Romney pans Perry on Social Security plans
Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney speaks during a town hall meeting in Miami as he campaigns in South Florida. (September 21, 2011) Credit: Getty Images
MIAMI -- Mitt Romney questioned Wednesday how Rick Perry would fix Social Security, as the focus of the Republican presidential race turns to senior citizen-rich Florida this week.
In a likely preview of today's debate in Orlando, Romney took issue with Perry's contention in a recently published book that each of the 50 states would handle the huge federal program better.
"In my opinion, this does not work in any way, shape or form," Romney, the former Massachusetts governor, said at a town-hall meeting attended by about 75 people.
Romney also asserted that the Texas governor called Social Security "unconstitutional" and added: "I believe it is constitutional. I think that's proven and settled."
While Perry indeed roundly criticized Social Security in his book, he didn't use the word unconstitutional. Rather, Perry branded the program the "best example" of the "fraud" and "bad disease" spread by Washington in Franklin Roosevelt's New Deal.
Perry furthermore criticized the Supreme Court of that era for "abdicating its role as the protector of constitutional federalism."
Romney's criticism marks the start of an important three-day stretch for the GOP presidential field in the perennial battleground state of Florida. There's today's debate, with events sponsored by the social conservative group Faith and Freedom Coalition stretching into Friday, and a nonbinding test vote of party faithful on Saturday.
Perry, the current GOP front-runner in recent national polls, was also in Florida yesterday at a pair of private fundraisers.
While Perry made clear in his book what he thinks about Social Security, he hasn't provided specifics about what he would do if elected president to the program that millions of senior citizens depend on.
When asked in a recent interview with Time magazine how he would change Social Security, Perry said many ideas should be on the table. Romney pressed that issue at his event yesterday.
Two large screens displayed questions about Perry's position on Social Security, such as what would happen if some states chose not to have any such system, and whether people would have to switch plans if they moved from state to state. "There are a lot of questions I'd like to have answered to understand the nature of that plan," Romney said.
Perry spokesman Ray Sullivan accused Romney of "sounding like a Democrat, distorting the truth and trying to scare senior citizens."
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