2008 OR Senate Debate: on Social Security


Gordon Harold Smith: People should prepare for retirement in addition to Soc.Sec.

Merkley said he’s opposed to Smith’s plan to privatize Social Security, which he said would have been a dangerous move with the falling stock market.

Smith said that as senator he has done more to help encourage Americans to save more as a way to better prepare for retirement and add to the benefits received under Social Security. He took issue with Merkley for suggesting he wanted to do away with Social Security. “In war and the Merkley campaign, the truth is the first casualty,” he said.

Source: 2008 Oregon Senate Debate, in Southern Ore. Mail Tribune Oct 14, 2008

Jeff Merkley: Privatization would melt away retirement in stock crash

Merkley said he’s opposed to Smith’s plan to privatize Social Security, which he said would have been a dangerous move considering how hard retirement funds have been hit by the falling stock market. “It would have melted away the way Wall Street has melted away,” he said.

Smith said he encourages Americans to save more as a way to better prepare for retirement and add to the benefits received under Social Security. He took issue with Merkley for suggesting he wanted to do away with Social Security

Source: 2008 Oregon Senate Debate, in Southern Ore. Mail Tribune Oct 14, 2008

  • The above quotations are from 2008 Oregon Senate Debate between Gordon Smith and Jeff Merkley.
  • Click here for definitions & background information on Social Security.
  • Click here for other issues (main summary page).
  • Click here for more quotes by Gordon Harold Smith on Social Security.
  • Click here for more quotes by Jeff Merkley on Social Security.
Candidates and political leaders on Social Security:

Retired Senate as of Jan. 2015:
GA:Chambliss(R)
IA:Harkin(D)
MI:Levin(D)
MT:Baucus(D)
NE:Johanns(R)
OK:Coburn(R)
SD:Johnson(D)
WV:Rockefeller(D)

Resigned from 113th House:
AL-1:Jo Bonner(R)
FL-19:Trey Radel(R)
LA-5:Rod Alexander(R)
MA-5:Ed Markey(D)
MO-9:Jo Ann Emerson(R)
NC-12:Melvin Watt(D)
SC-1:Tim Scott(R) 		Retired House to run for Senate or Governor:
AR-4:Tom Cotton(R)
GA-1:Jack Kingston(R)
GA-10:Paul Broun(R)
GA-11:Phil Gingrey(R)
HI-1:Colleen Hanabusa(D)
IA-1:Bruce Braley(D)
LA-6:Bill Cassidy(R)
ME-2:Mike Michaud(D)
MI-14:Gary Peters(D)
MT-0:Steve Daines(R)
OK-5:James Lankford(R)
PA-13:Allyson Schwartz(D)
TX-36:Steve Stockman(R)
WV-2:Shelley Capito(R) 		Retired House as of Jan. 2015:
AL-6:Spencer Bachus(R)
AR-2:Tim Griffin(R)
CA-11:George Miller(D)
CA-25:Howard McKeon(R)
CA-33:Henry Waxman(D)
CA-45:John Campbell(R)
IA-3:Tom Latham(R)
MN-6:Michele Bachmann(R)
NC-6:Howard Coble(R)
NC-7:Mike McIntyre(D)
NJ-3:Jon Runyan(R)
NY-4:Carolyn McCarthy(D)
NY-21:Bill Owens(D)
PA-6:Jim Gerlach(R)
UT-4:Jim Matheson(D)
VA-8:Jim Moran(D)
VA-10:Frank Wolf(R)
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Page last updated: Dec 02, 2018