Top 10 Crazy Things Conservatives Say: Social Security Edition

It's been 20 months since Barack Obama was inaugurated, and five years since George Bush's attempt to privatize Social Security were completely rejected by the public.

How have conservatives reacted to their decades-long futile attempt to destroy the popular pillar of the New Deal? Have they accept defeat? Or have they gotten more crazy?

You be the judge! Behold the fifth edition of Top 10 Crazy Things Conservative Say. [1]

10.

" We need to phase Medicare and Social Security out in favor of something privatized."" -- Nevada senate candidate Sharron Angle [2]

9.

"I don't know whether it's constitutional or not. It is certainly a horrible policy … I don't know that the federal government should be involved in a retirement plan … the idea that the federal government should be running healthcare or retirement … is fundamentally against what I believe and that is that the private sector runs programs like that far better." -- Colorado senate candidate Ken Buck [3]

8.

"How is Social Security different from a giant Ponzi scheme?" -- Wisconsin senate candidate Ron Johnson [4]

7.

"You're going to have to have eligibility changes for the younger people." -- Kentucky senate candidate Rand Paul [5].

6.

"…getting the retirement age to 70 is a step that needs to be taken." –House Minority Leader John Boehner [6]

5.

"Babies that are born today, I don't think we have that security net for them. We tell them, take personal responsibility. We put some incentives in place for private retirement accounts and health care accounts." -- South Carolina congressional candidate Jeff Duncan [7].

4.

"I would argue that you don’t really have to worry about a fluctuation in the stock market" -- Pennsylvania senate candidate Pat Toomey [4] defending his plan to privatize Social Security.

3.

"What I'm hearing from the oil patch is they're not allowing drilling on a lot of their acres … maybe if the federal government would increase its permitting, and take that asset that they’ve got as minerals now, shift that asset to shore up Social Security, it would make sense to do that." – North Dakota congressional candidate Rick Berg [8].

2.

"…1937 the Social Security Act was signed into law by Franklin Roosevelt … And it started at age 65, but the average life expectancy for the American male was only age 59. It was never intended for them to get it. This was about patronage. This was about buying votes. It was never intended to be a legitimate program ever." -- Wisconsin congressional candidate Reid Ribble [4]

...And Number 1!

CNN: "How about an American born tomorrow or born the day after Joe Miller was sworn in in Washington? Would that person perhaps grow up in an America where there is not a federal Social Security program if you got your way? Alaska senate candidate Joe Miler: Absolutely." [9]

For more on why Social Security does not need to be privatized, does not need benefit cuts and does not need a higher retirement age, check out our Making Sense issue brief on Social Security. [10]

...and everything Paul Krugman says. [11]