Senator Santorum, do you agree with the Tribune-Review that Social Security is a “Ponzi scheme”?
Senator Santorum, do you agree with your cheerleaders at the Tribune-Review that Social Security is a "Ponzi scheme"?
Personal attacks, Nazi references and Calls for Dismantling Social Security all in Day's Work for Tribune-Review's Colin McNickle
July 17, 2006 (Washington D.C.) - In response to the frothing at the mouth diatribe today from Colin McNickle, editorial page director for the Pittsburg Tribune-Review, Americans United, the group which derailed President Bush's effort to privatize Social Security in 2005, asked Senator Rick Santorum (R-PA) if he agrees with one of Pennsylvania's largest newspapers and one of his most ardent supporters that Social Security is "a quite onerous Big Government bait-and-switch racket that would make Charles K. Ponzi, father of the Ponzi scheme, most proud." In his column today - entitled "Social Security's socialist slicksters" -- McNickle wrote that, "Phased-in Social Security privatization -- personal accounts earning market rates of return -- is the only answer" and that Senator Santorum is "right on the money" in his pro-privatization stance. McNickle also launched numerous, unprovoked personal attacks on AU Communications Director Brad Woodhouse, referring to him as "stupid," "hardly extraordinaire," a "shill" and even comparing him to "Hitler disinformation chief Josef Goebbels." McNickle's full column can be found here: http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/opinion/columnists/mcnickle/s_461925.html
"It must be a little bit embarrassing for Colin McNickle's colleagues at the Pittsburg Tribune-Review to see the voice of their paper stoop to comparing people to Nazis just because they don't agree that dismantling Social Security with a risky investment scheme is best for America's seniors," said Jeremy Funk, Press Secretary for Americans United. "Fortunately Mr. McNickle doesn't represent Pennsylvania's seniors in the Senate - but Rick Santorum does. And his constituents might be very interested to know if their Senator, a vocal and aggressive supporter of the President's privatization proposal, also believes that Social Security is "a quite onerous Big Government bait-and-switch racket."
SEN. SANTORUM'S PRO-PRIVATIZATION RECORD:
- Senator Santorum is a co-sponsor of S 1302, the bill that would use the Social Security surplus to help fund private accounts. [S 1302, 6/23/05]
- Senator Santorum voted for the DeMint amendment, which would have directed the creation of a reserve fund for Social Security, but only after the Senate produced legislation allowing younger workers to divert a portion of their Social Security taxes into personal investment accounts or permitting some other type of "legally binding ownership" of a worker's Social Security money. [S Amdt 3087 to S Con Res 83, Vote # 68, 3/16/06]
- Senator Santorum voted against an amendment that called on the Senate to "reject any Social Security plan that requires deep benefit cuts or a massive increase in debt." The amendment failed 50-50. [S. Con Res 18, Vote #49, 3/15/05]
"President Bush and the pro-privatizers in Congress like Rick Santorum don't even deny the fact that privatization would mean massive benefit cuts for middle-class Americans or that it would add nearly a trillion dollars to the national debt. And nothing will change the fact that privatization wouldn't add a day to the life of Social Security - not one single day. Senator Santorum ought to represent the vast majority of Pennsylvania's seniors who have already rejected privatization by reversing his position and rebuking the likes of President Bush and Colin McNickle's renewed calls to dismantle America's most cherished retirement program."
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