Third Way on Thursday, deepening her feud with the group that attacked her Social Security plan in the Wall Street Journal.

The WSJ op-ed said that Warren was ignoring Social Security’s “undebatable solvency crisis.”

“It’s just flatly wrong,” Warren said of Third Way’s critique. “We could make modest adjustments and make the system financially stable for a century, and we could make somewhat larger adjustments and make the system pay more for seniors who rely on it … The conversation for too long has been about whether to cut Social Security benefits a little bit or a lot. And that is flatly the wrong debate to have in mind….”

….Warren responded to Third Way earlier this week by challenging Wall Street banks to be transparent about donations they have made to think tanks.

The Massachusetts Democrat said that Wall Street’s push to cut Social Security is part of a broader agenda. “It’s part of the larger issue about a rigged playing field. They don’t wanna pay more, they don’t wanna pay a fair share. I believe everybody should pay a fair share,” she said. “That’s how we make sure people can retire with dignity. That’s not what Wall Street wants to do.”

Third Way’s spokesman responded by saying that under Warren’s plan, Jamie Dimon, JPMorgan Chase’s CEO, would be entitled to a higher Social Security payout.

“Oh please. I’m out there working for Jamie Dimon the same way Dick Cheney is out there trying to save the environment,” Warren said….

Well, Senator McCaskill, which side are you on? People who rely on Social Security to get by, or Wall Street movers and shakers?

I know which side I’m on.