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Dems talkiing Social Security at GOP debate

Posted Sep 12, 2011 by William March

Updated Sep 12, 2011 at 04:30 PM

Republicans aren’t the only ones gathering for the GOP primary debate at the fairgrounds in Tampa.

Sensing an potentially major political opportunity in the disagreements among the GOP candidates over Social Security, Democratic leaders including national Chairwoman Debbie Wasserman-Schultz, a congress member from Weston, and state Democratic Party Chairman Rod Smith here to bash the GOP candidates on the issue.

Both Mitt Romney and Michele Bachmann are criticizing the new frontrunner in the primary, Rick Perry, over his previous statements questioning the constitutionality of the program and calling it a “Ponzi scheme.”

But Wasserman-Schultz, in an interview a few minutes ago, added, “No matter which candidate you look at on the Republican side, they don’t support Social Security.”

Asked what solutions Democrats will recommend to solve the program’s long-term financial stability problems, Wasserman-Schultz said she won’t “pre-empt the president” on that question, but that Obama “has consistently and clearly said we need to shore up Social Security and Medicare. What we don’t need to do is yank the safety net out from under our seniors.”

She said Social Security is financially solvent at least for the next 26 years, “so we don’t need to use a crisis mentality to deal with the issue.”

Wasserman-Schultz said in Florida, where one of every six citizens receives Social Security benefits, the issue could be decisive in the 2012 race.

In addition to one-on-one interviews with reporters, Wasserman-Schultz and Smith are holding a news conference at this moment.