Retirement at Brave New Films

John McCain: Town Hall 08/12/08

2008-08-19T18:44:39Z

John McCain
Town Hall
York, PA 08/12/08

TRANSCRIPT:
QUESTIOENER: I actually have two questions, the first question is, as a young, hardworking American, I am actually paying in to a Social Security system that I'm not going to reap the benefits from. [applause] What is your proposal to help young Americans, like myself, who are paying into a system but are probably not going to get the benefits as the system is now?

JOHN MCCAIN: Thank you. I should've recognized the guy behind you. [laughter] Let, let, let me just say to you: you are exactly right. And, as I said, sometimes we have to have straight talk in America. The Social Security benefits that are presently there for present day retirees will not be there when you retire, if we don't fix the system. [applause] And, my friends, that's just a fact. And we have to face up to it and we have to face up to our obligation. Not just to present generations of retirees but future generations. If there's ever a compelling argument for Republican and Democrat to sit down and work on this issue, it is the issue of Social Security. Why should we lay a multi-trillion dollar debt on this young American and the other young people in this audience? [applause] Why should we do that? Why should we do that? So, let me, let me if I could, just remind you, you know, Tom and I came to congress together. And, I was proud to make the friendship of the only other Viet Nam veteran in our incoming class. In case you didn—many of you don't remember, he graduated from Harvard and easily could've gotten a deferment. But instead, he chose to go as an enlisted person and fight in the war in Viet Nam. [applause] And, when we came, when we first, and when we first came to congress together, Social Security was on the brink of bankruptcy. It was about to go broke. I mean it was out of money. So what happened? Tip O'Neil, the speaker of the house, the liberal Democrat from Massachusetts and Ronald Reagan, the, uh, conservative from California, came together, armed with a study by Alan Greenspan, and they walked outside and stood in the Rose Garden together and said, "We're going to work together and fix Social Security." And they did for about 25 or 30 years. My friends, we have an example of what needs to be done. It's not going to be invented by me and Joe Lieberman, it's going to something that the Americans want us to badly do. And I'm going to tell you, my young friend, I understand my obligation to you and your generation. I understand it so well that I believe it's a major and compelling reason for me to be President of the United States and we will fix Social Security and we'll do it in a bipartisan fashion.

LABEL: JM PA 08-12 (JR#65) CK - ClipE - LS

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Alabama Democrat retiring, gives up House seat

2008-03-17T07:59:00Z

Too bad we have to lose one more:

Rep. Bud Cramer (D-Ala.) announced Thursday that he will not seek reelection in 2008, ending an 18-year House career and opening up a competitive district.
The nine-term Democrat’s retirement leaves a conservative seat vacant and hands Republicans, who are dealing with a plethora of retirements, a rare open seat takeover opportunity of their own.
It is the second open seat in the state, as Rep. Terry Everett (R) announced last year that he would leave Congress in 2008. [...]
The district voted for President Bush in 2000 and 2004, 60-39 in the latter year, but has not been contested by Republicans since the mid-1990s. It is only the second Democratic-held open seat that appears conducive to a takeover, with the other being Rep. Darlene Hooley’s (D-Ore.).

Bob Schieffer to retire

2008-01-29T21:33:37Z

Via MediaBistro:

The inauguration of a new President will also mark the end of Bob Schieffer's day-in, day-out contribution to CBS News. The AP's David Bauder talked with Schieffer today. The swearing-in of a new President is a natural transition, Schieffer tells Bauder. "That's when I'll stop doing what I'm doing now. But I'll still have some relationship with CBS, at least I hope so."
"Bob can work at CBS News as long as he wants to and I hope that's a long time," said CBS News President Sean McManus.
As for who would succeed Schieffer on Face the Nation, Bauder writes, "There's no obvious successor in place at CBS News. Jim Axelrod and Scott Pelley have both filled in during a rare circumstance when Schieffer was absent."

Condi loses her right hand!

2008-01-19T11:57:04Z

Okay, psyche! Her right-hand MAN.

R. Nicholas Burns, the country’s third-ranking diplomat and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice’s right-hand man, is retiring for personal reasons, the State Department said Friday.

He must suffer from exhaustion and want to spend more time with his family.

“He has decided that it’s the right moment to go back to family concerns.”

I'll give him credit for wording it differently than the last 27094070135 retirees.

Rumor has it that his replacement has no family, never gets exhausted, and has no reason for concern about anything. Ever.

Another Republican Congressman retiring? That would make, what, 657?

2008-01-12T20:48:28Z

Awww, sorry to see you gohurryupandleave!

Rep. Richard Baker (R), the longest serving member of Louisiana’s delegation, is considering retiring to head the Managed Funds Association, the trade group representing the lucrative hedge-fund industry.

