Chambliss: Don’t Call My Support For Privatizing Social Security ‘Privatization’
Chambliss: Don’t Call My Support For Privatizing Social Security ‘Privatization’
During an interview with Hannity and Colmes last night, Sen. Saxby Chambliss (R-GA) falsely claimed that he “never sought to privatize social security”:
COLMES: Do you acknowledge now that, had we privatized Social Security, as you wanted to do, people would be suffering even more and losing their life’s savings in the name of retirement? [...]
CHAMBLISS: I never sought to privatize Social Security. I do think that people ought to have some control over their money, rather than the government, just mandating to them how they’re going to invest their money.
After Colmes challenged Chambliss’s response, Sean Hannity jumped to the senator’s defense repeatedly arguing that Chambliss was not for privatization, but rather for “choice.” Chambliss agreed saying, “privatization is not the right word.” Watch it:
In fact, Chambliss is a strong and long-time supporter of privatization. In July, Chambliss argued that the “key” to preserving the Social Security program was allowing workers to invest their social security payments in private “personal retirement accounts.” Indeed, in an article titled “Social Security privatization victorious in 2002 elections,” Michael Tanner — leader of the social security privatization initiative, SocialSecurityChoice.org — praised Chambliss’s election victory over incumbent Sen. Max Cleland (D) in 2002:
… Cleland had attacked Chambliss for wanting to turn “the Social Security benefits of people on Main Street over to Wall Street to play Russian roulette with.” Chambliss, in contrast, signed a pledge…promising to support individual accounts if he was elected.
Cleland’s argument was extremely prescient. Despite Chambliss’s claim that privatization would result in workers getting a “return that’s greater than what the government has gotten on the Social Security trust fund,” the Wonk Room found that someone retiring in October 2008 who had invested in Chambliss/Bush-style private Social Security account for 35 years would have “seen a negative return on their account…and lost $26,000 in the market.”
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” the Wonk Room found that someone retiring in October 2008 who had invested in Chambliss/Bush-style private Social Security account for 35 years would have “seen a negative return on their account…and lost $26,000 in the market.”
That's called spreading the bankruptcy.
December 2nd, 2008 at 1:24 pmIf Chambliss needs Hannity for leadership, Georgians are in trouble.
As WaltTheMan posts above, privatizing our retirement funds would have just fed the voracious appetite of Wall St wonkers.
I know Sexy Saxby is expected to win this, but I can only hope that Martin pulls this one out.
Hey, Saxby, grope 10 year olds much?
December 2nd, 2008 at 1:29 pm"Why, no, that's not sh*t - it's post-digested gourmet food!"
December 2nd, 2008 at 1:31 pmand lost $26,000 in the market....
....these criminal republicans like their wall street friends...
...but the average American can just go fcuk themselves...
December 2nd, 2008 at 1:33 pmOh Oh Oh Oh!
I've got a comment that surely should make Trajan's new pathetic blog:
Sure Chambliss. And when I'm water boarding you, don't call it torture!
Heh.
December 2nd, 2008 at 1:35 pmTrajan has a new blog? Now that's news.
December 2nd, 2008 at 1:36 pm"But, but ....... just because I wanted to give all Amurrikans the right to invest however they want, doesn't mean I am for 'privatization' of SS.
Oh, wait, my Wall Street friends just said it was. ......... Never mind."
December 2nd, 2008 at 1:38 pmChambliss, 58
Martin, 42
just a hunch...
December 2nd, 2008 at 1:39 pmToo, late. The seniors watching Fox already heard the words "Privatizing Social Security" and blanked out everything said after that.
December 2nd, 2008 at 1:51 pmDog Whistle Alert: Choice = Privatization
Hannity trying to put words in Chambliss mouth and ole Saxby would have none of it. That was rich. Choice? Probably sounds too much like Pro-Choice for Saxes comfort.
December 2nd, 2008 at 1:55 pmHow can you tell if a Republican is lying?
When he is talking.
Corny, I know, but it fits Chambliss and those like him.
December 2nd, 2008 at 1:56 pmIs it me or less people comment here in TP? Maybe it's the holidays?
December 2nd, 2008 at 1:57 pmI read the other day that a whistleblower who used to work for Diebold claims they put illegal patches in machines to flip votes and steal the election for Saxby Chambliss in 2002. Does anyone have any more information about this?
December 2nd, 2008 at 2:00 pmPart of it's you, where ya been?
December 2nd, 2008 at 2:01 pm;)
My adobe at the office is on the fritz, but the Wonk room is way the hell off on this.
Their finding does not pass the smell test. Unless the model investor was calling his broker shouting 'BEES, BUY BEES!!!!', there is no way he would have lost $26000 over this period.
December 2nd, 2008 at 2:01 pmGlad to see Faux giving Jim Martin air time.
/end sarcasm
December 2nd, 2008 at 2:03 pmChambliss: Don’t Call My Support For Privatizing Social Security ‘Privatization’
OK. How about: incredibly stupid?
BTW, wtf kind of name is "Saxby" anyways? How about going with something American, Mr. I Hate Veterans? Like "Barack Hussein Obama" for example.....
December 2nd, 2008 at 2:04 pmChambliss is a receiver of stolen property. His so-called "victory" in 2002 was the result of electronic election theft, enabled by Diebold. That is how the GOP got a Senate majority in 2002: electronic election thefts in Minnesota and Georgia Senate elections. Eight years of Bush-Republican electronic fascism is enough, thank you very much...
December 2nd, 2008 at 2:05 pmNevar:
I have no internet at my new place. That's the thing. But still reading you whenever I can.
Maybe with the victory of Obama, progressives have calmed down?
December 2nd, 2008 at 2:06 pmJust like Palin was against earmarks until today when she went to the governors meeting and had her hand out. I think both Chambliss and Palin are too stupid to know they're contradicting themselves.
December 2nd, 2008 at 2:06 pmI don't know about "since October 2k8"
But I do know that a ton of seniors have lost a ton of money in the past few months -- in my sphere, typically $50K off the principal they rely on for monthly stipends...
December 2nd, 2008 at 2:09 pmMaybe with the victory of Obama, progressives have calmed down?
No, we're as excited as ever, maybe even more so!
Best wishes always for you!
December 2nd, 2008 at 2:12 pmDuring this interview/butt kissing, Vannity refered to Osarah bin Palin as a "rock star". When the reich-wing referred to Obama as a "rock star" it was meant to be a pejorative. Morans [sic].
December 2nd, 2008 at 2:13 pmYou guys are misrepresenting issues as always. Privitization was never the plan. Privatization is different than allowing people control over their own money. The Bush plan was to allow each of us under 40 to decide whether as an individual you would keep your current SS account or instead put into a 401k type account, that was going to be your choice. The choice was the individuals; the plan was never to just turn over the SS accounts to Wall Street - that's a lie, liars perpetrate.
And trust me, Wall Street investment bankers are Democrats - across the board - they all have their hand in big government and will protect it (all the big WS donors are Dummycrats). Feel free to provide your regular, sound-bitten, obnoxious, close-minded, socialist-tinged retorts. You guys will overstep and be out right quick.
December 2nd, 2008 at 2:14 pmProve it.
We'll wait.....
December 2nd, 2008 at 2:17 pmChambliss agreed saying, “privatization is not the right word. Let's call it something nice, like potpourri. Doesn't that sound better?"
December 2nd, 2008 at 2:17 pmguess you're proud to be part of a failed idiology. America has moved on from "gop". We want real Americans running things. Good luck to ya in your permanent minority status.
December 2nd, 2008 at 2:18 pmGOP: "The Bush plan was to allow each of us under 40 to decide whether as an individual you would keep your current SS account or instead put into a 401k type account, that was going to be your choice. The choice was the individuals; the plan was never to just turn over the SS accounts to Wall Street - that’s a lie, liars perpetrate."
I see, so the "401K type account" is NOT private? Nice try, dumbass. Where exactly do you think the money in these 401k-type accounts would have gone?
And, since you're asking us to trust you, I'm sure you can provide some documentation for your absurd "Wall Street Bankers are democrats" nonsense. Sounds like you pulled that one out of a very dark place behind you.
December 2nd, 2008 at 2:21 pmYou don't have to be stupid to be a proud GOPer but it helps. I worked for a Wall Street investment banker and never met a Democrat working there. I'm guessing you've never been north of the Mason-Dixon Line and everything you know you hear from Rush Limbaugh. Idiot.
December 2nd, 2008 at 2:24 pmChambliss ran a nasty campaign against Cleland, a real hero. Archetypical of the two natures, IMHO.
December 2nd, 2008 at 2:26 pmWhat about "depublification"? His constituents will be impressed with the extra syllables.
December 2nd, 2008 at 2:27 pmR O F L. Yeah, because calling people "socialist" is not "regular, sound-bitten, obnoxious, and close-minded"....you f**king pile of sh**. lol.
December 2nd, 2008 at 2:31 pmAn old rule of thumb: NEVER trust someone who says "trust me" at the beginning of their pitch.
December 2nd, 2008 at 2:34 pmChambliss agreed saying, “privatization is not the right word."
After the stock market crash, the right word would be "starvation".
December 2nd, 2008 at 2:36 pmI guess we don't need to add that it goes double if they log in with a user name of "gop".......
December 2nd, 2008 at 2:38 pmI think GOP is the heinous troll formerly known as Mr. President. He's known to switch names and is supposedly from Virginia and he posted on the VA GOP thread as marcusmarcus which is one of his old names. I thought he was banned.
December 2nd, 2008 at 2:42 pmOnce again, when caught with their hand in the cookie jar, the GOP redefines "cookie jar" to mean something entirely different.
December 2nd, 2008 at 3:07 pmWhat will Palin's new line be now?
"We're a team of privatizers and social/political mavericks!"
December 2nd, 2008 at 3:29 pmGOP Says:
Delusion alert. This is your brain on hivemind propaganda GOP. Wall St investment bankers are Dems across the board????? That is truly a vintage bit of brainwashing there. Yeah its privitization. It is taking what SS was meant to be. That is a floor, a safety net. What happens when you TAKE your contribution from the system and then want to retire just after one of these meltdowns and have hardly any money? Do we let you starve? Before SS half of all seniors died in poverty today less than 10% do and that is because of SS. You want to invest in the market do so AFTER you do your part for the system that supports those who came before you to make this country what it is. The whole thing is all about destroying any part of the concept we are all in this together and telling us I got mine get yours or sink. The only gauranteed winners here are Wall Street getting their hands on billions of retirement dollars that are right now beyond their sticky fingers. Whether the market goes up or down whether you make or lose money THEY make money. THEY get paid on the transactions whether you make money or lose money
December 2nd, 2008 at 3:52 pmIf Chambliss and the rest of the conservative idiots had any idea of how many folks depend on SS for their living, maybe they wouldn't be espousing privatization of the program.
But then, knowing how heartless republicans are, I doubt they would care.
December 2nd, 2008 at 3:57 pmWhy are the biggest anti-Government types always Republicans from the South (the Bushwhacker Party) ?
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December 2nd, 2008 at 5:01 pmI'm still waiting for the shocking and non-intuitive evidence that "all investment bankers are Democrats." That's one of the most amazing claims I've heard all year and I just can't wait to actually see the data on that. It's very exciting because it runs against all common sense! GOP, I hope you're running down those data for us. A shocker like that could add much to the conversation around here. Thanks.
December 2nd, 2008 at 5:22 pm49erDem Says:
I’m still waiting for the shocking and non-intuitive evidence that “all investment bankers are Democrats.” That’s one of the most amazing claims I’ve heard all year and I just can’t wait to actually see the data on that. It’s very exciting because it runs against all common sense!
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Yeah its delusional and ludicrous. He has lost all touch with reality. See reality has no ability to penetrate the atmospher on Planet Wingnut. Rush said it, he believes it, THAT settles it.
December 2nd, 2008 at 6:32 pm