Obama Attacks Clinton's Record on Social Security

Oct 27, 08:30 PM

Current Headlines: DES MOINES, Iowa _ Sen. Barack Obama charged Saturday that Sen. Hillary Clinton has dodged tough questions about the future of Social Security, a program important to many Iowa caucus participants.

The confrontation marked a new, increasingly aggressive approach by Obama as he seeks to more directly challenge the Democratic primary front-runner, something his backers have been urging him to do for months.

By going on the offensive, Obama, an Illinois Democrat, hopes to more clearly define his differences with Clinton, of New York, who has continued to build her lead in national polls and those in some early voting states.

Obama maintains the two also have significant differences on military confrontation in Iraq and Iran, topics likely to come up when the Democratic presidential candidates meet for a debate Tuesday in Philadelphia.

As he focused on Social Security, Obama pointed to recent incidents where he said Clinton was less than straightforward on how she would alter long-term funding for the massive federal program.

"You might remember that this came up in the last presidential debate," Obama said at a senior center in Des Moines. "When Sen. Clinton was asked about it, she wouldn't say what she thought needed to be done. The other day, here in Iowa, she skipped another chance to give a direct answer on this."

Obama also mocked Clinton by echoing a phrase she often uses on the campaign trail. "You're not ready to lead, if you can't tell us where you're going," he said.

In response, Clinton's campaign suggested Obama has cast off one of the central themes of his campaign.

"It's unfortunate that Sen. Obama has abandoned the politics of hope as his campaign has stalled," Clinton's campaign said in a statement. "A few months ago he said everything was on the table (for Social Security), including raising the retirement age, but today says he opposes it."

Clinton's campaign said she has been "clear" on her positions, that she would oppose privatizing Social Security and work "in a bipartisan process to address Social Security's long term challenges."

Obama, meanwhile, said there is no need to cut benefits or increase the retirement age. He said he would raise the level of income subject to Social Security taxes.

The direct challenge of Clinton is likely to be followed by television ads, reflecting a tactic Obama's campaign has repeatedly used in recent months.

Social Security almost always becomes an issue in Iowa, where many caucus participants are nearing or past retirement age.

In making its case, Obama's campaign leveraged a recent Associated Press report that captured a private conversation Clinton had with an Iowa voter after a campaign event.

The AP reported that she told the voter she would consider raising Social Security taxes on higher-income households. She made the comment after declining to give specifics earlier in public.

"She gave a lengthy response that didn't really answer my question," said Tod Bowman, 42, a high school government teacher who introduced and endorsed Obama on Saturday.

The AP said Clinton privately told Bowman she did not want to put an additional tax burden on the middle class, but would consider a "gap," with no Social Security taxes on income from $97,500 to around $200,000.

The government currently collects money to pay Social Security benefits from taxes on worker earnings of up to $97,500.

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