The American Debate: Touching the Third rail reminds us that in debates over safety-net issues, Democrats tend to have the upper hand. It goes on to quote Tim Pawlenty in April 2011 (now a Romney surrogate) on Ryan's Medicare plan, as "Tiptoeing around the TNT". Mitt Romney's decision to attack traditional Medicare is indication of confidence by him and most candidate that have signed the Americans for Tax Reform (ATR) "taxpayer protection ple ...

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The American Debate: Touching the Third rail reminds us that in debates over safety-net issues, Democrats tend to have the upper hand. It goes on to quote Tim Pawlenty in April 2011 (now a Romney surrogate) on Ryan's Medicare plan, as "Tiptoeing around the TNT". Mitt Romney's decision to attack traditional Medicare is indication of confidence by him and most candidate that have signed the Americans for Tax Reform (ATR) "taxpayer protection pledge" that in 2012 the anti-government sentiment is strong enough to attack safety-net issues. This confidence may be the result of a multi-decade campaign to replace the longstanding third rail, i.e., the middle-class oriented post-retirement benefits, with a ruling-class oriented third rail: "tax-cuts are forever". Progressives, by contrasting these extremes at every opportunity, can create: the gift the keeps on giving. Only time will tell!

Authors Bio:
A seasoned financial professional, currently providing subject matter expertise on a variety of regulatory topics, including the Dodd-Frank Act, the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (FATCA) and overall compliance monitoring. He has previously held positions as Chief Risk Officer (CRO), Chief Audit Executive (CAE) and Director of Sarbanes-Oxley (SOX) Compliance, is a son of a Philadelphia, Pa. Steelworker and very concerned citizen with regards to the fate of our Republic.