7-12-08, 10:10 am

John McCain is being dishonest about his plans for Social Security. Surprised? Well, no. In 2004, while campaigning for George W. Bush in New Hampshire, McCain said, “Without privatization, I don’t see how you can possibly, over time, make sure that young Americans are able to receive Social Security benefits.”

Early in 2008, McCain answered a participant’s question at a town hall event in New Hampshire, saying, “I’m not for, quote, privatizing Social Security. I never have been. I never will be.”

And again this past week McCain spoke up on Social Security basically calling the program an “absolute disgrace.” He said that it was disgraceful that younger workers pay into the system to finance benefits for retirees.

Of course that is how the system was designed.

McCain’s comment suggests that despite close to 30 years in Washington, he didn’t realize that’s how the system works, and now that he does he wants to get rid of it altogether.

McCain’s systematic effort to hide his real feelings on Social Security with contradictory statements is dishonest. It is a weak cover for a policy of privatization, slashing benefits for retirees and other Social Security beneficiaries (like dependents), and raising the retirement ages so working people working longer for fewer benefits.

McCain’s most recent comment prompted a sharp response from Alliance for Retired Americans Executive Director Edward F. Coyle who described it as “one of the most insensitive, anti-senior comments I have ever heard from a public official.”

Former Congresswoman Barbara B. Kennelly, who heads the National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare also noted, “Since its inception, Social Security has been a pay-as-you-go system. That’s not new and it’s certainly not a disgrace.”

“To suggest that Social Security is fundamentally ‘broken’ because of this fact, shows a lack of understanding of the program, its traditional role and the need to preserve and strengthen it for the future,” she added.

Economic Policy Institute head Jared Bernstein remarked on McCain’s apparent stunning lack of understanding how Social Security works. “That is truly an amazing quote,” Bernstein said. “It’s like he’s saying, ‘I just found out that taxes come from people…that’s a disgrace.’ It betrays a really quite scary lack of knowledge about basic government.”

“Multimillionaires like John McCain and George W. Bush don’t have to worry about making ends meet, and they could care less about a program that has proven its worth for generations of Americans,” Gerald W. McEntee, president of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, wrote on the Huffington Post blog.

In fact, after spending so much time trying to separate himself from Bush, McCain’s Social Security cut and privatize plan is exactly the same policy George W. Bush tried and failed to pass in Congress with large Republican majorities in both houses.

By contrast to McCain’s proposals, Democratic nominee Barack Obama has called for strengthening the financial position of Social Security by increasing the payroll tax that funds the program, but only for the very wealthiest Americans. He has consistently opposed raising the retirement age and cutting benefits.

Both independent and federal government authored assessments of Social Security believe the program is financially solvent for decades to come. --Reach Joel Wendland at