Obama links McCain's Social Security stance to Bush's
The Democratic contender, speaking to retirees in Oregon, continues to essentially ignore rival Clinton. The state holds its primary Tuesday.
GRESHAM, ORE. — Sen. Barack Obama on Sunday continued his efforts to tie presumptive Republican presidential nominee John McCain to President Bush, contending that the Arizona senator's Social Security proposal was simply a continuation of Bush's failed attempt to privatize the government-sponsored retirement plan.
"Privatizing Social Security was a bad idea when George Bush proposed it," Obama told a forum at an assisted-living facility here. "It's a bad idea today."
Obama also criticized McCain for proposing to raise the age and income eligibility for Social Security. By contrast, he said, he would eliminate federal taxes on Social Security income for retirees making less than $50,000 annually, and he would raise the cap on the federal payroll tax above the current level of $102,000 "so that people like me pay a little bit more."
It was the third straight day that Obama essentially ignored his rival in the Democratic primary here Tuesday, Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, and tried to link November's likely Republican contender to the unpopular president. On Friday he blasted McCain over foreign policy, and on Saturday over healthcare.
Obama told his audience that the American dream is that "if we're sick we can get healthy and we can retire with dignity and respect. . . . Unfortunately, what's been happening in this country over the last seven to eight years is the American dream feels like it's slipping away."
In response, the McCain campaign issued a statement chiding what it called Obama's "weak economic judgment" for "his proposal for billions upon billions in tax increases on Social Security."
"With his lack of experience, it should be no surprise that Barack Obama's response to the problems facing Social Security is to raise Social Security taxes, while making misinformed partisan attacks," said the statement from campaign spokesman Tucker Bounds.
During Obama's question-and-answer period with the small, sympathetic crowd, one man asserted that McCain has not gotten the media scrutiny Obama has received over recent months. The Illinois senator ascribed that to the drawn-out Democratic primary and said that would change as the nation's attention shifts to the general election.
"I expect people will lift the hood and kick the tires with Sen. McCain just as they do with me," Obama said.
In response to a question about bringing peace to the Middle East, Obama said both the Israelis and the Palestinians would have to make sacrifices.
Israel, he said, would have to acknowledge that some of its settlements prevent the creation of a Palestinian state, while Palestinians will have to recognize Israel and accept its existence.
If that can be achieved, Obama said, "we can have a peace deal during the next president's two terms in office."
Obama holds a rally in Portland this afternoon, then flies to eastern Oregon for another town hall. He then travels to Montana before spending election night in Iowa, a pivotal state in the November election and the state where, in the January caucuses, his upstart campaign first gained momentum.
nicholas.riccardi@latimes.com
