Social Security: Gorillas in the Midst (of Rick Santorum’s Campaign)
Thursday, August 17
Senator Rick Santorum (R-Pa.) thinks he can get away with for rooting for President Bush to gut Social Security, and then making like the program's best friend while he tries to sneak privatization through the back door. We caught onto his trick, though, and this week we decided to call him on it – so it's time for our pal Ricky to face the gorilla.
We mean Grandpa Gorilla, of course. Grandpa stomped into Pennsylvania just this week -- and Rick can enjoy having the gorilla in his face until he tells Pennsylvanians why he's so gung ho ruin seniors' safety net. That might take a spell – but the more Santorum puts Grandpa off, the more he can look forward to coverage like this:
Look out, Bobby the Duck, there's a new beast on the campaign trail.
That's right. Grandpa Gorilla, a giant inflatable gorilla, will be following Sen. Rick Santorum around as he runs for re-election, according to a group angry with Santorum's stance on Social Security.
Washington, DC-based Americans United is sending Grandpa around to protest Santorum's support for privatizing Social Security.
"We don't want folks mucking around with Social Security," said spokesman Brad Woodhouse.
... Woodhouse said the 11-foot gorilla will be at the Middletown Grange Fair in Wrightstown, Pa. this week.
Hope you like that, Rick – 'cause you're gonna be hanging out with the gorilla until seniors get answers.
Posted by Americans United For Change Web Team
6 Comments
What questions do you guys and gals need answered? Questions like these:
“What happens when SS expenditures exceed revenues in 2017?”
“Do liberals have a plan to deal with the inevitable year 2040 bust of the SS program?”
“Why are PRA’s good enough for AARP employees and government workers but not good enough for the average worker?”
Brendan Steinhauser in Washington, D.C. | Wednesday, August 23 at 01:26 PM
Can you please tell me why as a younger American I should not support personal saving accounts? What gurantee is it that the money taken out of my paycheck will be there when I retire?
Fleecing My Future SS in Texas | Wednesday, August 23 at 01:47 PM
Fleecing My Future SS in Texas asks a good question. Indeed, he should be mad as a hornet to be paying 7.65% of his own money (an an equal amount from his employer) into a system which will not even pay a market rate of return. Right now senior citizens receiving Social Security are not anticipating a cut in benefits. However, in the future the only alternative to a cut in benefits will be or higher taxes on the young. Let’s get real people. The system is broken and needs a major overhaul, personal retirement accounts.
Grandma in Missouri in St. Louis, MO | Wednesday, August 23 at 03:41 PM
Hear, hear! I heartily concur with Fleecing and Grandma. Even though the actual projections support the opposite conclusion, my healthy consultant salary (and my retirement plan) depend on their argument.
Astroturf salesman | Friday, August 25 at 02:04 PM
Actually, the projections probably do not support the opposite conclusion. See Peter Ferrara, Social Security: The Inherent Contradiction. Also, the assault has started. In 2007, the premiums for Medicare Part B will be means tested and the income thresholds will not be indexed.
Grandma in Missouri in St. Louis, MO | Friday, August 25 at 10:15 PM
Re. How are liberals going to fund SS when the money runs out in 2040?
We are going to use all the trillions we save by ending the war in iraq and put it in to SS.
I have nevber heard a neo-con ask How are we going to pay for the war?
Dan Lagerman in Bluffton S.C. | Tuesday, August 29 at 06:15 AM