New Ad Campaign Begins Against Bush Social Security Plans

[cal04]

A new organization created to defeat President Bush's plans for Social Security intends to open a television ad campaign this week depicting the proposal as the tip of an iceberg that will cut benefits and raise the national debt. Erik Smith, a spokeman for ProtectYourCheck.org, said the group will spend nearly $1 milion to show the commercial on cable stations nationally over the next three weeks. Other ads will follow on broadcast stations, he said, aimed at individual lawmakers of both parties.

The new organization is the latest entry into what has become something of an extention of last year's presidential campaign. The White House, Republican Party and outside groups are working to build support for Bush's Social Security proposal. On the other side, the Democratic Party, former aides to John Kerry and others who worked in outside organizations to elect him are now trying to torpedo the top domestic initiative of Bush's second term.

The ad will air as Congress returns from a two-week break and the administration moves into the second half of an intensive 60-day campaign to raise public support for Bush's call for Social Security legislation. Recent surveys indicate that Americans in growing numbers believe Social Security faces financial difficulties. Yet polls also indicate the public is increasingly skeptical of the president's call for voluntary personal accounts for younger workers as part of any overhaul. The commercial by ProtectYourCheck is designed to strengthen that skepticism.

It opens with the picture of an iceberg jutting above the water. "The plan that George Bush and his backers in Congress have to privatize Social Security. Look below the surface and you'll find ... benefit checks cut almost in half. $5 trillion in new debt," says the announcer. "This makes the anti-privatization argument of benefit cuts and inreased debt," said Smith. He declined to say precisely how much the group intends to spend on the ad, except to say that the total for the first three weeks would approach $1 million.

http://ap.tbo.com/ap/breaking/MGB060HT37E.html

[eleny]

1. Did they create the ad about fixing the plumbing leak?

The one where the plumber says he has to tear the house down to fix the leak - and they proceed to tear the house down to the ground. It's a great ad.

[tsuki]

7. I loved the wrecking ball.

[SteveG]

9. It was the AARP who did the wrecking ball.....(nt)

nt

[physioex]

2. Good....

All I have seen are RW ads on CNN for SS reform. I hear AARP is also going to take on Shrub....

[Virginian]

3. Here is a link.

http://www.protectyourcheck.org/site/pp.asp?c=jmKZJcNUJtF&b=481463

Bush says nothing will happen to those born in 1950 and before. That includes him, but it doesn't quite include me. I want the check I was expecting when I put money in for all these years.

What does he plan doing to those of us born between 1951 and 1955? We put in more quarters than a lot of those who are older. We were planning on a safty net also. We thought we were insuring ourselves against poverty in our golden years. We paid for it.

[Ellen Rose]

4. Bush is cutting a new notch on his gun.

You and all of those born between '51 and '55 will be the new "Notch babies". My guess is you will be fighting for your money to no avail just like those older Americans now known as Notch Babies.

(BY ROBERT J. MYERS)
"For some years, the complaints of the Social Security notch babies have been heard throughout the land. This group, consisting of those born during 1917-21, complains that their Social Security benfits are lower than those of persons who were born either before them or after them. To a certain extent they are correct, but only in comparison with persons born before 1917 who worked substantially after age 62.

The notch situation is an unfortunate one and is due to a technical flaw in the law, which was not intentional. Regrettably, it was not corrected when discovered shortly after the legislation containing it was enacted in 1977. The problem is not that the notch babies are getting too little--they are receiving equitable and reasonable benefit amounts. Rather, some persons who were born before 1917 (and who worked well beyond age 62) are receiving windfalls and bonanzas. To increase benefits for the notch babies would merely create new inequities and notches as to those born in other years. To decrease benefits for those born before 1917 who are receiving windfalls would be unfair at this point in time.

The new catastrophic Medicare benefits enacted on July 1, 1988 (the Medicare Catastrophic Coverage Act, P.L. 100-360) has produced a notch situation of significant degree. This notch affects not merely a single group of persons born in a particular period, but rather many persons in all future years. Further, it affects not only living persons, but also the survivors of deceased Medicare beneficiaries!"

http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/z?r101:E01MR9-166:

[MO_Dem]

6. Bush says nothing will happen to those born before '50

Well, I was born in '49, and I do NOT believe him! He's a proven liar, and I have no doubt he would lie about this. So, whenever you were born, I say look out. Don't trust this bunch.

[SteveG]

10. I was born in 50

so I know I'll get screwed

[MO_Dem]

11. Everybody gets screwed if

this bunch gets their way, except for their bigshot buddies on Wall Street that want to get their hands on our social security money, in my opinion. When it's gone, it's gone and it ain't coming back, just like our jobs, to paraphrase Springsteen.

[SharonAnn]

12. Besides, today he says "safe if born before 1950" then tomorrow

it's "safe if born before 1940", then "before 1935", etc.

Bush lies. Always.

[jaysunb]

5. Very well done

It should have major impact. :toast:

[Neshanic]

8. Excellent site name. Right to the point. Hard hitting commercial.