Obama & Co. Try to One-Up Magical Trevor

The bad news on Social Security/Medicare was released yesterday. That should tell you something.

First, was there anyone with half a brain left that didn't know the news would be bad? Except for the 1930s and '40s, when the program was new, the outlook for Social Security has been unremittingly bleak, but no one did anything about it because it was FDR's sacred cow. (In truth it was more like Magical Trevor's cow, but that's another story.)

Second, if the Obama administration doesn't wait until Friday to release this report, then you know that it's part of the news they want you to see. All truly bad, embarrassing news is released on Friday or even Saturday when no one is paying attention. If they want you to notice this report, it's because they are using it to score political points, to advance an agenda. So, therefore, you must ask yourself ...

... What is the agenda?

Health care.

Forget the obvious horse manure about how the "recession" and "falling tax revenues" are killing Social Security and Medicare. That's the administration spin, via Labor Secretary Hilda Solis and Treasury's Tiny Tax Cheat Tim. You'll find it admirably spun, in lap-dog fashion, by Reuters today.

You want the truth? Can you handle the truth?

Social Security and Medicare are zombie programs, living off of today's tax receipts. Medicare is already upside down, meaning it pays out more than it takes in. Social Security revues are, for the moment, adequate to handle expenses notwithstanding the economy and unemployment. What is not happening, and what has never happened, is that there is a Social Security Trust Fund where the government has been storing up all those billions of dollars of excess contributions over the decades.

The money was put into Treasury bills. For us simpletons, that means the government spent the money!

The T-bills are paper. IOUs.

So when Tiny Tim says that the "liquidation of Social Security assets" will begin sooner than expected, in 2016, seven years from now, he's a lying bastard. There are no assets to liquidate, unless he's referring to the IOUs which are not assets, but government liabilities. This lie is bad enough, but the agenda requires more!

New HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, recently of Kansas where she raked in campaign cash from Tiller the Killer, declared that she and President Obama can save Social Security and Medicare.

"The only way to truly slow Medicare spending is to slow overall health-care spending through comprehensive and carefully crafted legislation," said Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, another trustee. "This report makes it clear. Reform can't wait."

Backers of the health overhaul effort agreed.

"We cannot solve the problems in Medicare without addressing the crisis that plagues our entire health-care system," said John Rother, the executive vice president of AARP, an influential group that represents older Americans.

Do you see the agenda? Now understand the lie:

Between Social Security and Medicare, there are unfunded liabilities -- projected future debts -- of over $90 trillion. Not billion. Trillion.

Yesterday we were told that the Obamatrons could squeeze $2 trillion in health care savings over a 10-year period by implementing such measures as the use of health information technology, care coordination, disease management, and “evidence based” medicine (whatever that means). All we have to do is "trust" them by rolling over for universal health care, which we are told, will require more taxes and more control. Also certain limitations on the types of health care available to the infirm and elderly.

That $2 trillion is a long way from $90 trillion.

According to the Heritage Foundation,

Spending on Social Security and Medicare already totals more than $1 trillion annually, and accounts for more than one-third of the federal budget. Recession or no recession, entitlement spending is on track to double by 2050 and tax rates for all Americans would have to double if the programs are not fundamentally reformed.

To his credit, George W. Bush tried to reform Social Security during his presidency. The Democrats said no way, and he gave up trying.

Now the Democrats are saying, give us total control of the health care industry and we'll solve all of Social Security and Medicare's problems.

They know this is impossible, but they think we are stupid and desperate. And gullible.

Please prove them wrong.