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MDE EXCLUSIVE: FRANKEN PRAISED SPEECH CALLING FOR MASSIVE SOCIAL SECURITY CUTS
By Michael B. Brodkorb | October 9, 2008
As Al Franken attempts to scare Minnesota seniors, he ignores the fact that he has previously endorsed the views and the proposals of an individual who wanted to dramatically cut Social Security for Americans.
Franken’s travelling around the state peddling fear and once again he stands before the people of this state saying one thing, and standing for another. The time has come for Team Fran to be honest with Minnesotans and admit that Franken has endorsed the radical views of someone who felt that we should fundamentally alter the promise and compact that we’ve made to our nation’s retirees.
In his 1996 Book “Rush Limbaugh Is A Big Idiot,†Al Franken lauded the efforts of Pete Peterson, A co-founder of the Concord Coalition for a 1995 speech he delivered. “Pete Petersen [sic], a co-founder of the Concord Coalition, did hit a home run with a very sobering speech about what will happen if we don’t reform social security.â€Â Source: Al Franken, Rush Limbaugh Is A Big Fat Idiot, 1996, p. 220
As contemporaneous news report show, the 1995 Pete Peterson speech praised by Franken called for massive cuts in Social Security.
“United We Stand promoters promised their conference last weekend would be [‘]the political event of the century.’ …. My profile in courage goes to Pete Peterson for suggesting to the very middle-aged, middle-class audience that Social Security must be cut back to survive. As he told them, [‘]trying to reform entitlements without changing Social Security would be like trying to clean out the garage without moving the Winnebago.’ He provided substantial charts to back up his contention that in the future we will be robbing Paul Jr. to pay Paul Sr.’ The surprise was that the audience applauded. Even more surprising, when Mr. Peterson told the graying audience that their loyalty should not be to AARP, but to their country and their children’ _ and they applauded even louder. The often-imperial American Association of Retired Persons leadership in Washington, which has opposed many efforts to reform federal programs, should take note.â€Â Source: The Dallas Morning News, August 20, 1995
Peterson Speech also called for cuts in Medicare. “The 4,000 people who spent their own time and money to attend Ross Perot’s issues conference here this weekend are a tiny fraction of the most potent force in American politics. They are the ‘radical middle’ who think that even after the political upheavals of 1992 and 1994, it’s necessary to give Washington an even stronger jolt if they are to preserve the values and way of life they treasure. … An establishment figure like investment banker Pete Peterson was warmly received for suggesting that upper-income retirees should give up some of their Social Security and Medicare benefits.â€Â Source: The Washington Post, August 14, 1995
Pete Peterson’s Views On Social Security:
“The 67-year-old Peterson, who served Richard Nixon as a White House staffer and then Secretary of Commerce, has emerged as perhaps the leading spokesman for what remains of the anti-deficit wing of the Republican Party. For example, Peterson is the founding president of the nominally bipartisan Concord Coalition, chaired by former Senators Warren Rudman and Paul Tsongas. … The Coalition wants to eliminate the deficit by the year 2000 by cutting entitlements and raising consumption taxes. Peterson has helped fund ‘Lead . . . or Leave,’ a group with a similar entitlement-bashing agenda that claims to represent Generation Xers. He and his staff have written a number of books and articles, most recently Facing Up (1993), excerpted in the Atlantic under the same title and adapted in a New York Review article called ‘Entitlement Reform: The Way to Eliminate the Deficit.’â€Â Source: The American Prospect, Summer 1994
“As outlined in his 1993 book, Facing Up, Peterson would tinker with various federal spending programs from defense to welfare, with little net change in the total spent. The heart of his agenda is the following: * Cut Social Security and Medicare by $135 billion a year by the year 2000 — a reduction of 21 percent that year and more thereafter. Both the Concord Coalition and ‘Lead . . . or Leave’ endorse similar proposals.â€Â Source: The American Prospect, Summer 1994
“To Peterson, the Concord Coalition, ‘Lead . . . or Leave,’ and others, Social Security is an expensive scandal. ‘We will no longer be able to afford a system that equates the last third or more of one’s adult life with a publicly subsidized vacation,’ Peterson wrote in the Atlantic, hyperbolically implying that the average Social Security recipient lives to be 100.â€Â Source: The American Prospect, Summer 1994
It will be interesting to see how this story of Franken’s hypocrisy will be covered by the Minnesota press.
This will remain the top post on Minnesota Democrats Exposed for the balance of today. New posts will appear below.
