It's rare to see a Republican attack another Republican for being opposed to Social Security but it's also rare to have someone as extreme as Rick Perry in line to get the Republican nomination and a candidate as opportunistic as Mitt Romney willing to hide his own history of wanting to privatize Social Security. And after Rick Perry called Social Security a ponzi scheme here's the attack email the Romney campaign sent out. In all its glory with the header image the Romney campaign used.
PERRY DOES NOT BELIEVE SOCIAL SECURITY SHOULD EXIST
“Perry Is Saying Things In This Campaign That No Presidential Candidate Has Said In Decades, Not The Least Of Which Is An Unrelenting Attack On Social Security.” (Paul Burka, “Not Like Other Politicians,” Texas Monthly<http://www.texasmonthly.com/blogs/ >, 8/30/11)burkablog/?p=11224
Despite His Campaign’s Efforts To Separate The Candidate And His Position, Perry’s Approach To Social Security Is Clear:
Perry Does Not Believe Social Security Should Exist, Asking: “Why Is The Federal Government Even In The Pension Program…? Let The States Do It.” PERRY: “When you look at Social Security, it’s broke. … Get it back to the states. Why is the federal government even in the pension program or the health care delivery program? Let the states do it. … That, I will suggest to you, is one of the ways this federal government can get out of our business, save a lot of money and get back to that Constitutional way of doing business in those enumerated powers that they’re supposed to have.” (MSNBC’s “Morning Joe,” 11/5/10)
• Perry: “By Any Measure, Social Security Is A Failure.” (Rick Perry, Fed Up, P. 62, 2010)
• “Rick Perry Describes Social Security As A ‘Violent’ Attack On Core American Values.” (Maggie Haberman And Alexander Burns, “Perry Book A Treasure Trove For Foes,” Politico<http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0911/62531. >, 9/2/11)html
• Perry: “I Challenge Anybody To Stand Up And Defend The Social Security Program That We Have Today.” (Andrew Romano, “Rick Perry On The Record,” The Daily Beast<http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/ >, 8/12/11)2011/08/12/rick-perry- newsweek-interview-transcript. html
Perry: “We Must … Get This Government Back To The Limited Form That Our Founding Fathers Sought. Let The States [Decide] How To Run The Pensions.” PERRY: “There's a number of things in that book that will strike Americans as horrifying. And we must, as a people, get put back in the box. Get this government back to the limited form that our founding fathers sought. Let the states, whether it is how to run Medicaid, how to run the pensions.” (Fox’s “On The Record With Greta Van Susteren,” 11/8/10)
Regarding Social Security, Perry Doesn’t “Think Our Founding Fathers … Were Thinking About A Federally Operated Program Of Pensions…” PERRY: “I don’t think our founding fathers when they were putting the term “general welfare” in there were thinking about a federally operated program of pensions nor a federally operated program of health care. What they clearly said was that those were issues that the states need to address. Not the federal government.” (Andrew Romano, “Rick Perry On The Record,” The Daily Beast<http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/ >, 8/12/11)2011/08/12/rick-perry- newsweek-interview-transcript. html
Perry Hasn’t “Backed Off Anything” In His Book, Where He Claims Social Security Exists “At The Expense Of Respect For The Constitution”:
In Fed Up!, Perry Says Social Security Is In Place “At The Expense Of Respect For The Constitution.” “Social Security is something that we’ve been forced to accept for more than 70 years now. … at the expense of respect for the Constitution and limited government.” (Rick Perry, Fed Up!, 2010, p. 50)
Perry: “I Haven’t Backed Off Anything In My Book.” “[Perry] threw cold water on his own campaign’s efforts to portray his [Social Security] position in a more tempered light. ‘I haven’t backed off anything in my book. So read the book again and get it right,’ he said.” (Michael Muskal, “Rick Perry Sticks To Claim That Social Security Is A Scam,” Los Angeles Times, 8/29/11)