We have now heard the latest charges and counter-charges regarding McCain and his forever fluid positions regarding social security. Especially with this weeks events regarding our economic market, this is a message that the Obama campaign is driving to one of McCain's 7-12 doorsteps. McCain, thy name is flip-flop.
Obama stated in a speech today:
If my opponent had his way, the millions of Floridians who rely on it would've had their Social Security tied up in the stock market this week. Millions would've watched as the market tumbled and their nest egg disappeared before their eyes," he said.
http://www.cnn.com/...
The Obama ad:
The script:
Obama: I’m Barack Obama. And I approve this message.
Female narrator: A broken economy. Failing banks. Unstable markets
Families struggling.
To protect us in retirement...
Social Security has never been more important.
But John McCain’s voted three times in favor of privatizing Social Security
McCain says, "I campaigned in support of President Bush’s proposal."
Cutting benefits in half. Risking Social Security on the stock market.
The Bush-McCain privatization plan. Can you really afford more of the same?
This was McCain's response:
The McCain campaign disputed Obama's assertion, calling it "a desperate attempt to gain political advantage using scare tactics and deceit.
On Thursday they said:
"He's not ever talked about outsourcing Social Security into the private sector," senior adviser Steve Schmidt told reporters Thursday. "What people talk about with regard to personal accounts is giving the American people an ability to have a greater return on an investment -- it could be bond funds, for example."
Okay...so let's look at his website on his actual plan: MCCAIN
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.
http://www.johnmccain.com/...
Okay, so fair enough, although his website doesn't suggest bond funds. It's rather vague actually.
But just in case we somehow can no longer rely on McCain's website to fact check his actual position,
Here is video proof:
Not enough? Just to give you some idea as to his thought process:
Watch Jack Cafferty try to sort this latest flip flop out:
McCain/Palin: Flip/Flop
I want to direct all of you to a video summary of McCain's philosophy on Social Security: