Yesterday in Fairfax, Tim Kaine spoke to dozens of advocates for Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid. The forum was convened by Social Security Works and We Act Radio, and both Tim Kaine and George Allen were sent invitations a couple weeks ago. Guess which candidate showed up and which candidate completely blew them off (with no explanation, by the way)? Hint: the one who showed up is in the video on the right, and also in the video on the “flip” (about Medicare). The one who didn’t show up? Hmmmm…I believe his initials are G.A. 🙂
Seriously, though, I can completely understand why George Allen wouldn’t want to talk about his party’s crazy, destructive, reactionary views on privatizing/voucherizing/trashing Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid, as it’s not exactly an appealing proposition politically. Still, if that’s what Allen truly believes, which he and his party clearly do, then he should at least have the cojones to stand up in front of people and explain himself. Instead, Allen shows what a coward he is, despite all his bullying bravado about shoving people’s “soft teeth down their whiny throats,” etc.
As for Tim Kaine’s comments at the forum, he points out (correctly) that the deficit is NOT being driven by Social Security, and that Social Security should NOT be cut in the name of deficit reduction. As Kaine says, “I don’t want to go back to pre-1930s when the majority of American retirees lived in poverty.” Apparently, that’s A-OK with George Allen, Paul Ryan, Eric Cantor and Mitt Romney. It shouldn’t be A-OK with the rest of us, though.
Tim Kaine also points out (correctly) that if Social Security had been privatized when the stock market collapsed in the fall of 2008, people who count on those benefits would have been “in dire, dire straits.” To the contrary, Kaine pledges to “fight tooth and nail to protect these programs which are relied on to such a significant degree by millions and millions of Americans every day.” As for George Allen, he’s AWOL as usual. #FAIL
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