"Third Way" Lies About Progressive Stance on Social Security

By Daniel Marans

Created 01/20/2011 - 11:31am

Third Way's Social Security reform proposal [1] deserves to be judged on its merits. But the outright lies its leaders are spreading about the position of progressive groups on Social Security do not. Plugging their reform proposal in Politico [2], Third Way's Jim Kessler and David Kendall claim that progressives are denying that Social Security has any problem at all. This is patently false. There is not one progressive group that denies Social Security will face a modest shortfall in 26 years. In fact, thus far, at least four progressive figures or groups have put forward their plans for filling this shortfall. They include reports issued by: Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-IL) [3]; former SEIU head, Andy Stern [4]; Demos, EPI and the Century Foundation's initiative "Our Fiscal Security [5];" and the Campaign for America's Future's "Citizens' Commission on Jobs, Deficits and America's Economic Future [6]."