The Third Rail

Submitted by Blue Neponset on Sun, 09/07/2008 - 9:30am. Tags:

Politics

A few weeks ago John McCain called Social Security a "disgrace". I expected Obama & Co. to jump all over this comment. When they didn't I was very surprised, and honestly, a bit worried. I couldn't understand why Obama would let McCain get away with calling the most successful government program in our country a "disgrace". The only good explanation I could come up with was that Obama was saving McCain's gaffe for another time. I am happy to report I was right about that. LINK

From the link:

Obama said McCain's campaign has suggested trimming Social Security benefits, raising the eligibility age and privatizing a portion of the program.

"Privatizing Social Security was a bad idea when George Bush proposed it, and it's a bad idea today," Obama said.

He also said that McCain has called the way Social Security works "an absolute disgrace." McCain has said he meant that it was disgraceful that young workers might eventually receive fewer benefits than current retirees.

Obama said this at a meeting of the AARP at which both candidates spoke via satellite.

McCain went on to lie about his position on privatizing Social Security:

McCain said repeatedly that he did not favor privatization of Social Security.

"I'm committed to protecting and preserving Social Security," he said. "I will protect and preserve it. I won't hand it off to an unluckier generation — a system that is broken."

This is from McCain's website (bold text added):

Reform Social Security: John McCain will fight to save the future of Social Security and believes that we may meet our obligations to the retirees of today and the future without raising taxes. John McCain supports supplementing the current Social Security system with personal accounts -- but not as a substitute for addressing benefit promises that cannot be kept. John McCain will reach across the aisle, but if the Democrats do not act, he will. No problem is in more need of honesty than the looming financial challenges of entitlement programs. Americans have the right to know the truth and John McCain will not leave office without fixing the problems that threatens our future prosperity and power.

This is a good example of why McCain isn't allowed to go off script anymore. When he is off script he contradicts himself and he comes across like he doesn't know what he is talking about. This is also a good example of why the Republicans don't want to talk about issues. They can't keep their lies straight.
--

But she's a queen, and such are queens

that your laughter is sucked in their brains. -D. Bowie