McCain missed the vote today on Medicare, but traveling around on his bus he did not mind telling reporters that he would have voted no. He also said that he did not mind not being there to vote, but backed off this statement. But the biggest thing that attracted my attention was his pitiful policy position on Social Security.
McCain was asked to elaborate on his statement about Social Security being a disgrace. First McCain tried to expound on the unfairness of people paying into the system, and obviously fails to discuss how the war in Iraq is a contributing factor to the issues surrounding the Social Security system.
"...They are paying into a system that they won’t receive benefits from on the present track that it’s on – that’s the point. I don’t think that’s right. I don’t think it’s fair and I think it’s terrible to ask people to pay into a system that they won’t receive benefits from and that’s why we have to fix it."
Now, what is McCain's plan for Social Security. Well, at first he tried to weasel his way around the questions.
He said he still wasn’t ruling out any options to fix Social Security,but was not yet ready to lay out a plan for fixing the program.
But, pressed a little bit more he gave his final answer.
"I cannot tell you what I would do—except to put everything on
the table, because as soon as I say ‘This is what would be my
requirement,’ then you get into a huge fight and you get all the
special interests involved. I would put everything on the table."
"I cannot tell you" is McCain's answer as he rides around on a bus with a "Straight Talk" slogan. Well do we know the answer, it is called privatization my friends.