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37 Responses to “MDE EXCLUSIVE: FRANKEN PRAISED SPEECH CALLING FOR MASSIVE SOCIAL SECURITY CUTS”
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October 9th, 2008 at 10:09 am
“It will be interesting to see how this story of Franken’s hypocrisy will be covered by the Minnesota press.”
Here’s a hint: they won’t, because this is dumb.
October 9th, 2008 at 10:19 am
All Franken posts should include the latest RepublicinMussen poll from your favorite Right Leaning Pollster:
http://tinyurl.com/63r2y9
“”The latest Rasmussen Reports telephone survey shows Franken with 43% of the vote, Coleman with 37%, and Barkley with 17%. This is the largest advantage Franken has enjoyed all year. A month ago, Coleman was up by a point.
Franken leads by fourteen points among women but trails by a single point among men. “”
37% . . . you mean a Right leaning pollster can’t muster more than 37% for an incumbent Repub in a ‘purple’ state. They must have oversampled DEMs again *grin*
MDE, electing DFLers one smear at a time! For that, we thank you!
Flash
Centrisity.com
October 9th, 2008 at 10:20 am
It will also be interesting to see if Norm can hold on to second place, or if his increasingly paranoid and desperate campaign will be bested by Dean Barkley.
October 9th, 2008 at 10:56 am
Absolute morons that post on this site. Total, absolute, communist, socialist, retarded, brainwashed, pablum puking, liberal sperm burpin’ morons. I will choose to no longer read the posted drivel and just read the exposure of the losers that Micheal provides.
October 9th, 2008 at 10:58 am
Leroy, Norman Marcus will finish third.
October 9th, 2008 at 11:28 am
Anyone that has ever heard Al Franken speak about Social Security will remember him telling the story of his wife’s family. Franni Franken’s father died when she was 17 months old, widowing her mother at age 29 with five kids. Their family made it through thanks to Social Security Survivor benefits, and all five kids grew up to become productive members of society.
Using an out of context one sentence quote from a book, in an attempt to deceive people into believing that Al Franken supports cutting social security benefits: shameless
October 9th, 2008 at 11:52 am
“”Absolute morons that post on this site. Total, absolute, communist, socialist, retarded, brainwashed, pablum puking, liberal sperm burpin’ morons. I will choose to no longer read the posted drivel and just read the exposure of the losers that Micheal provides.”"
Ya know, people ask me, Why do I tend to support DFL candidates when my ideology more closely aligns witht he conservitives. And I tell them aboout close minded long winded people like ‘Hi-Ten’
Thanks for proving my point! ( I did catch the Morton Downey, Jr ‘pablum puking,’ reference, tho. Nice touch!)
“”Using an out of context one sentence quote from a book, in an attempt to deceive people into believing that Al Franken supports cutting social security benefits: shameless”"
Why, Shameless is Mike’s middle name, he just spells it with a ‘B’ *grin*
Flash
Centrisity.com
October 9th, 2008 at 12:20 pm
When are we going to start hearing plans or more like goals they ALL want to do in Washington. We all know that it takes more than just 1 person to get things done. I believe that David Dillon can and will do a better job. I believe that David knows how to reach across lines and negotiate what is needed. Paulsen, great guy for a Majority Leader. He let our government shut down in 2005. Do you want that kind of guy working for us? I don’t. Madia? He is running on his Military Leadership. How ever that is a great thing to be and wish I could have been able to do such a thing is not proven enough to me. Madia hasn’t shown that he has been active in activities of the community. What has he done? What kind of community acitvism has he done in the 3rd District. I believe that he is just looking for a job. Why quit the one you have now for a job that you are trying to get and may not get? Doesn’t make sense. There is something more going on. I understand that people will say back to me that he could get a job anywhere and he is doing this out of “civic duty.” Give me a break. Dillon has a record of doing something in the 3rd District and the community. He owns a business in this district. He has lived in this district for around 20 years if not a little more and didn’t just move here to get into this race. Hmmm, like someone we know that did the same? Who could that be? Hilary Clinton? Al Franken? Ashwin Madia?
Dillon in ‘08, has my vote!!
October 9th, 2008 at 12:38 pm
I’m surprised that you are critical of someone for being long winded, Flash. Both of your posts are longer than that of hi-ten.
October 9th, 2008 at 12:48 pm
Since the subject of taking stuff out of context came up, here’s an excellent example:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ljrh72Qy1tw
And GOPers have the nerve to complain about negative campaigning….
October 9th, 2008 at 1:01 pm
Cutting Social Security is a Republican move!
Paulson supported it in the state legislature and refused to sign on with other politicians in the Third CD who were against dismantling social security. He let us know where he stood in August of 2005 when the campaign came to the Bloomington, Ednia, Shorewood and Brooklyn Park. Of course those campaigns were actually Ramstad Town Hall meetings were he was told to his face that Social Security shoudl not be touched and Iraq was not making us safer.
He and Paulson were on the wrong side of those issues.
Franken has evidence of being 100% behind social security. Paulson has the opposite. I bet he wished he didn’t go on record with that, and he did. I was one of the funders of that effort in the Third and Sixth Congressional Districts.
You guys are desperate and forgetful.
October 9th, 2008 at 1:46 pm
This entire election cycle has gotten to be so “low-brow” and meaningless.
It won’t matter who wins in November; Somebody is going to Washington to embarrass MN for 6 years.
The McCain / Obama and Madia / Paulsen campaigns are equally absurd.
As a 30-year old voter who works in and loves politics, I have to tell you folks here that this is the most pitiful election I have seen since I can remember.
Every candidate I have to choose from is horribly flawed, with some that don’t belong anywhere near a ballot for a chance at securing an elected office.
Pathetic & Pitiful—just another day in Minnesota’s political scene.
October 9th, 2008 at 1:53 pm
“when my ideology more closely aligns witht he conservitives. ”
but your ability to lie aligns with the democrats.
October 9th, 2008 at 2:07 pm
“Anyone that has ever heard Al Franken speak about Social Security will remember him telling the story of his wife’s family.”
Yep, and so long as Al Franken obstructs any and every true solution to fixing the failing, bankrupt Social Security system, he’s doing his part to ensure that NO FUTURE family EVER is able to have the same experience his wife had.
Way to go Al Franken. Thanks for the status quo. And keep your goddam hands off my private retirement programs. They work just fine. It’s the Democrat SS debacle that’s fucked up.
October 9th, 2008 at 2:16 pm
“Cutting Social Security is a Republican move!”
And a damned good one too. That stupid, bankrupt system does nothing but steal good money from hard working people.
Ever since Democrats moved the social security money into the general fund and started spending it like wild, drunken idiots, the the whole program has been on a road to ruin.
Cutting social security is the best way to save America.
October 9th, 2008 at 2:16 pm
“Franken has evidence of being 100% behind social security. Paulson has the opposite.”
Huh. I didn’t realize Franken and Paulsen were opponents this year.
October 9th, 2008 at 2:17 pm
“Franken has evidence of being 100% behind social security. Paulson has the opposite.”
Huh. I didn’t realize Franken and Paulsen were opponents this year.
I hope Paulsen cleans Frnaken’s clock, and dismantles morally and financially bankrupt social security administration once and for all.
October 9th, 2008 at 2:41 pm
GOP Dictionary
lie – When someones says something I don’t want to hear or inconsistent with what I believe.
Here’s a challenge for ya, define what a lie is, and then hold your own candidates to the same standard. I dare ya! Lets start with Who buys Norms suits *grin* Or Who Pays Norm’s Utility bills. Or who . . . or you get the picture. In order to create a standard so low and beign to not include your own, the Dems will look like saints!
My politically agnostic wife, whenever she feels I am fibbing says “What is this, you turned into a Republican now” Even she knows *laughing*
October 9th, 2008 at 3:00 pm
Flash, if you want to know what a lie is, read Biden’s transcript from the last VP debate.
It’s chock full of lies… well, lies, gaffs and spectacular displays of ignorance.
October 9th, 2008 at 3:17 pm
Here’s an example
Q: Did you vote for Al Gore in 2000?
Madia: Yes.
Pretty simple.
October 9th, 2008 at 3:44 pm
Here’s another:
Q: Did Nasser Kazeminy buy Norm Coleman suits and other gifts in violation of the federal congressional gift ban?
Coleman: Yes.
Pretty simple indeed.
October 9th, 2008 at 3:55 pm
The botched Coleman news conference just made it on MSNBC! Norm is tanking…
October 9th, 2008 at 3:58 pm
You’re right Leroy, in comment #21, that is a good example of a lie.
October 9th, 2008 at 4:01 pm
If it is a lie, why won’t Norm say as much?
It is really easy to say that you didn’t break the law, if, indeed, you didn’t break the law.
Where I worry is when something gets this much momentum, and Norm isn’t willing to publicly put it to rest. Makes me think there is fire under all the smoke.
October 9th, 2008 at 4:27 pm
“You’re right Leroy, in comment #21, that is a good example of a lie.”
Funny stuff.
Leroy can’t quite wrap his puny little brain around this concept.
October 9th, 2008 at 4:37 pm
Coleman is willing to trade his Senate seat for the right to not answer this question, and you say I am the one with a puny brain?
October 9th, 2008 at 4:51 pm
Anybody that claims they can “preserve” Social Security is lying, or stupid, or both. A vote to preserve Social Security is a vote to destroy Social Security and break the promises that have been made. A vote to reform Social Security is the only vote that can save it.
October 9th, 2008 at 6:03 pm
“Ya know, people ask me, Why do I tend to support DFL candidates when my ideology more closely aligns witht he conservitives. And I tell them aboout close minded long winded people like ‘Hi-Ten’”
Wow. Just Wow.
Flash, the closer we get to election time, the batshit crazier you get. Really.
Listen you poor boob; admitting that you vote Democrat because your a moron is a far better choice than telling everyone that you make your choices based upon what other people write in comment threads.
Stick with the truth, Flash.
October 9th, 2008 at 6:06 pm
Flash said:
“My politically agnostic wife, whenever she feels I am fibbing says “What is this, you turned into a Republican now—
Um, yeah Flash. Pretty “agnostic”. Hehe.
October 9th, 2008 at 6:17 pm
“define what a lie is, and then hold your own candidates to the same standard. I dare ya!”
A simple lie is saying something that is patently and demonstrably false.
A stinking, lowlife, scumbag Democrat lie is stealing money from kids and then telling everyone that you didn’t know a thing about it….even while a paper with your signature on it, documenting the whole rotten scheme is waved under your nose.
I don’t vote for lying, stinking, lowlife, scumbag Democrats that steal money from kids, and I wouldn’t waste a minute of my time trying to hold them to any standard that rises above the rim of a toilet bowl.
Problem solved.
Next question. *grin*
October 9th, 2008 at 6:27 pm
Swiftee-
Where is the document? Y’all swear up and down that it exists, and yet none of you seem capable of finding it.
In related news, I saw a letter that Norm Coleman once wrote to Osama Bin laden offering to sell the United States to Al Queda.
October 9th, 2008 at 7:37 pm
Fuck you Leroy. The document has been printed in several newspapers, and I linked it here more than once.
Even Porn-O-Rama doesn’t deny it exists, he just wants us to believe he signed it without reading a word…you want to read it, find it yourself asshole.
*grin*
October 9th, 2008 at 7:55 pm
Swift, your candidate is no better than Franken. And you are just as extreme on your side, as the leftist tree huggers are on theirs. It’s too bad the hippies didn’t throw a bucket of crap on you – not that anyone would notice.
October 9th, 2008 at 8:43 pm
You know, FiercelyIgnorant, those hippies were just like every other stinking Democrap I’ve ever run across. They’re happy to talk smack, but when Swiftee is standing right in front of them, they somehow lose all their steam.
And, in another way you are just like all of your stinking ilk too. You don’t see any problem with stealing from kids. Real nice, asshole. Real nice.
You scumbags deserve Franken.
October 9th, 2008 at 9:01 pm
The claim is that Franken was praising Peterson’s speech as a “home run”. If you read his book, the speech was given at a “United We Stand America” convention, a convention of the supporters of Ross Perot. A more accurate claim would be that Peterson’s speech was a “Home Run” with Ross Perot’s supporters, not with Al Franken. One reason that the speech was such a hit could be that Peterson “was the first speaker” (at the conference) “to make use of charts”. Those Perot supporters always loved those charts.
October 10th, 2008 at 6:37 am
So, Scrotee – you got another “admirer”.
You’re the poster boy of the republiCon base, boy. And it’s assholes like you that are gonna keep the GOP suckin’ hind teat for a long time.
And you deserve ol’ Smokescreen, Minnesota’s most ethically challenged politician – except you’re not gonna get him, ’cause he’s goin’ down.
You republiCons like to go down, Scrotee…..
October 10th, 2008 at 12:20 pm
[...] record, which clearly must be taken into account by the voters. Similarly, I think the GOP’s attacks on Franken’s positions are fair game. Actually, I feel like I’ve been in the twilight zone lately as Minnesota [...]