LANDRIEU VS. KENNEDY ON SOCIAL SECURITY

I, like many of you, have been wondering who is telling the truth, Sen. Mary Landrieu or her opponent Louisiana Treasurer John Kennedy, on the issue of Social Security.

Here is Landrieu's ad:

Here is Kennedy's counter ad:

Kennedy includes some sources for his allegations against Landrieu (See: "TV Campaign Advertisements"), such as:

" - Mary Landrieu voted against an amendment “that would bar illegal immigrants currently in the country from claiming Social Security credits for work done in years before they are assigned a valid Social Security number.” (S. 2611, CQ Vote #130: Motion Agreed To 50-49: R 11-44; D 38-5; I 1-0; Landrieu Voted Yea, 5/18/06)
The Washington Times: “The Senate voted yesterday to allow illegal aliens to collect Social Security benefits based on past illegal employment - even if the job was obtained through forged or stolen documents.” (Charles Hurt, “Illegals Granted Social Security; Senate Refuses To Strip Out Provision,” The Washington Times, 5/19/06)

- Investor’s Business Daily: “It would have prohibited those who come here illegally and work with forged or phony papers from receiving Social Security benefits. In effect, the Senate's action makes illegal immigrants a privileged class under law. And down the road, that largesse will prove costly.” (Editorial, “Illegal Security,” Investor’s Business Daily, 5/24/06)

- United Press International: “Illegal aliens could collect Social Security benefits based on past illegal employment if a U.S. Senate bill passed Thursday becomes law. That would be the case even if the job was obtained through forged or stolen documents...” (“Senate Votes Social Security For Illegals,” United Press International, 5/19/06).

On the other hand, Sen. Landrieu's website says:

"John Kennedy has hit the airwaves against Senator Landrieu about her efforts to protect Social Security. He claims that she voted to give benefits to illegal immigrants. This claim is patently untrue. Senator Landrieu never voted to give Social Security benefits to illegal immigrants. John Kennedy is just repeating a false 2-year-old Washington attack that has been debunked by Factcheck.org. In fact, unbiased news organizations have called his attack a “distortion” and “patently and demonstrably false.” Here’s the truth: When John Kennedy changed his positions to run for the Senate for a second time, he endorsed a plan to privatize Social Security - a proposal that would substantially cut benefits for future retirees. As Treasurer, he should know better than most the risks associated with investing Social Security in the stock market. Senator Landrieu would never play politics with our seniors."

The truth, however, lies somewhere in the middle.

Landrieu clearly has some ethical concerns in my opinion. She is also a part of the Congressional 'earmarks' scam upon the American people. She has also spent our tax dollars willy nilly, helping to run up the national debt.

Kennedy, however, has clearly misled us with half-truths on Landrieu's voting record, and is definitely been 'flip-flopping' one his stances on almost everything including his party affiliation. Kennedy is the most fiscal conservative of the two however.

It's All Based Upon Bush's Privatization of Social Security Plan

John Kennedy did reverse his previous position and now supports Pres. Bush failed position on the privatization of Social Security. (See: "La. Senate race highlights Social Security crisis"). But what many of the critics of that plan fail to mention is that the privatization is voluntary, and will not be forced upon anyone. Watch Pres. Bush explain it himself:

But the harmful effects of this plan would be the diversion of Social Security taxes from an already overburdened system. It has been reported that:

"The middle-ground forecast is that by 2018, the system will begin to pay out more in benefits than it receives in taxes, and will be compelled to draw on the surplus in the Social Security Trust Fund. In 2042 (2052 according to a later estimate by the Congressional Budget Office) the Trust Fund would be exhausted, and only 70 percent of benefits would be funded by payroll tax revenues, leaving 30 percent to be cut or funded by other sources." (See: "Facts and myths about Bush’s plan for Social Security privatization").

There is also the further decrease in funding coming in from the plans that Pres. Bush has for illegal Mexican aliens.

If we can take any lessons from the past, it is also likely that should there be a major stock market crash, there will be a major bailout of the privatized Social Security system.

As with most elections, I have major problems with both candidates in this U.S. Senate race. On this issue of Social Security both Landrieu and Kennedy are partially right and wrong. But I will say that I have to agree with Landrieu on this Social Security issue.A system like Social Security, where we are soon to have more people drawing from it rather than paying into it is bound to have trouble. With disability payments, S.S.I. and 'crazy checks' to children, is it any wonder why this retirement system is going broke?