Joining me now is former republican congressman from ohio.
Bob McEwen. He and I have a bit of a difference of opinion I suspect here.
Congressman, first of all, let's agree on the facts.
2.5 Trillion dollar surplus for social security, right?
Well, you just said they've already spent it.
So therefore either it has been spent and there's nothing there.
Or the money is sitting there and it's a surplus. We have to decide on one or the other.
Yes. The fact is that the money is gone. I can to explain that.
No No No, wait a minute
If we have a debt to china or we have a debt to saudi arabia.
We have to pay it otherwise the bond market will flip out they'll say what are you doing?
America's faith and credit has to be meet
Now if we have a debt to the american people, which we do under social security, and you want to bilk them on that?
Well that also involves our faith and credit. That's not right.
And you guys spend it on the tax cuts for the rich and for your senseless ridiculous wars.
How about we get our money back?
Well, either the money is spent or it's there as a surplus one or the other.
So you're admitting you spent it? Make up your mind.
The fact is that it's gone.
The fact is that it was in treasury bonds and it's been consumed and spent.
And there is no treasury.
This year the abutment that people said for years we would hit.
It has come.
That is we're spending more money this year than it's taking in.
Everyone knew it was coming.
For thirty years people predicted it. That day is now upon us.
No congressman, no congressman, that is a blip in the radar because of the recession.
Every economist agrees it will pay 100% until 2037.
Are you disagreeing with all those numbers.
Yes.
Of course, you are, because you already spent their money.
So you're not going to give it back to the american people are you?
They put in every year, every single year that comes of our paycheck.
We put it in.
And you're saying we were suckers.
That you just took the money and gave it to tax cuts to the rich, and you're just not going to give it back.
Is that what you're saying?
No, Nope not even close.
What I'm doing is quoting. It looks like it.
The social security report on August 11th that it is 2.5 trillion in the shortfall.
As you just mentioned.
Surplus. And as Bill Clinton
Bill Clinton said how do you keep that from happening.
The Demographics, you know Cenk if you just stop and think a bit.
The date of 65 years of age was chosen by bismarck in the 19th century.
38 Years later when social security was established they took that same date of course we're living 20 years longer than that.
And so there's a demographic problem that everybody knew was coming.
Everybody knows is here. You can play politics all you want.
I was an intern for my PREDECESSOR IN THE 1970s.
And you can go to the parking lot of the house and senate today and see the same bumper sticker.
That I saw when I was a kid. And it said, Vote democrat.
Save social security.
In other words they've been riding this thing for 30 years.
We knew this day would come.
It's now here, there's no alternative.
I love the irony of what you just said.
Congressman, you just told them you were going to cut their social security.
You just told them I'm not going to pay you back.
You just told them you're going to raise the retirement age
You said 65 is too young. Now you're saying the democrats are demagoging no they're tell the truth, you just said it.
You wouldn't have to repeat it if I had said that.
Because you'd know that I didn't.
Didn't you just say raise the retirement age?
Did I not just not quote Bill Clinton who said do three things
Okay, No no put aside Bill Clinton, Bill Clinton's not here.
I want to know what you think, should we raise the retirement age?
We have a chinese menu of options.
One of them as Bill Clinton said that you can control benefits -- >> no, no, no.
Forget Bill Clinton.
No, stay with me here. Do you want to. No no no.
You're the republican, do you want to raise the retirement age?
Do you want to raise it, yes or no?
I said there's a series of options and we're not going to change anything off the table? If you're smart.
In other words, yeah.
Of course.
That's for your political argument.
As a republican you say you're not going to cut social security.
Can I get your word on that?
That once, if the deficit commission says we're going to cut social security or raise the retirement age.
That you, Congressman McEwen, you're going to come back and say I'm against this commission.
They should never do that.
American people put their hard earned money into that.
I'm not going to rob them, are you saying that?
That's a cheap political attack. That's a cute political attack.
You tell me what to do when you're running short of money? What are your options let's hear it.
Yeah, I'll tell you exactly what you do. Tell me.
You know what you do. There are a hundred other things to cut.
Let's hear it. For example
Name one.
Billions in defense contractor waste. Name one. Waste in Defense. Here's one.
How about we didn't go into that dumb ass war in iraq and waste a trillion dollars when we found zero weapons of mass destruction.
You flush it down to the toilet. We're talking social security not your politics.
And now you're talking about robbing people's social security.
That is outrageous.
Not your contempt for america. We're talking about social security
Contempt for america. What are you going do about social security
You lost 4,400 american lives in iraq.
You have contempt for america.
You have a shortfall in social security focus.
What would you do about that?
I'm telling you how I would balance the budget.
Because unlike republicans I'm not full of it.
I'm telling you, I would raise taxes for the rich. Remember when Reagan cut taxes
Raise taxes, fine. When Reagan cut taxes
Fine, yeah that will do it.
It was still at 50% and our economy did well. Exactly right okay got you.
When we were in our golden age in america, the taxes were between 70% and 90%.
I'm not saying we go there.
But that was where we built the middle class.
That's an option.
Here's another option.
Stop wasting so much money that's just getting right into the defense contractor's pocket.
We spend more on defense than the rest of the world combined. I have gave you constructive solutions
Your contempt for those -- >> you're solution is to rob social security.
Your contempt for those who defend the country is focused I understand that -- >> oh, you are being ridiculous.
I don't want their lives lost.
I don't want them being wasted so your defense contractor buddys can make more money. Talk about social security
Let's talk about social security. Social security is the problem here. I already talked about it.
You told me you were going to cut it.
No I didn't I said that there's a chinese menu of options.
A chinese menu, I know.
And you love every one of them, That's right.
And you want to use it for a political issue rather than being an adult.
Be an adult rob the american people.
Some day you're going to have a child.
And when a child is running short of money. Then your options
It's not that complicated, Congressman McEwen, The way you're going to rob those folks is very adult like.
Sure, Alright, thank you for joining us.
That was perceptive, thank you.
Yes, absolutely, you heard it for yourself here.
Anybody can judge it.