by Seth Michaels, Jan 29, 2008

Today’s winner-take-all presidential primary in Florida, the state with the largest population to vote so far in the 2008 election, also takes place in a state with the largest population of senior citizens. So it’s worth taking a look at what presidential candidates have to say about retirement security and health care for seniors.

On the Democratic side, the Florida primary won’t have much practical impact. Because Florida moved its primary up in violation of Democratic National Committee rules, the Florida primary will not assign delegates to the Democratic Convention this summer. (However, all Democratic candidates will appear on the ballot.)

But the Republican primary will be crucial to determining the party’s eventual nominee. Six Republican primaries so far have produced three different winners, and polls in the Florida race have been close.

The top three Democratic candidates for president—Sens. Hillary Rodham Clinton (N.Y.) and Barack Obama (Ill.) and former Sen. John Edwards (N.C.)—all support preserving Medicare and Social Security. Each has pledged to oppose privatization of Social Security and promote safe pensions for retired workers.

You can find out more about these candidates’ stances on retirement security in their AFL-CIO questionnaires. Clinton, Edwards and Obama have all responded to the AFL-CIO’s questions on Social Security and retirement.

On Social Security, all four of the top Republican contenders have expressed support for privatized Social Security accounts, which would undermine guaranteed benefits and increase debt without improving solvency.

Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) has cast several votes in the Senate in support of private Social Security accounts, including a vote in 2006 and two votes in 1998. He also voted twice in 2005 against resolutions supporting Social Security solvency over tax cuts for the wealthy and opposing reform that would involve massive increases in debt.

McCain also has voted to raise the Medicare eligibility age from 65 to 67, which would leave millions of seniors uninsured, and to impose means testing and add co-pays. These two votes took place in 1997.

Former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani (R), who has staked his presidential campaign on the results in Florida, told The Washington Times he would “look at” privatized accounts for Social Security.

According to the Concord Monitor, Giuliani’s health care plan would leave older Americans vulnerable.

The elderly, the poor and the sickest may find themselves priced out of the market, and if Giuliani’s plan doesn’t insure everyone, then the uninsured will continue to drive up prices.

At last year’s AARP Forum, former Gov. Mike Huckabee (R-Ark.) said that privatized Social Security accounts should be an option.

Former Gov. Mitt Romney (R-Mass.) offered support for privatized Social Security accounts at a Jan. 6 Republican debate. Bloomberg News reported last year that Romney was “weighing…deep cuts in automatic benefit programs like Medicare and Social Security.”

None of these Republican candidates provided answers to the AFL-CIO questionnaire, which specifically asked about protecting Social Security.

For more information on the presidential race, visit Working Families Vote 2008.

Print This Article | E-Mail This Article | Comments (0)