Earlier this week, it seemed Rick Perry was going to put the Ponzi scheme away forever. But have no fear, America: it’s back in Perry’s repertoire.
After taking a hammering from Mitt Romney and his rivals for using the metaphor to describe Social Security, Perry dialed things back a bit in a USA Today op-ed. The words “Ponzi scheme” didn’t appear, and Perry focused his attention on promising the retired and retiring that he’s not out to touch their entitlement. (The rest of us are not so lucky, however. Perry has talked about raising the retirement age to as high as 70 for workers 45 years old and younger, and/or scrapping the current system entirely in favor of state-run retirement schemes.)
Polls show the Ponzi stuff could be hurting Perry’s perceived electability among Republicans and it seems to turn-off independents. So it might make sense if he left the rhetoric on the cutting room floor.
Not happening. Here’s Perry in Iowa on Friday, both using “Ponzi Scheme” again and claiming his plan for Social Security is just part of the same discussion of entitlements started by Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI) and his Medicare-eliminating (in favor of a vouchers) Republican budget plan:
But our young workers in particular, know that they’re going to have some options. Is it a private type of an option, do they want to allow the government to run the program? That should be their call. But we are and we will fix this program. I talked to Paul Ryan today, I told him, I said I thank you, for having the courage to stand up and talking about this and I said I’m proud to join you in this discussion with America. For clearly calling the social security program, that we have in place today, broken. It is broken. Kids know that paying into something that’s not going to be there into the future is called a Ponzi scheme.
Watch the video, clipped by American Bridge, the Democratic-leaning tracking outfit:
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