Rick Perry, Mitt Romney Spar Over Social Security During Republican Debate In Florida (VIDEO)

Rick Perry pushed back on accusations by Mitt Romney that he supports each state creating its own independent system of Social Security, during the GOP debate Thursday night.

"The bottom line is, we never said we were going to move this back to the states," Perry said.

Rather, he said, state employees and state retirees should have the option to "go off of Social Security." In Romney's home state of Massachusetts, for example, "almost 96 percent of ... people who are on that program, retirees and state people, are off the Social Security program," he said.

Perry appears to be referring to state workers who receive state pensions, and are thus ineligible for Social Security.

He added that people on Social Security right now shouldn't be worried about losing their benefits under his proposal. "We have made a solemn oath to the people of this country that the Social Security program in place today will be there for them," he said.

Here is the transcript of the exchange between Perry and Romney:

GOV. PERRY: Well, let me just say first, for those people that are on Social Security today, for those people that are approaching Social Security, they don't have anything in the world to worry about. We have made a solemn oath to the people of this country that that Social Security program in place today will be there for them. Now, it's not the first time that Mitt's been wrong on some issues before. And the bottom line is, is we never said that we were going to move this back to the states. What we said was we ought to have as one of the options -- the state employees and the state retirees, they being able to go off of the current system onto one that the states would operate themselves. As a matter of fact, in Massachusetts, his home state, almost 96 percent of the people who are on that program, retirees and state people, are off of the Social Security program. So having that option out there to have the states -- Louisiana does it -- almost every state has their state employees and the retirees -- that are options to go off of Social Security. That makes sense. It's an option that we should have.

MS. KELLY: Governor Romney, are you satisfied with that?

MR. ROMNEY: Well, it's different than what the governor put in his book just -- what, six months ago and what you said on your interviews following the book. So I don't know -- there's a Rick Perry out there that's saying that it -- almost to quote, it says that -- that -- that the federal government shouldn't be in the pension business, that it's unconstitutional -- unconstitutional, and it should be returned to the states. So you'd better find that Rick Perry and get him to stop saying that. (Laughter, cheers, applause) Now, my own -- my own view is -- my own view is that we have to make it very, very clear that Social Security is a responsibility of the federal government, not the state governments, that we're going to have one plan, and we're going to make sure that it's fiscally sound and stable. And I'm absolutely committed to keeping Social Security working. I've put in my book that I wrote a couple of years ago a plan for how we can do that to make sure Social Security is stable not just for the next 25 years but for the next 75. Thank you. (Applause.)

GOV. PERRY: And I would like to respond to that.

MS. KELLY: Go ahead, Governor Perry.

GOV. PERRY: Speaking of books and talking about being able to have things in your books and back and forth, your economic adviser talked about "Romneycare" and how that was an absolute bust, and it was exactly what "Obamacare" was all about. As a matter of fact, between books, your hard copy book, you said that it was exactly what the American people needed to have -- that's "Romneycare" -- given to them as you had in Massachusetts. Then in your paperback, you took that line out. (Cheers, applause.) So, speaking of not getting it straight in your book, sir -- (inaudible). (Cheers, applause.)

MS. KELLY: Governor Romney?

GOV. PERRY: (You've/he's ?) got a bad memory.

MR. ROMNEY: Governor Perry? Governor Perry, we were -- we were talking about Social Security, but if you want to talk about health care, I'm happy to do that.

MR. BAIER: We are going to have a round on --

MR. ROMNEY: I actually -- I actually wrote my book, and in my book I said no such thing. What I said -- actually, when I put my health care plan together -- and I met with Dan Balz, for instance, of The Washington Post. He said, is this a plan that if you were president you would put on the nation, have the whole nation adopt it? I said, absolutely not. I said, this is a state plan for a state, it is not a national plan. And it's fine for you to retreat from your own words in your own book, but please don't try and make me retreat from the words that I wrote in my book. I stand by what I wrote. I believe in what I did. And I believe that the people -- (bell rings) -- of this country can read my book and see exactly what it is. Thank you. (Cheers, applause.)

Comments

[dan webster]

11:14 PM on 09/25/2011

Huffington Post, like the rest of the bank-owned media, promotes the obviously bank-owned candidates. We won't have any change from the fascism and endless wars unless we elect someone who will put the banks in their place, and END THEIR ILLEGAL WARS. You wouldn't know it from reading HP, CBS, FAUX, Time or whatever, but that candidate is currently in the #3 position nationwide. And #2 in the first primary. And gaining. Media, be afraid. Be very afraid. The R3VOLUTION is coming. Your bankster masters will be very angry when Ron Paul makes the "Federal Reserve" open its books.

