GWBblows Blog

Kerry Accuses Bush of Planning 'January Surprise' That Would Privatize Social Security

WASHINGTON Oct 17, 2004 — Massachusetts Sen. John Kerry accused President Bush on Sunday of planning a surprise second-term effort to privatize Social Security and forecast a "disaster for America's middle class."

Republicans denied the charge as scare tactics with little more than two weeks remaining in a tight election. "It is just flat inaccurate," said GOP chairman Ed Gillespie.

Kerry talked about Social Security from the pulpit of the Mt. Olivet Baptist Church in Columbus, Ohio, citing a report in The New York Times Magazine that quoted Bush as telling supporters that "privatizing Social Security" would be high on his second-term agenda.

He called it Bush's "January surprise," and said it may be good for "the wealthiest people and the well connected in America, but it's a disaster for America's middle class."

With Bush taking a campaign day off, his surrogates leapt to his defense.

Gillespie said the account of Bush's remarks was a "second-hand report and it is just flat inaccurate." Appearing on CNN's "Late Edition," he also said it was based on "hearsay." Gillespie said he often attends events such as the one cited, but added he couldn't be certain whether he had been at the one featured in the story.

Bush's campaign spokesman was more blunt,

"John Kerry's misleading senior scare tactics are just another example of a candidate who will say anything to get elected," said spokesman Steve Schmidt, "no matter how false his accusations or how contradictory they are with his record of repeatedly voting for higher taxes on Social Security."

I wonder what it must be like to have no shame at all. The Bush Administration knew they were going to try to privatize social security, Kerry told the truth, and they smeared him for it. I wonder how voters in Kansas, Ohio, Tennessee feel knowing they voted for an administration that has no moral issue with blatantly lying to score a political point? O what's that? Apparently it doesn't matter, as long as the administration hates gays.