When politicians care more about reelection than the country you end up where we are.
"If the end brings me out right, what is said against me won't amount to anything, he pointed out. If the end brings me out wrong, ten thousand angels swearing I was right wouldn't make any difference."
"WASHINGTON—Illinois Sen. Dick Durbin, the Senate's No. 2 Democrat, said Wednesday he would ask lawmakers to create a commission to recommend ways to shore up the finances of Social Security.
A commission would remove negotiations over the retirement program from the broader discussion in Congress of what changes to taxes, entitlement programs and other federal spending should be enacted to reduce the deficit. Separating Social Security from those emerging discussions could prove to be a contentious idea.
Mr. Durbin described his proposal at breakfast sponsored by The Wall Street Journal and said he would file legislation in the coming months. It would create a bipartisan panel that would have 180 days to approve a plan to ensure that Social Security is solvent for 75 years. "...............
" Mr. Durbin was a first-term lawmaker when the Greenspan commission's recommendations were put to a vote. New to Congress in 1983, Mr. Durbin said he was in a "cold-sweat panic" when he found out he would have to vote to increase the retirement age to 67 from 65. He voted for it—and was re-elected.
One lesson, he said, is to move forward on tough changes with support from both parties. "There wasn't anyone who lost the election over that issue. Why? It was bipartisan," he said."...........
