Well welcome to another week of Disconnected Rumblings. My critic is getting more testy. So this must be working. Remember the mission of this blog is to make the red staters see red!

Ok now on social security.

New Soc. Sec. Estimates More Optimistic

"The Social Security system will take in more money annually than it pays out in benefits until 2020, two years later than earlier estimated...

Congress' budget analysts also estimated the program's trust funds will be depleted in 2052...

In both cases, the CBO estimates are more optimistic than the most recent projections made by the Social Security Board of Trustees. In the annual report it issued last March, the board said annual income would fall behind benefit payments beginning in 2018, and the trust funds would be empty in 2042."

Hmmm so it seems these estimates are just that ESTIMATES. Stop taking them as fact Republicans. I'm not saying they are wrong, and I'm not saying they are right. They are just estimates, that is all. Now stop scaring the crap out of everyone with doomsday scenarios which seem just like excuses to gut the system, and lets take a comprehensive look at the program and see what we can come up with.

"'Social Security does face problems down the road,' [House Democratic Leader Nancy] Pelosi said Monday in her joint appearance with [Sen. Harry] Reid. She added, though, 'We can solve the long-term challenge without dismantling Social Security, and without allowing this administration's false declaration of a crisis to justify a privatization that is unnecessary, unaffordable and unwise.'"

Well said I believe. Bring on the dog[s]!

Now on to the $9 Billion!

Audit: $9 Billion Unaccounted for in Iraq

"The U.S. occupation authority in Iraq was unable to keep track of nearly $9 billion it transferred to government ministries, which lacked financial controls, security, communications and adequate staff, an inspector general has found."

Wait, what!? $9 billion is missing?! 9 BILLION?! I don't know what to say.

"The U.S. officials relied on Iraqi audit agencies to account for the funds but those offices were not even functioning when the funds were transferred between October 2003 and June 2004, according to an audit by a special U.S. inspector general."

Wow talk about mismanagement! Funds given relying on auditing agencies that weren't even functioning. Yowsers!

"U.S. officials, the report said, 'did not establish or implement sufficient managerial, financial and contractural controls.' There was no way to verify that the money was used for its intended purposes of financing humanitarian needs, economic reconstruction, repair of facilities, disarmament and civil administration."

Yeah I would say so. Is this $9 billion from our tax funds? Why aren't you republicans up in arms? I mean come on, you are always crowing about how our tax dollars are misused. Well stick to your principles. Be outraged. Prove to me that you aren't a bunch of hypocrites.

"Some of the transferred funds may have paid 'ghost' employees, the inspector general found.

CPA staff learned that 8,206 guards were on the payroll at one ministry, but only 602 could be accounted for, the report said. At another ministry, U.S. officials found 1,417 guards on the payroll but could only confirm 642."

You know, I have always wondered if this chaos over there wasn't a good cover to siphon some money off the top. But I had NO idea it could be this much, possibly that came to that fate.

I know, everything is fine. Well folks brace yourselves, the State of the Union speech is Wednesday! Hopefully not another Axis of Evil speech. I wait with bated breath!