“Shakespeare liked to coin new words too. Got to celebrate it!”
~ Sarah Palin [via twitter, source: Washington Post 7/20/10]
Sarah Palin likes to “coin” her own phrases and apply new meanings to words.

Perhaps while she is here in Pennsylvania, she can help one of her supporters with his efforts to coin a new phrase for privatizing Social Security. Regardless of what you call it, the meaning of Congressman Toomey’s plan is clear – especially for the 700,000 Pennsylvania seniors who depend on it to keep them out of poverty.

Palin supporter and Wall Street derivatives pioneer Congressman Toomey is one of the strongest advocates for allowing Wall Street to gamble with Americans’ nest eggs.  Congressman Toomey has tried to disguise his agenda by coming up with new names for his risky scheme, but the fact is that his plan would add $4.9 trillion to the national debt, cut benefits, and allow Wall Street to play roulette with middle class retirement security.

Toomey has called for dismantling Social Security as we know it at least 36 times, ranking among a slew of candidate Palin has endorsed who are openly calling for an end to Social Security:

• Paul Ryan, Palin’s “favorite Republican,” is running on a platform of privatizing Social Security and slashing Medicare.
• Congressman Toomey and Sarah Palin have both endorsed extremist Sharron Angle, who has repeatedly called for Social Security to be privatized, using Chilean military dictator Augusto Pinochet’s plan as a blueprint.
• In 2008, Palin defended Senator John McCain’s plan to invest Social Security funds in private accounts.
• And of course, in her home state, Palin’s candidate Joe Miller has called for the United States to “transition out” of Social Security, in favor of a privatized system.

Hopefully, Palin can clear up Congressman Toomey’s confusion, so he can honestly represent his plan to dismantle Social Security to Pennsylvania voters.

The Toomey Record:

• Voted to privatize Social Security to put retired workers, retirement security at risk based on the volatility of the market [HR 2590, 7/25/01, #273] and wanted to threaten Social Security to create risky Private Accounts [Morning Call, 8/28/02]
• Failed to protect Social Security by voting against securing Social Security and Medicare before spending our budget surplus [HR 1259, 5/26/99]
• Voted to raid Social Security to pay for President Bush’s out-of-control budgets [H Con Res 353, 3/20/02, #79], taking over $200 billion in Social Security funds to pay for other programs
• Voted against creating a Social Security Reserve Account [H Con Res 95, 4/1/03, #95]
• Voted to restrict Social Security benefits by adding requirements for some workers to qualify for spousal benefits [HR 743, 4/2/03, #100]
• Voted for huge tax cuts while squandering the Social Security surplus to pay the debt [H Con Res 68, 4/14/99, #85]
• Toomey Campaigns on Privatizing Social Security [Allentown Morning Call, 4/25/03]

Joe Sestak was elected to Congress in 2006 after a distinguished 31-year career in the United States Navy, and he is honored to represent the Southeastern Pennsylvania district where he was born and raised. He is a Democratic candidate for the U.S. Senate seat from Pennsylvania.  During his Navy career, Joe attained the rank of 3-star Admiral, served in the White House as Director for Defense Policy on President Clinton’s National Security Council, served in the Pentagon as Deputy Chief of Naval Operations, and led a series of operational commands at sea, culminating in command of the USS George Washington Aircraft Carrier Battle Group (30 ships, 100 aircraft, and 15,000 sailors/marines/aviators/SEALs) during combat operations in Afghanistan and Iraq. In our nation’s time of crisis in the immediate aftermath of 9/11, the Navy turned to Joe Sestak to serve as the first Director of “Deep Blue,” the Navy anti-terrorism unit formed in response to the attacks. Joe is the highest-ranking former military officer ever elected to either branch of Congress. He graduated second in his class from the U.S. Naval Academy and holds a Master’s in Public Administration and a PhD in Political Economy and Government from Harvard University. Joe lives in Delaware County, Pennsylvania, with his wife, Susan, and daughter, Alex, and proudly represents the 7th District, where his mother and many of his seven siblings still reside.