Friday, September 22, 2006

The voters will penalize people who want to phase out Social Security

From TPM Cafe we get the news that Rick O'Donnell, Republican Candidate for Colorado congressional district 7 has gotten down on bended knee asking forgiveness for what he wrote 12 years ago. That that time he wrote that "for freedom's sake," we should "eliminate Social Security."

Now that his opponent, Democrat Ed Perlumtter, has called him on it apparently the accusation has drawn real blood.

Everyone needs to remember to pin their Congresspersons and Senators down on their view on Social Security phase out, privatization, or redirecting the tax money to personal accounts. If you ask the first two questions the Republicans will very likely answer that they are for strengthening Social Security, not phasing it out or turning it over to private accounts. That's because the Republican Party no longer uses those terms for it.

They are dessembling. They do not want to be honest and tell you that they are ready to eliminate Social Security as a government-run fixed benefit retirement program that is intended to be the basis for an individual's retirement, and they will completely ignore the fact that Social Security provides disability benefits and benefits for the survivors of deceased workers.