Few have ever accused Speaker John Boehner of being a candidate for MENSA, but he's smart enough to know that this is a lie:
[Boehner] criticized Obama for offering "veiled threats" about the fate of Social Security, saying "I don't know what to believe," when asked the program's payments would be affected if the debt ceiling weren't increased. Obama indicated earlier Tuesday that he could not guarantee Social Security benefits would be immune on August 3.
Default does, of course, mean the government would be forced to prioritize legal obligations, meaning federal benefits like Social Security or veterans might be threatened. The Treasury Department just won't have the money to pay all of its bills. That's government 101, which one would hope Boehner had passed.
Or perhaps he's trying to up his tea party cred, echoing insane torturer and freshman Rep. Allen West (R-FL) who calls the President's warning "fear mongering."
But more likely he's taking a page from Fox News and the right wing media in general, and deliberately spreading misinformation. As usual.
- Fox Nation: "Obama Threatens To Withhold Social Security Checks From Seniors And Vets."...
- Drudge: "Obama Threatens To Hold Up Social Security Checks."...
- Breitbart TV: "Obama To Hold Senior And Vets Benefits Hostage For Tax Increases."...
- Hannity: Obama Is "Resorting To Desperate Scare Tactics" And "Trying To Scare Seniors."...
- Krauthammer: "If [The President] Wants To Threaten Social Security, He Can Do That."...
- Asman: "Today, The President Made A Threat" About Social Security"....
It's worked for the far right before. Lying about cuts to Medicare (the program they would abolish if they got their way) was how they got the House back in 2010. Unfortunately, fear mongering with seniors works, which is why they're just going to keep on doing it.
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