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GOP Group Knocks Critz for… Opposing Social Security Privatization?

It’s not every day that a candidate tries to draw more attention to attack ads against him. But that’s exactly what Mark Critz is doing after a conservative group criticized him for opposing plans to privatize Social Security.

“Which of these Critz votes hurts Pennsylvania the most?” asks this attack website from FreedomWorks for America, a conservative super PAC affiliated with the Tea Party. “Opposed privatization of Social Security,” is one of the options.

The site also includes a video in which an announcer says, “Critz also stands with liberal interests in opposing Social Security reform.”

The site has been advertised online and, as a result, the video has over 8,700 views on YouTube.

The 12th district race between Critz and GOP challenger Keith Rothfus – who boasted about his endorsement from FreedomWorks in May – is one of the most competitive in the nation. It’s also one of the oldest, with enormous rates of enrollment in federal entitlement programs.

A centerpiece of the campaign is each candidate’s fealty to entitlement programs. Critz has voted repeatedly against efforts to repeal Obamacare, which reduces funding for Medicare by $716 billion. Rothfus has said he supports Rep. Paul Ryan’s (R-WI) budget, which makes identical $716 billion cuts and also makes Medicare more like a voucher system.

That’s why it’s odd to see FreedomWorks talking about Social Security privatization in PA-12 – it’s political kryptonite.

And Critz’s campaign jumped on it.

“The attack by FreedomWorks on Mark Critz makes it clear that Keith Rothfus wants to privatize Social Security,” Critz spokesman Mike Mikus said. “It is impossible to believe that FreedomWorks would attack Mark Critz for opposing privatization if Keith Rothfus didn’t agree with them, especially after they conducted ‘extensive personal interviews’ with the candidate.”

PoliticsPA is seeking comment from the Rothfus campaign.

9 Responses

  1. Rothfus is a puppet for the Republican national agenda. Privatize social security?? Give me a break. Get a clue Keith. The district you’re running in (the PA-12th incase you didn’t know) has one of the oldest average constituent ages of any congressional district in the United States. You’re supposed to be running to represent these people. Have you talked to any of them?

  2. DEAR POLITICSPA: Since you are asking the rothfus campaign for comments here are some suggestions: 1. Why did they black face Critz in their first campaign mailer? 2. What about Rothfus’s work for Pat Robertson? Does the faith healer still advise Mr. Rothfus? 3. Is Mr. Rothfus anti-contraception? 4. Why hasn’t Mr. Rothfus ever once told us what exactly he did for George Bush? 5. Is the 700 Club empire paying for any of these SuperPac attacks against Critz? Trying to be helpful!

  3. Yes you have taken time out of your busy to make many sites, no doubt one for each of the voices in your head

  4. The teenagers over at Freedom Jerks are out past curfew causing trouble in the neighborhood. And the Critz team couldn’t be happier – they handed them a golden opportunity to shove it up Rothfus tea party nose. Yea, we don’t want privatization of SS here in Pittsburgh Keith. Good luck selling that here.
    Bob Guzzardi still must be under house arrest with his incessant hairbrained posts.
    And the cat lady up there posting that phony Critz website is one of Diana Irey Vaughn’s lackeys.

  5. Social Security doesn’ t need to be privatized, it just needs some adjustments. It is not like Medicare that risks going under.

    The one thing I hate about privatizing Social Security is that we already have plenty of retirement money in the market through IRA’s, 401(k)’s and pensions. Social Security was meant to be insurance, and it needs to remain that way.

  6. Who can really blame FreedomWorks, you know? Sometimes, when you spew so much bull crap out every minute of every day, you sometimes spill it all over yourself. So they messed up and said that they support Rothfus because he wants to privatize Social Security–we all knew that already.

  7. I don’t see “privatize” in the video or in the ad. Did I miss it? Social Security Reform is discussed and there are few who do not think there is need for reform although there was a two year opportunity from Jan 2009 to Jan 2011 when Democrats controlled US House, US Senate and Presidency and could have addressed this problem and others and,like so many of Obama’s policies, FAILED.

  8. What is Mark Critz’s plan, if any, to save Social Security? Or doesn’t he think there is a problem.

    There are few under 40 who think they will ever get any Social Security benefit for the tax they pay. Social Security is a tax on employment and a growth inhibitor.

    Keegan, do you think you will see a Social Security benefit?

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