If he decides to step down, the 11-term veteran would be the 19th Republican to announce plans to leave Congress this year. His retirement also would further weaken the GOP’s chances of regaining control of the House majority, which they lost to Democrats in November 2006.

He'll decide in 7-10 days. If he doesn't take the job, he'll run for re-election. If he does, he'll leave in February.

Here's a fascinating little tidbit:

Baker won reelection with 83 percent of the vote that year. But Republicans may have trouble holding onto the seat. President Bush won the district in 2004 with 59 percent of the vote, but Hurricane Katrina victims moved there in large numbers and have altered the political terrain.

You can move 'em, but you can't stop 'em from voting. You might want to remember that the next time there's a disaster and you ignore the victims, okay BushCo?

TPMtv: Heckuva Job, Hughesie!

2008-06-15T03:30:32Z

Karen Hughes, the Under Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs - the woman essentially in charge of making sure the rest of the world really likes America - announced on Wednesday that she would be retiring from her post by the end of the year. In today's episode of TPMtv we take a look back at just how wildly successful she has been in promoting America's image abroad over the past few years ...

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Joe Biden at the Dartmouth Debate

2008-09-05T22:42:46Z

Video montage of Senator Joe Biden's questions and answers at the MSNBC/NECN Dartmouth debate.

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TPMtv: Jumping Ship

2008-06-16T15:35:29Z

Forget about the presidential race. How are things looking for the GOP in the House and Senate for 2008? Not so good, at least when you add up the number of Republicans retiring and leaving once secure seats open to possible Democratic takeover.

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Frightening

2008-01-12T20:20:59Z

U.S. home foreclosures soar in August
LOS ANGELES - The number of foreclosure filings reported in the U.S. last month more than doubled versus August 2006 and jumped 36 percent from July, a trend that signals many homeowners are increasingly unable to make timely payments on their mortgages or sell their homes amid a national housing slump.
A total of 243,947 foreclosure filings were reported in August, up 115 percent from 113,300 in the same month a year ago, Irvine, Calif.-based RealtyTrac Inc. said Tuesday.

Winter is coming, keep an eye on those heating bills!!

New York oil price hits record high 81.24 dollars
LONDON (AFP) - The price of New York crude hit a new record peak above 81 dollars Tuesday ahead of a US interest rate call and as traders fretted over US energy supplies in the winter season.

Well, at least some people have nest eggs to fall back on. Ooops, wrong again.

LI's American Home looks to seize employees' retirement funds
MELVILLE, N.Y. --The bankrupt Melville-based American Home Mortgage is attempting to seize as much as $27 million that employees set aside from their paychecks as retirement savings.
If it is successful, the workers may never see the money again: Employees around the country say American Home wants to release retirement money from a trust fund which would put it in the hands of large creditors.

The spectre of another "Great Depression" doesn't seem that far off anymore.

From The Department Of WAAAAHHHHHHHH

2008-06-16T21:30:23Z

Rep. Chris Shays is threatening his own caucus with retirement if he is not named to the top GOP post on the Government Oversight and Reform Committee (for another Chris-is-going-crazy moment, watch the video).

I am a little teary-eyed, aren't you? I know Boehner must be somewhere crying, just because it's his way.

But I digress.

Don't you get it, Chris--they hate you, you "prissyliberalRINOCommie."

You can never please a party that would see Attila The Hun as a moderate, no matter how much you vote like them while lying to the moderate-to-progressive voters of your district. Sooner or later, you have to become one of them entirely (to be above suspicion) and lose (see 2008: Sunununununu), or they destroy you for not doing so.

Even though you have been their rubber stamp on getting American soldiers killed in Iraq and blowing up the deficit, and just happen to be the only GOP Congressman left from New England, your time is up pal. I'm thinking you realize that, and might just be using this as an excuse to exit stage right-wing.

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Warner Announces his Retirement

2008-06-17T09:31:50Z

Senator John Warner (R-VA) announces he will retire. August 31 2007

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The Pryce of War

2008-06-17T21:29:39Z

Constituents deliver 156 flowers, representing the number of fallen soldiers from Ohio, to Rep. Pryce's office.

Today she announced she is not running for reelection. Think there is any connection?

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Perhaps This Is Why Rep. Ray LaHood Chose To Retire

2008-06-17T21:31:20Z

You can run from you Iraq enabling for a while, but eventually it catches up with you...especially is you're scared to say what you really think on camera (according to a constituent).

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The Gallup Poll: Retirement Worries

2008-06-07T09:37:09Z

Gallup asks Americans about their financial plans for retirement.

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Increasing Benefits to New Members as UPS Expands

2008-06-16T03:30:22Z

There are over 200,000 Teamster members at UPS and the Teamsters are continuing efforts to secure good contracts, health benefits, and secure pensions for these members. As UPS expands, it is necessary to ensure that the benefits of Teamster membership are extended to workers in new companies that it acquires. (Running Time: 6:44)

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