Ron Barber, Arizona Candidate Running For Giffords' Seat, Endorsed By National Social Security Advocacy Group

Former Rep. Gabrielle Giffords is backing former aide, Ron Barber, to succeed her in Congress from southern Arizona.

The race to succeed Gabrielle Giffords in Congress has turned into a localized debate over the future of Social Security and Medicare.

Ron Barber, a former Giffords staffer and the Democratic nominee in the June 15 special election, picked up an endorsement Monday from the National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare. The liberal-leaning group picked Barber over Republican Jesse Kelly in a race where Barber and the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee have focused on the two programs.

"Ron has made his positions clear, he has not wavered from those positions," Phillip Rotondi, political director for NCPSSM's campaign arm, said in a conference call with reporters today. "We will be with him in this election and in November."

Barber and Democrats have seized statements Kelly made in his unsuccessful 2010 race against Giffords where he called for ending both programs. Last week, the DCCC unveiled a new television commercial in the district targeting Kelly's positions on the issue.

Kelly's 2012 campaign website, however, says the Republican supports "preserving, protecting and strengthening" Social Security and Medicare. His spokesman, John Ellinwood, told HuffPost that the Republican has a plan to fund the two programs by creating more energy sector jobs in order to generate the needed revenue.

"Jesse supports honoring our commitment to seniors with a plan to promote the economy using energy," he said.

Barber started his campaign in February focusing primarily on veterans and border security issues. The emphasis on Social Security and Medicare began after Kelly's victory in the April primary. During Monday's conference call, Barber said that he is still committed veterans and border security issues, but that conversations with voters, national GOP proposals, along with Kelly's campaign caused him to make Social Security and Medicare bigger parts of his campaign.

"What has happened over the last couple of months, my opponent and his allies have characterized my position in a false and misleading way," Barber said. "I have been a supporter of Medicare and Social Security for a long time."

Barber, who was injured in the January 2011 assassination attempt that severely injured Giffords, and Kelly are running in the June 15 election to win Giffords' seat for the remaining six months of her term in the 8th District. An August primary and November election will be held in the new 2nd District, which encompasses much of the 8th District.

Rotondi said that while Barber faces an August primary challenge from state Rep. Matt Heinz (D-Tucson) in the new district, the NCPSSM believes he'll win the June election and be the incumbent in August, which is why it backed Barber now.

Heinz told HuffPost that other groups have told him the two elections are being considered separately for endorsements, but noted that he opposes Kelly's viewpoints on Social Security and Medicare. Heinz has endorsed Barber for the six-month term, while opposing him for the two-year term.

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Comments

[reyam]

12:51 AM on 05/08/2012

I guestion the entire nature of the universe when I think of the half term governor, full time idiot still "holden forth" on issues while Gabby Giffords had to resign her seat.

[AZterritory]

10:15 PM on 05/07/2012

Kelly-R-TP had about 20 seniors show up at one of his rallies this past weekend. Ron Barber had over 200 come to his. Kelly lately could teach Romney how to be an Etch-a-sketch.

[Annie Snyder]

10:26 PM on 05/07/2012

AZ, do you remember when Kelly held the fundraiser here in Arizona, inviting people to come help him "take out Gabby Giffords, come shoot a fully automatic weapon with Jesse Kelly?" He has the fine, upstanding character of gutter slime, doesn't he?

[beckybecky]

11:06 PM on 05/07/2012

Gun metaphors did not cause the Tucson shooting. A known crazy person was responsible. People who knew him said he wasn't political. Say want you want about Kelly, but trying to pin taking out Giffords on him is wrong.

[AZterritory]

08:55 AM on 05/08/2012

Yep, he has a lot of sycophantic follower here in Cochise County. The gun huggers can say all they want about Gabby being shot by a whacko--the 'discourse' they provide does nothing to add to the well being of the country.

[Annie Snyder]

09:20 PM on 05/07/2012

Jesse Kelly speaks with a forked tongue like a snake. He's on public record saying senior citizens on Medicare should "get off the public dole" and stating that he would "love to end Medicare."

[Bruce Joseph]

07:47 PM on 05/07/2012

This race really hinges on how many Arizona voters are gullible enough to fall for Jesse Kelly's lies.

[Karma2U]

06:25 PM on 05/07/2012

Social Security and Medicare , two of the most successful economic policies ever implemented in America are also the two major reasons we are not in a full blown recession.

Reform is needed as we go forward - but reform that will improve and preserve it.

The Gold Over People party wants to do away these social programs and keep making the poor poorer and their cronies richer.

[George Picard]

07:55 PM on 05/07/2012

What is the unfunded mandate for Medicare? How can you call it a succes.

[Karma2U]

03:20 PM on 05/08/2012

I'm not an expert and I am not the only person who knows its success and benefits. I suggest you read some American history of the last 50 years and write to economists who can explain that social security, medicare, welfare, etc are economic tools designed to keep people solvent, spending and keep the country from another great depression.

[429freckles]

06:03 PM on 05/07/2012

Kelly - just another Republican revisionist. Anybody believe this guy?

[AZterritory]

10:16 PM on 05/07/2012

Only the deluded and gullible, and they are legion in AZ.

[Cory111]

06:20 PM on 05/08/2012

I’ve heard there is a law in Arizona requiring that all clothing coming into the state must have instructions on the buttons.

Arizona’s new slogan, “Walking backwards isn’t all that bad, you can see where you’ve been.”

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