You may recall my blog a few weeks ago titled Tim Walberg is for privatizing social security WHILE he’s against it.
MI-07 Republican candidate Tim Walberg wasn’t for privatizing social security BEFORE he was against it, he is for privatizing security WHILE he is against it.Seriously.
First, we have this press release from the Walberg campaign which came out the day before the 75th anniversary of Social Security (last week):
“I have always opposed privatization of the Social Security system.“
Then we have this quote from a recent interview Walberg did with the tea party-type group, The Independence Caucus:
“Yeah, when you say the word privatization, a seasoned campaigner like me understands that that is a buzzword that is just about as negative as a noose hanging around your neck. But in talking with you, we all understand what that means, and I would definitely support the privatization of the so-called Social Security system.“
In that blog, I asked the question “So, Tim, we have to ask, which is it? Are you FOR privatizing social security or are you AGAINST it? It’s a fair question and you seem to be in a debate against yourself on it. Let us know when you get that resolved, will ya?”
It appears we have an answer. From a very desperate-sounding email from the Walberg campaign today came this:
To be very clear, here is Tim Walberg’s position on Social Security:
“In the U.S. House, I introduced the lockbox bill to prevent Social Security dollars from being diverted to other government programs. Speaker Pelosi kept this bill stuck in committee. I believe we need [to] secure the contract and keep the promises made by Social Security, and also allow younger workers the option to save their own money in their own name in their own account. Mark Schauer, who has raided Social Security with his trillions in new spending, has purposefully twisted my position to scare seniors and he should be ashamed. We need to let our fellow citizens know these facts, which are indeed stubborn things.” – Tim Walberg
So, if I’m reading this right, he wants a lockbox AND he wants to give kids (“younger workers”) the option of putting the money in their own bank account. I guess we’d call that a “partial privatization” combined with a resurrection of an idea Al Gore made famous years ago. I tell ya, they say that politics makes strange bedfellows but when you have Tim Walberg advocating ideas that originated with Al Gore, you have all the proof you need.
In general, most people have realized that the concept of a “lockbox” is pretty silly. The fact is, the government has a covenant with each American to pay them the Social Security they have earned. Lockbox or not, that payment will happen. Even if the Social Security reserve was borrowed from until there was nothing left, the government would still have to come up with the payment.
So, the “lockbox” concept sounds good to folks that listen to Walberg but, at the end of the day, it’s a lot of meaningless fluff that affects nothing and that’s probably the main reason Nancy Pelosi shelved it.
But, we do now have an answer from Tim Walberg on the question of whether or not he’s for privatizing Social Security. His answer?
“Sorta”.
Well played, Mr. Walberg, well played indeed.
P.S. I said that the email sounded kinda desperate. That’s because, in it, he asks “Please share this information with your friends, family and everyone you know…In addition to talking with people and forwarding this email or writing your own, please consider sending a letter to the editor of your local newspaper.”
Seems to me the Schauer campaign has hit a nerve.
P.P.S. Despite his email today, let’s not any of us fool ourselves. Tim Walberg wants to eliminate Social Security. During the Independence Caucus interview he said as much.
Walberg is also heard on the audio saying, “I’d be very much in favor of saying that there ought to be a date certain when no longer does anybody have to put into Social Security.” When a questioner says that Social Security is unconstitutional, Walberg replies, “I wouldn’t debate that with you at all.” And when another calls Social Security a Ponzi scheme, Walberg replies, “You’re right.”
Nice try, Tim. Sorry, dude. We’re on to you. Don’t you just hate the digital age with all it’s fancy recording devices and stuff, though? Heh…
I’m just sayin’…
