Rick Perry: Politicians need "guts" to talk about Social Security

Texas Gov. Rick Perry speaks during a Republican presidential candidate debate at the Reagan Library, Sept. 7, 2011.

/ AP Photo/Jae C. Hong

Republican presidential candidate and Texas Gov. Rick Perry is fine-tuning his position on Social Security ahead of Monday night's Republican debate, writing in a USA Today op-ed that politicians need the "guts" to speak the truth about the popular government retirement program.

"The first step to fixing a problem is honestly admitting there is a problem," Perry writes in the op-ed. "America's goal must be to fix Social Security by making it more financially sound and sustainable for the long term. But Americans deserve a frank and honest discussion of the dire financial challenges facing the nearly 80-year-old program."

Since entering the GOP presidential race last month and surging to the top of the field, Perry has come under fire -- from Democrats and Republicans alike -- for his description of Social Security as a "Ponzi scheme."

At least week's Republican debate in California, Perry stood by that characterization, saying it was a "monstrous lie" to suggest Social Security is sustainable in its current state.

In his op-ed today, Perry takes his rhetoric down a notch but suggests other politicians aren't being frank about the state of the program.

When he takes the stage in tonight's debate, which CNN and the Tea Party Express are hosting in Tampa, Perry can expect to take a beating from his GOP opponents on the issue.

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In last week's debate, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney was ready to attack Perry's stance, saying, "Our nominee has to be someone who isn't committed to abolishing Social Security but to saving Social Security... Under no circumstances would I ever stay by any measure it's a failure. We've got to keep it working."

The Romney campaign, which has been overshadowed in the past month by Perry's entry into the race, continued to hammer Perry on Social Security after the debate.

"There is no way that the Republican Party can be successful with a nominee who wants to dismantle Social Security," Romney senior advisor Eric Fehrnstrom said. "Mitt Romney believes that the Republican Party should be known as the party that saved and strengthened Social Security. That's how we're going to win next year against Obama."

The Tampa Tribune reports that the Romney campaign is distributing fliers to GOP primary voters in Florida calling Perry "reckless and wrong on Social Security."

Rep. Michele Bachmann of Minnesota, another presidential candidate whose campaign has lost steam because of Perry, also plans to jump on the attack, the Washington Examiner reports.

"Bernie Madoff deals with Ponzi schemes, not the grandparents of America," a Bachmann adviser told the Examiner. "Clearly she feels differently about the value of Social Security than Gov. Perry does... She strongly disagrees with his position on that, and it's clearly not something that's going to sit well with the people of Florida and Iowa and South Carolina and many of the early states, where there is a large population of seniors who rely heavily on Social Security."

While the other candidates may think Perry's position on Social Security makes him unelectable, it doesn't appear voters feel that way -- at least for now. A new CNN poll released today shows Perry leading the field of GOP candidate at 30 percent, with Romney coming in second with 18 percent support. As many as 42 percent said Perry has the best chance of beating President Obama in 2012 -- just 26 percent said the same about Romney.

20 Photos

Rick Perry on the campaign trail

[nearl451]

Reminds me of something they called Patton: "Ol' blood and guts": our blood; his guts.

[lucifersshadow]

No . . . BRAINS needed first!

[noloyalisti]

Perry is a complete idiot and spouting the fake garbage about Social Security. Social security has a $2.6 TRILLION SURPLUS. It has nothing, I repeat nothing to do with the national debt or the budget deficit.

Perry's greedy corporate masters on Wall St want to get their filthy paws on the money, plain and simple.

[MurdochSucks]

I happen to agree with you, here. Privatizing SS to "save" it and make it "solvent" would be the biggest mistake our elderly could not afford to make.

[lucifersshadow]

Ok, privatize SS. Then when the next ENRON happens, how are you going to fix that?

[David_Chowes]

Gov. Perry is proud to be a Texan. He is also one of the most uncouth major party politicians I have ever seen running for the nomination of president of the United States.

He may play well in Texas(?). And according to the poll you cited, even with his Social Security "Ponzi scheme" view he is still the GOP front runner.

What's wrong with the electorate? They are uneducated and ignorant.

[MurdochSucks]

I urge everybody to read this article about how the GOP has been overthrown by a plutocracy using religion and money to push their corporate agenda. The article points out how the GOP and Tea Partiers manufactured a crisis to send the message that we need to privatize everything.

http://www.truth-out.org/goodbye-all-reflections-gop-operative-who-left-cult/1314907779

[MurdochSucks]

Sorry, not really an article, more of an op-ed, but the author sums up beautifully what I see from the modern Republican party.

[slatep]

If politicians in the past had not given themselves permission to "STEAL" funds from the Social Security fund, there would be no "DIRE" situation today.

DON'T watch the debate tonight.

You're only going to hear a lot of tripe from a group of people who hope you are going to swallow the words they think you want to hear.

The American public has had enough deceit shoved down their throats that they can now recognize crappola when they hear it.

This time around; IGNORE IT.!!

[mountainstates1]

Why don't you talk about JOBS, Perry??? You want to talk about Obama's birthplace, how there's no such thing as global-warming, giving tax breaks for your rich friends and making sure old people don't have any social security checks. That doesn't take "guts", that takes "cowardace". Perry, you are a coward!

[nirak2-2009]

Perry is gutsy alright. So gutsy that he sleeps really well EVEN when an innocent person is executed in Texas.
That man has no heart and some of you folks consider him as the President of the USA? OMG some of you are truly of your rocker.

[web6242a]

Perry is the worst of hypocrites!!! The New York Times reports that he received $83,000 in the last 10 years in Farm Subsidies. He closed part of Texas' enormous Revenue Shortfalls with Federal Stimulus funds. Now he is right up there begging for Federal dollars for Fire Disaster Aid. If he believes SS is a Ponzi scheme --- then he should ask the Texas Attorney General to indict the Feds for Fraud. So Gov. Perry --- Where's all the cash in SS that recipients who died never collected ? -- In the Billions --- Where's all the Interest the US never paid when Reagan and all the rest of the Administrations borrowed? If Americans gave their money for Life and the Feds squandered it --- Where's the Investigation? He looks like Bush ___ He sounds like Bush --- Heck, he even swaggers like Bush ---- Perry is a Duck --- Let him run for the Aflac Spokesperson !!! This guy is a joke!!!! Typical whining Millionaire who has no problem taking SOCIALIST FARM SUBSIDIES --- but want's to defund SS --- A program all working American's pay for every paycheck for life. What an Imbecile!!!!!!!!

[retiredgustav]

Please don't insult the duck. I know the duck is smarter than perry. Atleast the duck has a real job. Perry has been leaching off of the public all of his life.

[nirak2-2009]

Perry turns my stomach.