Obama, courting Ohio seniors, pledges no cuts to benefits
The Toledo Blade | June 14, 2008
By Jim Provance
Returning to battleground Ohio for the first time since losing the state's March 4 primary, likely Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama yesterday used a retirement home as the backdrop for his call for higher Social Security taxes on wealthier Americans.
At the same time, he promised there would be no cut in Social Security benefits, no increase in the retirement age, and no income taxes on the first $50,000 collected in Social Security benefits.
He attacked Republican opponent John McCain for supporting private individual retirement accounts that could be invested outside the Social Security system, an idea that failed to gain momentum when President Bush proposed it several years ago.
"Privatizing Social Security was a bad idea when George Bush proposed it. It's a bad idea today,'' Mr. Obama told an invitation-only, mostly white group of 40 senior citizens at Oakleaf Village in north Columbus.
"It would eventually cut guaranteed benefits by up to 50 percent,'' he said.
