Obama Faces Democratic Opposition To Social Security Cuts
President Obama is eager to seek a bipartisan solution to ensure the long-term solvency of Social Security, people who have spoken with him say, but h...
President Obama is eager to seek a bipartisan solution to ensure the long-term solvency of Social Security, people who have spoken with him say, but h...
Russ Wellen | Posted 03.20.2009 | Politics
It's folly to give Republicans credit for anything. The lack of rhyme in their response to the stimulus suggests that at this point they stand for nothing more than sheer nihilism.
Dean Baker | Posted 03.16.2009 | Business
President Obama would be advised to focus his attention on getting the economy back in order instead of attacking the country's most important social program.
Barbara B. Kennelly | Posted 03.08.2009 | Politics
Social Security and Medicare did not bring us to this economic precipice or turn our budget surplus into record debt in just eight years, and should not be used as scapegoats.
Ronald B. Robinson | Posted 03.08.2009 | Politics
Does the Republican ploy to provide 4% home mortgages to boost the economy sound too good to be true? It is. Buyer Beware!
Christopher Ingram | Posted 03.01.2009 | Politics
Barack Obama is our new president calling for change, but nothing has changed other than Washington politicians leaving nothing but change in the pockets of our children.
Tim Giago | Posted 02.27.2009 | Politics
Andy Torress was denied disability pension by the VA, but when he took his medical records to the Social Security Administration, they approved him for 100 percent disability.
Mark Miller | Posted 02.22.2009 | Politics
There are no easy fixes for Social Security or Medicare, but Obama plans to tackle entitlement reform head-on to get the government's financial house in order.
Robert Kuttner | Posted 02.18.2009 | Politics
No reform is possible if we keep the present health system -- America now spends 16 percent of our GDP on health, and the number of uninsured and under insured rises every year, in tandem with the costs.
Byron Williams | Posted 02.14.2009 | Politics
Bush, You had more impact on the country than any other president in my lifetime. One may have to go back to FDR to find a commander in chief that had more influence on the republic.
Leslie Weise | Posted 02.13.2009 | Politics
When I attended a 2008 hearing for the free speech lawsuit in which I'm involved, I was struck by the defendants' arguments, being made on behalf of government officials, as eerily un-American.
Scott Bittle and Jean Johnson | Posted 02.13.2009 | Politics
Unless there are reforms in Social Security and Medicare, by 2040 or so, every tax dollar collected will be needed to pay for entitlement programs and interest on the debt.
Chris Weigant | Posted 02.12.2009 | Politics
Lest I be accused of "Bush Derangement Syndrome," I'm reproducing some of the most interesting answers Bush gave today, with a minimum of snarky commentary.
Dean Baker | Posted 02.07.2009 | Politics
If the budget situation is so dire that it is necessary to default on the government debt, then surely we should be considering defaulting on the bonds held by wealthy bankers.
Tom Geoghegan | Posted 02.06.2009 | Chicago
For years, conservatives have said: "We can't do this. The money isn't there." Well, the money is there. It was there for the Iraq war and for the bailout.
Rev. Peter Laarman | Posted 01.22.2009 | Business
The unkindest cut this winter is coming from big U.S. employers that have decided they just won't fund employees' 401(k) plans to save costs.
Michael Russnow | Posted 01.20.2009 | Business
I'm always amazed that so many people bitch about not earning enough money to make ends meet when many of these same folks disregard money that is just sitting and waiting for them to collect.
Patrick Creadon | Posted 01.05.2009 | Business
Many have been quick to push the debate as a choice between stimulus and deficit reduction, but solutions committed to both objectives are critical to our short- and long-term survival.
Dean Baker | Posted 01.02.2009 | Business
Every few years there is a book or movie that stands out for its incredibly bad timing. The new documentary IOUSA seems destined to join earlier classics of this genre.
Michael Pento | Posted 12.14.2008 | Business
Americans must hope that the Obama administration is honest with the people and makes some difficult choices early in his tenure to deal with our growing annual deficits and long term debt.
Mark Miller | Posted 12.06.2008 | Business
President-elect Obama made clear during the campaign that he flat-out opposes privatization of any kind, and the Congress won't go there, either. So, what type of solution will emerge?
Mark Weisbrot | Posted 11.24.2008 | Politics
Senator Barack Obama's campaign for the White House pulled ahead of his opponent, Senator John McCain, as soon as the current financial crisis hit the...
Cenk Uygur | Posted 11.23.2008 | Politics
The Republicans are about to lose another 20 to 34 seats in the House and at least seven seats in the Senate. It will take decades -- maybe even generations -- for them to recover from that.
Dean Baker | Posted 11.22.2008 | Business
This film should be viewed as part of a larger effort to dismantle Social Security and Medicare, the country's core safety net programs.
Robert Creamer | Posted 11.22.2008 | Politics
Sarah Palin is right about one thing: this election is in fact a battle between the "real America" and a pretender. But it's not quite the battle she imagines.
New York Times | Posted 03.26.2009 | Politics