I Agree. I am thankful that Social Security wasn't privatized or it would have been gone with the AIG crisis. THEN WHAT ??? No McCain, This is one of his policies.

The American people need to see the true side of our elected officials. Most are multi millionaires that don’t understand what it is to live paycheck to paycheck. Here are a few facts I consider reprehensible. Our elected officials do not pay social security like the common worker and they don’t receive the benefits of it instead they have voted in a very lucrative retirement package for themselves. When they retire, they will receive the same pay check they received while an active members and will continue to receive this pay until the day they die. So while they retire from a government position and take a job in the corporate sector they will receive two checks; one from the new job and one from their former position in office. I challenge every hard working American to call their former employer and ask them for a check for the rest of their lives and to add in an annual cost of living increase. Let me help you visualize this. Congressman White and Senator Byrd will receive or expected to draw $7,800,000.00 “yes” that’s Seven Million, Eight-Hundred Thousand dollars at retirement. Their wives will draw over a quarter million the last years of their lives. Now let’s compare this to what we will receive at retirement from our contributions to social security. If 65 is average retirement age and the average person lives to 83, that’s 18 years of social security benefits. The average benefit is 1,000.00 per month. So lets do the math; 1,000.00 x 12 months = $12,000.00 pr year x18 years = $212,000.00 over a life time. Which would you rather have 7.8 million or 212k?

A congressman that spends one term in office qualifies for a monthly pension of $15,000.00 or more. While a US military person with 20 years of service and retire at the E-7 level will receive no more than $1,500.00 monthly. This is “why we are where we are”. Why hasn’t the IRS audited the United States government? Why are these obvious miss uses of hard working American dollars still at the disposal of politicians? These are the questions that need to be asked at our debates. Not why are we still in Iraq? We need to ask “Congressman, why do you have healthcare paid by the tax payer and we do not? Senator, will you return some of your tax payers retirement so that I may get 10% raise on my social security? Politicians will you introduce a bill to decrease our taxes by making the house pay it’s fair share of social security?

yes, and then they will know how it is to be so poor like my parents...and not be able to afford medications because the medicare system sucks and the paychecks are next to nothing. Yes, at least it is something, but barely enough for them to pay their bills....and neither of my parents can work because they are disabled. One had a stroke and the other was hit by a drunken driver and both were reduced to having to get social security..... Nice benefit, but hardly enough to survive on....and they worked their butts off for all of those years, paying into the social security system.  I have hear that if people don't have a retirement plan, they will be in for a very hard life when they are old because social security will not be enough for them to live on.... hmmmm, this is already happenning!  How sad!

politian-------------greedy, educated person with little concience and a hugh ego---caring for only himself

popswolff