John McCain Supports Private Accounts For Social Security

Think Progress:

On Bill Bennett's radio show yesterday, former Hewlett-Packard CEO Carly Fiorina -- who is currently a leading economic adviser to Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) -- said that McCain is interested in "taking on finally the reform of Medicare and Social Security." "He is absolutely convinced that this must be tackled in his term as president," said Fiorina.

Asked by Bennett about "any particular suggestions" McCain is making to change the programs, Fiorina said that he "supports private accounts as one of the ways to reform the system":

Read the whole story: Think Progress

Comments

[JRandomPoster]

Privatizing Social Security is just a way of spinning the looting of the Social Security funds.

[sunu20]

What does McCain care if we lose all our benefits? Senators/C­ongressmen do not pay into SS and do not collect from it. When they retire they continue to draw their same pay until they die, except it may be increased from time to time by cost of living adjustments. Their cost for this plan is "zero".

There is an old saying, "Do not like for me what you do not like for yourself." That's what McCain needs to hear. If a firm like Bear Sterns loses all your retirement money it won't hurt McCain at all, so he really doesn't care. We're just peons to him anyway.

[TexasDem0]

The people who have no need for Social Security want to dictate how it should be run.
Sort of like the Pope, dictating the rules for birth control.
Let’s not forget the circumstances under which Carly Fiorina left HP, or the condition it was in when she left. This just keeps getting more and more ridiculous.

[VA2008]

Sure he does.....h­e's already collecting his and pretty close to the "dirt nap with a grass apron"! He doesn't give a darn about those of us coming of age to claim social security that we paid into for forty years! Jerk!

[VA2008]

This is unbelievab­le......I just heard that McCain released his tax returns for '07 and part of his income was $245,000.0­0 from Social Security..­....approx­. $265,000.0­0 from his book sales and $300,000.0­0 from his Senate salary....­...nice huh?

[sugarmoes]

24,000 from social security..­. not 245,000... but still... kinda weird... he probably gets 24,000 in weekly allowance from his sugarmomma­/wife-youn­g-enough-t­o-be-his-d­aughter.

[sugarmoes]

let's see... cindy mccain the rich heiress/second wife and grandpa-mac the navy boy vietnam vet... why does that sound familiar..­. what story is that like... OH YEAH!!! tereza heinz kerry and john kerry... i guess just about the only difference is that john kerry didn't rob teresa from the cradle but... who's counting?

i believe grandpa mac met lil pony tailed cindy when she was 24 and he was... FORTY???????? wow. but they've rewritten the story to say he fibbed his age four years down and she fibber her's three years up... conveniently bringing them to the "under 10 years age difference" age category.

in other words... SMELLS LIKE BULLSHIT!

but it's ok... cuz they're republicans. "values" voters understand and approve.

[sandiegoconservative]

I will not get most of my social security when I retire because I know that there is change coming which says I will have made too much in my lifetime over the next 36 years. Heck, I already qualified for full benefits 6 years ago at 25 because of my salary and what I paid into the program. And it may be longer than 36 years because they will likely change the date I can retire. So, why should I not have access to that money I have put in?

I have made a decent sum of money by investing, even with the recession we are in, so its pretty obvious I know what to do with my money.

A lot of people who don't like this idea are worried about those that pay will no longer be supporting those that don't. I am all for helping others out, but the sense of entitlement is getting ridiculous.

[sugarmoes]

you forgot to add "lord willing" to your cocky and smug elitist assertions.

but... you've got EVERYTHING under control... and you always will so... you'z a baaaaaaad mamajama..­..

best of luck to you.

many many upon so many others don't have the good fortune or the obviously superiour abilities that you have.

