Another Week, Another Chance for the Republican Presidential Field to Duck Hard Questions
October 25, 2007Tonight, the AARP will be hosting a forum for the Republican candidates in Iowa to address issues important to America's seniors but only one of the Republican frontrunners will attend as the others cited "scheduling conflicts." This comes as no surprise, considering the candidates' risky positions on issues affecting America's seniors, including their support for Bush's failed plan to privatize Social Security - a plan the American people already overwhelmingly rejected. [Sioux City Journal, 10/25/07]
Rudy Giuliani probably doesn't want to explain his blind support for Bush's failed privatization plan and his abysmal record on senior issues while Mayor of New York City. Mitt Romney also supports privatizing Social Security and is even considering "deep cuts" in benefits. Fred Thompson probably isn't participating due to his recently outlined plan to slash benefits by 24% and up to 40% by 2050. [Washington Post, 10/12/07] And watch for John McCain to squirm today as he tries to explain his votes against Social Security and many other issues important to seniors.
This isn't the first time the Republican candidates have avoided an audience in an attempt to hide their records. Almost every Republican running for President has ducked major conferences of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), the National Association of Latino Elected Officials (NALEO), the National Education Association (NEA), the National Council of La Raza (NCLR), and even the Young Republicans National Convention and the College Republican Convention. They also recently skipped out on a forum focusing on issues important to African Americans and Hispanics.
"Given that the American people overwhelmingly opposed Bush's plan to privatize Social Security it comes as no surprise that the Republican frontrunners don't want to have to explain why they support it. Once again the Republican field of presidential candidates has demonstrated their unwavering commitment to four more years of failed Bush policies," said DNC Press Secretary Stacie Paxton.
GIULIANI WANTS TO GUT RETIREMENT SECURITY WITH PRIVATIZATION
Giuliani Supports Bush's Failed Plan to Privatize Social Security. In August of 2007, Giuliani "said he supported President Bush's unsuccessful proposal to allow people to invest some of their Social Security taxes in private accounts." [Associated Press, 8/17/07]Giuliani Wanted To Cut $7 Million From The Department of Aging. In his final year in office, Giuliani proposed more than $7-million reduction in the Department of the Aging budget. The cuts included $3 million to a program that allows senior centers to provide an extra, or sixth, meal to the elderly each week, a $ 2.5-million council-initiated program to hire social workers for senior citizen centers in each council district and $ 1.8 million in increased spending for expanded van service, home-repair assistance, food delivery. [Newsday (New York), 1/30/01]
JOHN MCCAIN VOTED AGAINST SOCIAL SECURITY
McCain Supports Replacing Social Security Benefits With Risk-Based Private Savings Accounts. In 2006, McCain voted for the Social Security Reserve Fund. The GOP proposal would shift Social Security's annual surpluses into a reserve account intended to be turned into risky private accounts. In 2005, McCain voted to keep the option open for Congress to pass a Social Security plan that could require deep benefit cuts or a massive increase in debt. That same year, McCain voted against legislation that would prioritize Social Security solvency over tax cuts for the wealthy. And, in 1998 McCain voted twice to replace Social Security's guaranteed benefits with income from risk-based private investments. [SCR 83, Vote 68, 3/16/06, Failed 46-53, D:0-44, R:46- 8, I:0-1; SCR 18, Vote 49, 3/15/05, Failed 50-50, D:44-0, R:5-50, I:1-0; S.Amdt.144 to SCR 18, Vote 47, 3/15/05, Failed 45-55, D:44-0, R:0-55, I:1-0; Vote No. 56, SCR 86, 4/1/98, motion passed 51-49 (R 49-6, D 2-43); Vote No. 77, SCR 86, 4/1/98, motion passed 50-48 (R 49-5, D 1-43)]
McCain Voted Against Protecting Social Security Over Several Years. In 2003 Senator McCain voted to use Social Security to pay off federal debt. In 2001, McCain opposed a move that would reduce upper-bracket tax cuts and create a strategic reserve for Social Security. In the same year, McCain voted against a proposal that would have created lockboxes to protect Social Security and Medicare. [(Vote 201, HJR 51, 5/23/2003, Passed 52-46 D 1-45 R 51-0 I 0-1); (Vote 145, (Motion rejected 41-57: R 0-48; D 41-9 (ND 36-5, SD 5-4)), HR 1836, Senate RPC, 5/22/01); (Vote 22, (Motion rejected 53- 47: R 3-47; D 50-0 (ND 41-0, SD 9-0)), S. Amdt. 29, Senate RPC, 3/13/01)]
ROMNEY FLIP-FLOPS, SETTLES ON BUSH'S FAILED PLAN
Romney Does NOT Have a Plan to Fix Social Security; Might Consider Cutting Social Security Benefits. Romney spokesman Eric Fehrnstrom said, "Governor Romney has not put out a specific plan with regard to Social Security, but he has stated his opposition to raising taxes." Fehrnstrom said Romney might consider cutting benefits to "high income individuals," but Romney hasn't said who fits that definition. [Boston Globe, 10/15/07]
Romney Praised Personal Accounts for Social Security. Mitt Romney supported the notion of personal accounts for Social Security recipients, a key component of President Bush's Social Security reform plan that failed in Congress. Romney said it would be a good idea to use the Social Security trust fund to allow personal accounts, which could earn higher rates of return for beneficiaries. Romney said, "Personal accounts would be a big plus." [New Hampshire Union Leader, 6/7/07]
THOMPSON SUPPORTS BUSH'S PLAN AND WANTS TO GO EVEN FURTHER
Thompson's Plan For Social Security Would Results In A Loss of Benefits For Retirees. Thompson's plan for 'saving' Social Security is to replace the current system of indexing to wages "with a system indexed to the growth in inflation, which typically grows at a lower rate than wages," which would mean that "now-promised benefits could be cut for some workers by 10 percent in the short term and possibly much more in the longer term." Thompson's campaign acknowledged this and even provided an example: "a $40,000-per-year worker born in 1975 would receive $1,562 per month under the current system, compared with a $1,424 a month under Thompson's proposal." [Boston Globe, 10/15/07]
Thompson's Benefit Cuts Plan Would Most Adversely Affect Low Income Workers...And Cause Poverty Among the Elderly. According to the Congressional Budget Office, if Thompson's plan were enacted, "would have benefits 24 percent lower than promised under the current system if the change were implemented next year. Those eligible for benefits in 2050 would receive 40 percent less." In addition, the change Thompson is proposing "would be hard on lower-income workers, who rely heavily or entirely on Social Security in retirement." According to the Congressional Research Service, "if we were doing what Thompson wants, there would be 10 million elderly Americans living in poverty today instead of just three million." [Washington Post, 10/12/07; MSNBC, 10/11/07]
Thompson Supported Bush's Failed Social Security Plan And Co-Sponsored Legislation To Create Personal Savings Accounts. Fred Thompson vigorously supports President Bush's plan to privatize Social Security. In 2000, when speaking to a group of Tennessee Republicans, he "applauded Bush for his plan to change Social Security," and in 2001 he appeared on CNN and defended the president's plan as providing a better return in the long run. In 1999, Fred Thompson co-sponsored legislation that would allow Americans "to divert a portion of their payroll taxes to a personal savings account." [Commercial Appeal (Memphis, TN), 8/22/00; CNN's Wolf Blitzer Reports, 3/24/01; Fred Thompson Weekly Senate Column, 5/28/99, http://web.archive.org/web/19990902113121/thompson.senate.gov/052899.html]
