arthurracoon

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmp...gn_kerry_dc_18

COLUMBUS, Ohio (Reuters) - If re-elected, President Bush (news - web sites) plans a "big January surprise" and will move quickly to allow some private Social Security (news - web sites) accounts that will reduce benefits for retirees and swell the U.S. deficit, Democratic Sen. John Kerry (news - web sites) said on Sunday.


With just 16 days before the Nov. 2 presidential election, Kerry kept up his relentless criticism of Bush's record on the economy in his bid to win a neck-and-neck White House race.


Speaking at a Baptist church in Columbus, Ohio, Kerry seized on remarks by Bush published in The New York Times Magazine on Sunday that if elected to a second term he would "come out strong after my swearing in with fundamental tax reform, tort reform, privatizing of Social Security."


Kerry said Bush's plan would cut benefits by up to 45 percent and would swell an already record deficit by $2 trillion over a decade.


"We just learned yesterday that the president told his biggest and wealthiest donors about his big 'January surprise,"' Kerry told the black congregation. "He's to come out strong, in his words, to fight for his plans to privatize Social Security."


Kerry said Bush's Social Security plan was further proof he was "out of touch" with the needs of average Americans.


The four-term Massachusetts senator was headed later to Florida, another crucial battleground state and home to many retirees who rely heavily on Social Security. Kerry said Bush's plan could reduce retirement benefits by $500 a month for many Americans.


His warnings about the future viability of America's government-run retirement system were also the topic of a new Kerry campaign television advertisement.


The White House says Bush has yet to settle on a plan to reform the retirement system or on a means to finance it.


Bush campaign chairman Marc Racicot said, "That's absolutely preposterous. What the president is talking about and has talked about from the moment he ran in 2000 is allowing younger people, younger workers to own a portion of their Social Security and invest it and make decisions."


A leading option under consideration would let workers voluntarily redirect 4 percent of their payroll taxes -- up to $1,000 annually -- to the personal accounts.


The estimated cost of diverting these payroll taxes to personal accounts ranges from $1 trillion to $2 trillion over 10 years, analysts say.


Kerry picked up a number of newspaper endorsements on Sunday, including from The New York Times, which cited his wide knowledge and clear thinking, and his home town paper, The Boston Globe.


In recent days, Kerry has focused on pocketbook issues, lambasting Bush for failing to stem the flight of U.S. jobs overseas, giving tax breaks to millionaires and large companies at the expense of working Americans, and for running up a record budget deficit.

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Shane

Since John Kerry said it then it must be true!

arthurracoon

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arthurpostpadder

krepitch

George Bush was the one who said it.

Shane

Really? show me a quote from Bush saying that?

ajcardfan

There's so much for Kerry to attack in regards to Bush's policy. I don't understand this tactic of saying things are going to happen that Bush has not proposed and strongly denies. If Kerry's smart he'll drop this and the draft as topics. From where I sit, he looks to have more to lose than gain by continuing to make these charges. Even if they're true, without a memo or something to back him, he just looks too desperate and he doesn't need that.

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KingofCards

You are right! Welcome to the Democratic Party.

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krepitch

Speaking at a Baptist church in Columbus, Ohio, Kerry seized on remarks by Bush published in The New York Times Magazine on Sunday that if elected to a second term he would "come out strong after my swearing in with fundamental tax reform, tort reform, privatizing of Social Security."

Shane

Thats a whole lot different then what Kerry is claiming or did yo not read the article?

Pariah

I'm all for privatization of a portion of SS. I don't think it will have the negaitive effects on the benefit that the Dems are claiming...it could, but I don't think it will. I'm really surprised that the reps aren't explaining what privatization actually means and how it will work because the dems are really only telling half the story.

krepitch

I read this article and the original one in the Times, where Bush didn't even know the difference between Sweden and Switzerland.

I thought we were discussing the subject of the thread. Bush said he would privatize social security. Kerry quoted Bush. Do you deny that?

Shane

your first sentence is irrelevant. i am staying on topic and i am still waiting for you to show me a direct quote from bush? what kerry said is heresay and nothing more. bush never said he WOULD privatize, he said he wants to.

cheesebeef

isn't that the issue though Shane? When the President WANTS to do something, don't you think it follow that he WOULD try to make it happen?

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Shane

Yes of course but it takes more than just a Pres. to accomplish such a thing. But Krepitch makes it sound as though Bush is being back handed and sneaky trying to all of a sudden pop this on the amercian public right after election. He has no proof of that other than heresay from John Kerry.

D-Dogg

The difference in what Bush said and what Kerry said, is that what Bush is talking about is privatizing a PORTION of S.S. for younger workers who are going to be affected by it, while what Kerry said is the same-old, same-old Democratic "Scare The Seniors" play from the same tired playbook. Kerry has NO fresh, new ideas and all the same old rhetoric.

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