[sugarmoes]

"Liberals must hate that biography. No crime, no welfare, no abuse, and no victims. Yeah, growing up in a religious household with married parents who care certainly was a horrible thing! (sarcasm) "

aren't you a bit preemptively defensive for someone who has EVERYTHING so COMPLETELY under control???

and furthermor­e... why are you even soiling your beautiful mind and life by registering, even, to associate with us, what to you must seem, disgusting loser liberals????

or... are you... the horror... not as wonderful as you let on.

that "religious" household sure did produce one pompous ass. what religion was that, btw? the religion of scorn and greed and holier than everyone else perfection?

must be something else to be as perfect as you are.

[Boris]

When McCain becomes president you will see just what he learned in prison. He is evil. He is all encompassing. He is the Manchurian Candidate.

[gotovt]

This man openly amitted that he knows little about the economy.
Well he know less about social security.
Social Security is an Isurance Policy not an investment plan.
Joe Liebermann needs to instruct him that there is difference between
Social Security Insurance and IRA or 401-K investment plans.

Why do Republicans want to destroy every good in America?

Hey now that I think of it. Carly Fiorina wire tapped the HP Board member's phones.

[Grannysue]

No thanks McShame, we all know that you and your wife have what eight homes, and millions of dollars, so it's obvious you don't need your Social Security, but for us people who have worked, myself since age 15, I will need my Social Security and Medicare. I want to see the Congress put all the money from Social Security and Medicare in a lock box, that the politicians cannot keep borrowing from, that's the reason it's going broke, not because of all the money being spent on Seniors. You would love to have people believe that but the fact of the matter is those funds have been raped by the Political creeps to pay for everything but care for the elderly. So, in case you missed it the MAJORITY of Americans don't want the money taken and invested in anything! GET A CLUE MCGOO!

[Colmore]

I agree. The McCain's are millionaires. Why does he collect Social Security? I thought politicians did not contribute to it. If I had the income he has, I would not be concerned about SS either. He does not even pay for medical care, WE DO. It is time to make politicians contribute, and also have a means test. Most of them retire with millions, lining their pockets all along the way, while taxpayers pay for their medical care, and travel. They are nothing more than wealthy WELFARE recipients when you get down to it. Take all the free stuff they can get their grubby hands on. God help the US if this little troll makes it into the WH.

[c3m]

The McCain, like Bushco is out of touch. He wants to
put chance into the retirement safety net!111

[Tom95134]

McCain, the water carrier. Why shouldn't he support privatizing Social Security. He owns 8 houses and has more money that he knows what to do with. This SOB is nothing more than a Bush 3rd term. It would serve him right to win but have a veto-proof Democratic Congress to deal with.

[wm1066]

I think McCain should use this as his central theme, yup, run with it .
Show Bush how you handle this. All of America is waiting for you to end the scourge that is social security. Yep, be the one that drowns this program in that Norquist tub.
Millions of middle class people will cheer you on.
....Did anyone notice that Carly F intimated that McCain would only have one term?
" he is absolutly convinced that this must be tackled in his term of office"
Not "tackled in his presidency"

[SonnyBono]

And yet another failed Bush idea that McCain picks up to carry - boy I'll bet his back must be getting as tired as his lips from all the kissing up and his advisor is Fiorina - look at the great job she did at HP - or as Bush would have put it, "Heck of a job".

[kipmartin]

yeah, that oughta work. right.

[rcampbell]

Yet another sell-out of his own once respected principles. He opposed the '01 & '03 tax breaks for the wealthy, now he wants them to be made permanent. He supported the Dems and the President on comprehensive immigration reform with a pathway to citizenship. More recently he said if that same bill came before the Senate today he wouldn't vote for it. He made all sorts of good-SOUNDING protestations when the President wanted to get Congressional approval of his torture bill and then voted WITH the president and against our troops. claims to be the soldiers' advocate, but he opposes the new GI Bill, has voted against other benefits for the troops. He has promised the radical religious right that he will appoint radical religios right judges to set things up to overturn a woman's right to her own body. In short, this is a political whore who has given up any pretence of "straight talk' to become Bush III. He's old, he's sacrificed his soul to be elected and he's WRONG in most issues and WRONG for a 21st century America..