Gephardt on social security.

[Sean Reynolds]

Since my last post was locked because it was 'inflammatory', let me try again in a more civil manner.

The Gephardt campaign is sending out fliers attacking Dean's past stance on Social Security. He's drudging up past remarks to smear Dean. But looking into Gep's past history on the issue and one would have to wonder why he's even stating this. Because fact is, Gephardt's record of social security isn't great either.

The FACTS about Gephardt and social security:

• Gephardt VOTED to limit Social Security benefits
  
  
• Gephardt argued for making benefits subject to individual need -positions he would later lambaste when Republicans proposed them.
  
  
• Speaking at the Commonwealth Club in San Francisco in 1979, he placed himself in the vanguard of moderate Democrats by asserting that Social Security, Medicare and other "safety net" programs "lack a needs test."
  
  
• Elderly St. Louisans accused him of trying to destroy Social Security.
  
  
• Gephardt persisted, and his willingness to adjust or delay payments in the name of protecting the future of Social Security also, on occasion, put him at odds with labor unions.
  
  
• Gephardt was one of 41 Democrats voting for a budget resolution that would have eliminated cost-of-living adjustments in Social Security checks.
  

Now I'm glad Gephardt has changed his beliefs on social security. But it pains me to see him attack Howard Dean on HIS past, forgetting that Gephardt himself doesn't have a great past when it comes to social security. I don't think this needs to be a race about actions taken 10 or 20 years ago.

I hope Gephardt re-checks his record and stops the attack on Dean, because it only paints him badly.

[Cocoa]

1. as a Gep supporter, I'm going to take Dean's advice

I loved what Dean said in SC about responding to divisiveness by coming together. Your original headline revealed your intention to divide us, so I'm going to respond by congratulating Dr. Dean on the very huge and likely decisive endorsement from Al Gore.

Congrats to Howard! :toast:

[Sean Reynolds]

2. I like Gep....

Just wish he'd not talk about Dean's statements in the past on SS, cause Gep too has made some bad ones. I'm just surprised Dean hasn't brought this up at all.

[Cocoa]

3. the h-word

forgive me for misunderstanding. That's a pretty strong word for someone you now claim to like.

[Sean Reynolds]

4. Dean is a hypocrite on issues too.....

Doesn't mean I don't like him any less. Hell, most politicians are hypocrites one time or another. I just feel that if Gephardt is going to attack Dean on SS, he should look at HIS past as well.

I like Gephardt, but he is being a hypocrite on this issue.