[landskroon]

06:01 PM on 09/25/2011

Social Security, discussed by two zillionaires? Give them a year of poverty and food stamps, it might make them modest and silent

[landskroon]

03:23 PM on 09/25/2011

Rethorics as in a boys game who can pee the biggest distance. For solutions for America`s problems we`d better go back in history 78 years. The rcipe comes from FD Rooseveld. It sounds like this and, saved you once before:
"Our greatest primary task is to put people to work. This is no unsolvable problem if we face it wisely and courageously. It can be accomplished in part by direct recruiting by the Government itself, treating the task as we would treat the emergency of a war, but at the same time, through this employment, accomplishing great - greatly needed projects to stimulate and reorganize the use of our great natural resources....

And finally, in our progress towards a resumption of work, we require two safeguards against a return of the evils of the old order. There must be a strict supervision of all banking and credits and investments. There must be an end to speculation with other people's money. And there must be provision for an adequate but sound currency. These, my friends, are the lines of attack."
Franklin Delano Roosevelt, First Inaugural Address, March 4, 1933.

[luckyt]

09:56 AM on 09/24/2011

The Circus will soon come to a town near you and these Clowns never fail to entertain. One thing for sure is todays act won't be the same act you will see preformed at the next. For like a Crime when the perpetrator is asked to repeat his story it will change, since it was a lie in the first place every time it is repeated. My hope is that by the time they come back to Tampa they would have spent a lot of their money helping the economy. Rick Scott is trilled that they are coming to Florida for not only is Florida a Republican Strong hold, but Tampa being what it is will be able to provide them with all the Adult entertainment that Republicans love (Gentlemen' s Clubs and Escort Services). It is estimated that the female population in Tampa will grow for this event in the thousands. Yet these hypocrites boo a Gay soldier and applaud murder in the state of Texas.

[tc71087]

08:37 PM on 09/23/2011

Pollies want a cracker?

[Garrett Hood]

04:33 PM on 09/23/2011

How can people [republicans] be so shameless as to BOO a soldier that has dedicated his life to protecting their WORTHLESS ASSES ONLY FOR THEM TO BOO HIM. AND YET, IT'S THAT SAME PARTY THAT GETS CAUGHT WITH BOYS IN BATHROOM STALLS, AND EVANGELICAL REPUBLICAN LEADERS THAT HIRE MALE PROSTITUTES DO HAVE SEX WITH THEM AND ALL THE TIME, "DAMN ANYONE ELSE LIKE THEMSELVES TO HELL". REPUBLICANS DON'T WANT TO GIVE RIGHTS, THEY TAKE THEM AWAY! BUSH, TORE THROUGH THE CONSTITUTION AND WIPED HIS ASS WITH IT. BABARA BACH AND HER GAY HUSBAND, HAVE A BRAINWASHING CLINIC FOR GAYS. THE CLINIC SCREWS THEM UP SO BAD THE PATIENTS COMMIT SUICIDE...I ASK HOW???? AND ACTRESS JERI RYAN MARRIED THE REP. SENATOR THAT FORCED HER TO VISIT FRENCH FETISH SEX CLUBS AND MADE HER HAVE SEX WITH STRANGERS SO HE COULD GET OFF. THE REP. HYPOCRACIES NEVER EVER END.

[Nina Platter]

02:51 AM on 09/24/2011

@Garrett Definately agree with your rage and I have felt that way too, but I would have to be more delicate as to how I would express this same, since my mom might read it.

[2lilluc]

08:29 AM on 09/24/2011

Yup! I think the republicans missed the lesson "people in glass houses shouldn't throw stones" or "let he who is without sin cast the first stone."
They are one SICKO bunch of people. I call it repub-centric. They don't have a clue about the human condition or the concept of humanity, tolerance, compassion, kindness, fairness, civility.
I think many of us are as angry as you! We need some street level organization! We need to get out into the street, millions strong! The "American Spring."

[Garrett Hood]

03:29 PM on 09/24/2011

@2lilluc; Your comment meant a lot to me. Thank you.

