The Washington Times

June 03, 2002, Monday, Final Edition

SECTION: LETTERS; Pg. A16

There they go again, scaring seniors

THE WASHINGTON TIMES

by JAMES L. MARTIN, 60-Plus Association

To paraphrase a great American president, "There they go again." Listen to what Democratic National Chairman Terry McAuliffe said recently: "The president's misguided priorities are clear - he'd rather give billions in tax breaks to the wealthiest corporations than preserve one of the most popular and successful government programs in American history."

This is as patently false and as far from the truth as any statement he has been heard to utter. House Minority Leader Richard A. Gephardt of Missouri couldn't restrain himself either, saying, "The Republican House Majority has produced a budget that raided $1.8 billion (he means trillion) from the Social Security trust fund." To make this up, he added, "You'll have to cut benefits for today's elderly." As I said, the tactics are not new. It's true also on Medicare reform. In 1994, for example, Jeb Bush was on his way to defeating incumbent Gov. Lawton Chiles. But 72 hours before the election, the Chiles campaign paid $360,000 to send telephone scare calls to 684,000 seniors in seven heavily Republican counties. The false message, the baldfaced lie, being that Jeb Bush would take away Medicare.

So it goes, year after year, decade after decade, as our political "leaders" scare America's seniors - threatening them with deep cuts in benefits - while Social Security and Medicare slip into the financial abyss.

The story never changes: always the same bad guys (Republicans); always the same good guys (Democrats); always the same outcome (Long overdue, needed changes in the Depression-era retirement program and Johnson-era health-care program are further delayed).

By now, we all know both of the programs are unsustainable in their present form at their present levels, but even talk in any meaningful way about fixing them, and the Democratic leadership goes on the attack. It's like the taunting that takes place in a schoolyard: "I dare you. Double dare you."

When you do whatever you're goaded into doing, you get pummeled. This is not a partisan analysis. It's the way Washington works, where doing what's necessary and right long ago became secondary to doing whatever it takes to win partisan advantage. If lying will give you the upper hand, you lie. If scaring senior citizens will buy you votes, you scare them.

It's all part of the nasty game that now dominates Washington - and, as a result, very little ever gets fixed.

Just listen to Rep. Rosa DeLauro of Connecticut, the assistant House minority leader who recently discussed the Democrats' attack plans with the Capitol Hill newspaper, Roll Call. "This is going to be a battle in all areas," she said, "radio, television, print."

A collegial discussion of an important issue? No. Before a single hearing has been scheduled on anything, it has already been ordained "a battle." Of course, the Democratic leadership will tell you they only have the best interests of the 60-plus generation at heart. The Republicans, on the other hand, as Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle of South Dakota claimed on his Web page on April 24, want to "deplete the Social Security trust fund." This is even worse than what Mr. Gephardt had claimed a month earlier, when he accused the Republicans of special-interest budget chicanery "that raids $1.8 trillion from the Social Security trust fund."

The message to senior citizens ought to be clear: Since certain members of Congress obviously think you're stupid, gullible and selfish, pay extra care when you see or hear one of those radio, TV or print ads claiming that Republicans are trying to take away your benefits.

The 60-Plus Association will help, by organizing a national traveling truth squad to challenge the misinformation and lies, but we can't be all places at all times.

Seniors should check the facts - carefully - before they accept any politician's claim that some other politician is trying to undermine Social Security. It is more than likely a lie - a lie whose only purpose is to scare you.