Democrats to use Social Security against GOP this fall By Ed Hornick, CNN August 13, 2010 7:08 p.m. EDT
Washington (CNN) -- Democrats pledged Friday to not only keep Social Security in place, but use the historic program against Republicans ahead of the midterm election. "We will continue to highlight the Democratic Party's role in strengthening it and the Republican Party's role in opposing it," said Democratic National Committee Chairman Tim Kaine."So that is one of the themes for the fall: It's critical to elect Democrats who will stand with the president to protect Social Security." He said that President Obama and Democrats across the country are "very dedicated to preserving this wonderful program," and that the party opposes privatization or other "misguided schemes that will undermine or threaten Social Security." Saturday is the 75th anniversary of the Social Security Act, signed into law by President Franklin Roosevelt on August 14, 1935. Many Republicans have opposed the social program since its inception. In recent times, Republicans such as former President Bush have called for the program to be privatized. That push was rejected. The House Democratic Leadership recently gave rank-and-file members talking points to help them plan events around the anniversary. A House Democratic source provided to CNN a memo laying out the key messages, which include: • "Republicans promise once again to privatize and cut your Social Security -- turning it over to the whims of Wall Street. • "Social Security has been, for 75 years, a bedrock promise. You've earned it with a lifetime of hard work, and it should be there for you and future generations. • If Republicans had succeeded, seniors would have lost trillions more in the stock market meltdown of the Bush recession -- instead, no one lost a penny in Social Security. • Democrats are working to strengthen Social Security. But Social Security is not the cause of our budget deficits.".......................>>>>.................>>>>...................http://www.cnn.com/2010/POLITICS/08/13/democrats.social.security/index.html?hpt=Sbin