[Phyllis Yanagihara]

04:25 PM on 09/23/2011

I suspected as much, especially when Perry didn't have a come back for that statement.

[phylliscooper1]

04:00 PM on 09/23/2011

Both Perry and Romney look like a human caricature of themselves. Plastic men. Too much make up and both sound like they have been programmed. They are scary, especially when you think of them being elected to the highest office in the land. The rest of the field, just filler.

[danberg36]

08:36 PM on 09/23/2011

Unfortunately the masses are so easily impressionable that the staged presentation is more important than the actual facts and basis for debate. Look at the mess we are in from the last presidential election. Obama is one of the most personable orators I have seen in a president in a long long time. In reality he is as clueless as a rock.

[billw8017]

03:23 AM on 09/26/2011

Some people voted for McCain even after he broke off his campaign and flew back to Washington to attend to the national crisis as a responsible Senator. The next day. After an interview with TV news. And sat silently in the crucial meetings.

Each little thing can be justified. Needs some justification.

But you think that Obama is clueless. Perry would do better. Romney would do better. But, if they did something good like Romney in Massachusetts, would they be explaining how they didn't mean anything by it like Romney about Massachusetts.

[2lilluc]

08:36 AM on 09/24/2011

Yeah...plastic men, plastic brains, plastic hearts, plastic words, plastic souls. They ARE scary! Time for REAL people to put aside our differences and rally to the cause...which is...to keep the repubs out of the office of the presidency!

[ftkl1234]

03:37 PM on 09/23/2011

Are Perry, Romney and the GOP candidates positioning themselves for the benefit of their voters or do they really deny science re evolution and humans affecting climate changes? Does the GOP intend to be the party that denies science?

Can we have these kinds of deniers for our leaders in the 21st century? I think NO!!

[Paul Bender]

05:13 PM on 09/23/2011

yep and nope

[2lilluc]

08:38 AM on 09/24/2011

Hard to believe but yeah. They fear science. They fear intelligence. They fear everything they can not control.

[QtheHero]

02:31 PM on 09/23/2011

It was interesting to finally see the GOP candidates attempting to separate themselves from one another.

[lambdin1]

02:04 PM on 09/23/2011

Perry is so use to manure that he can not get his head out of it!

[cjus2473]

01:59 PM on 09/23/2011

The question was asked of a 26-year old where I worked - "would you like to stop the way SS is run today and change it to a private system" - he said yes, as he was afraid it would not be around when he needed it. However, when the question was asked, "ok, it's now 2042 and you are 65 years old and you quit SS as it was in 2011 and put your money into a private place, and the market failed as it did in 2009 and you lost all your money, and now you have nothing to the meager $160,000 that the place we work at handed you for 25 years of service, and then you had savings of $100,000 - which means that you will receive, if you are very careful, for the next 20 years $13,000 per year to live on...had you stayed with the "flawed" SS system we have now, you would have received, at the very least $17,000 per year...so how did that change work for you.....and he was dumb-founded...no one asks these questions, and unless you put them in very specific terms, you will get the same argument-change it. For those of us who are baby-boomers, and who lost a ton in the crash in 2009, the choice would be very clear-leave it alone...oh yeah, we work in law enforcement in TX and Gov Perry sets our retirement money aside for us...sweet

[billw8017]

03:38 AM on 09/26/2011

It's not just that Social Security doesn't depend on your luck with investments, but it is indexed to compensate for inflation so it should be a useful sum when anybody retires. The system is not overly finely tuned to break even since it usually sets aside an excess. Social Security is very cost efficient and is widely admired abroad.

It is a huge sum of money which causes some to salivate at the notion of getting a bit of it for their own. While some ideologues argue that it is Socialism and, therefore, bad and a threat to the liberty that consists of being old and destitute, the greater threats are from those who want to privatize it and take commissions or politicians who simply want to turn it into a pure tax without dedicated benefits. Like any good thing, it has to be defended by the beneficiaries.

[quovadiszero]

01:28 PM on 09/23/2011

How very Repubnacious.

[Jerry Bozeman]

01:24 PM on 09/23/2011

I am off Social Security because I worked as a teacher in Texas. We CAN'T get social security if our school district did not pay into social security as well as teacher retirement. Neither teachers nor firemen could draw both. It wasn't an either/or choice.

[Rae Turner]

01:04 PM on 09/23/2011

maybe they will get so mad at one another that they will imploded