BIG STORY to Push Through Monday-

[FrenchieCat]

If we want to keep McCain on the defensive....this is the story.
If we can have him losing older voters, that will hurt John McCain, and hurt him badly,
and help Obama tremendously. This shows that McCain is still pushing bad economics
in the middle of bad times. His timing stinks, which is why deserves to lose, and to lose big.

McCain defends retirement accounts amid stock dive

By GLEN JOHNSON, Associated Press Writer
Fri Sep 19, 7:46 PM ET

GREEN BAY, Wisc. - Wall Street turmoil left John McCain scrambling to explain why the fundamentals of the U.S. economy remained strong. It also left him defending his support for privately investing Social Security money in the same markets that had tanked earlier in the week.

The Republican presidential nominee says all options must be considered to stave off insolvency for the government insurance and retirement program, and top McCain advisers say that includes so-called personal retirement accounts like those President Bush pushed in 2005 but abandoned in the face of congressional opposition.

The aides tried to soothe voters concerned about the bankruptcies, takeovers and bailouts on Wall Street by declaring McCain favored only the option of such accounts, just for younger workers, and most likely in a conservative investment vehicle such as bonds.

Private accounts for Social Security are "always an easier sell when the markets are going up instead of going down," said David Wyss, chief economist at Standard & Poor's. "I don't think this is a good week to sell that one politically...."

A headline Friday in the Manchester, N.H., Union Leader, the leading paper in that battleground state, underscored the political challenge. "Pension funds for workers take a hit," read a story about a roughly $500 million decline the past three months in the state's public pension fund.
more....
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080919/ap_on_el_pr/mccain_social_security

I'm sending this story to these folks tomorrow morning, and I suggest that you do too, as well as to whomever you normally write letters to (I'm hoping that you normally write somebody!!)

Josh Marshall [e-mail]
Andrew Sullivan [e-mail]
Mark Ambinder [e-mail]
Keith Olberman [e-mail]
Rachel Maddow [e-mail]
Eugene Robinson [e-mail]
Frank Rich [e-mail]
E.J. Dionne [e-mail]
Ed Schultz [e-mail]
Randi Rhodes [e-mail]
Stephanie Miller [e-mail]
Thom Hartmann [e-mail]
Mike Malloy [e-mail]
Steve Clemons [e-mail]
Bob Herbert [e-mail]
Joe Klein http://www.time.com/time/letters/email_letter.html
Howard Fineman [e-mail]
David Remnick (the New Yorker) [e-mail]
The New York Times Editors [e-mail]
The Washington Post www.washingtonpost.com

and whomever else,

[H2O Man]

1. Thank you.

Time for the DU Weekend Warriors to get to work!

Nominated.

[Ichingcarpenter]

16. Also Ninja DUers need to go to conservative sites

and inject this bit of truth on their boards.

kick and nominated.

[Essene]

2. I'll be sure to mention this on my TV pundit appearances =D

[LaurenG]

3. I agree, we need to focus on the disconnect from reality

the McPalins are tied to. Dumb and Dumber still can't figure out how bad this is. :mad:

[FrenchieCat]

4. Plus this highlights Voodoo Economics gone wild.

He's willing to gamble retirement money, while pushing deregulation. Bad Combo, IMO.

[Essene]

5. and weakening his pull among older voters who just identify with him by default... is good

[FrenchieCat]

6. Watch the contrast between the 2 candidates......

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pmfeesYmx1Y

and then take action!


:scared:

[quantass]

7. k

[regnaD kciN]

8. That, plus...

...his magazine article about how we need to deregulate health care "just like we did with banking." :crazy:

[FrenchieCat]

18. What magazine is that in? Do you have a link?

[BrklynLiberal]

24. Here is one post about it..

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x4044255

[BrklynLiberal]

23. K & R and bookmarked..and mailed out to everyone.

[Hope And Change]

9. K & R!

[Vinca]

10. Letters to Florida newspapers would make sense. Lots of retirees. nt

[glowing]

11. I bookmarked.. but lets keep this kicked to the top so that we can

remember.. and this is a great list of e-mails to have.. thanks. So sad when WE have to do the reporting that THEY are getting paid big bucks to read on the air.. Oh well.. at least its then out there and the seniors will be scared straight.

[glowing]

12. Oh, you need to hit the 3 big networks... so that it's reported at 6:30pm..

That's the one that most elderly people receive their 1/2 hour of national/ world news. AND send it to your local paper TODAY, so that it is in the Sunday paper.. On second thought, perhaps we should send it to the AM shows for Sunday talk.. they will be talking about this crisis.. good tie in.

[liberalla]

13. Good idea, Frenchie!

Thanks for putting these contacts right here, too!

[Jeff In Milwaukee]

14. www.democrats.org

Under the "Action" tab, they have a Letter to the Editor generator. You can get this message out to dozens of newspapers in your area with a single click.

www.democrats.org/page/content/partybuilderLTE/

[tbyg52]

15. K&R. Is this the *only* thing he hasn't flip flopped on? nt

[flamingdem]

17. Good tie-in to market instability and McCain's proposals for social security privatization

The bailouts might pump the market nicely in McCain's favor until election day, regardless the focus can be on the instability and what that means to retired voters.

[jazzjunkysue]

19. here's your email list all edited to submit as a group into your To box:

[e-mail], [e-mail], [e-mail], [e-mail], [e-mail], [e-mail], [e-mail], [e-mail], [e-mail], [e-mail], [e-mail], [e-mail], [e-mail], [e-mail], [e-mail], [e-mail], [e-mail], [e-mail]


This went through (sometimes the formats are off and it doesn't go through.)

Thanks.

[FrenchieCat]

21. Kewl! Thanks.

[BrklynLiberal]

25. Thanks!!!

[myrna minx]

20. K&R n/t

[livetohike]

22. K & R

:kick:

[Liberal_Stalwart71]

26. What I don't understand is this: why isn't the M$M reporting that McSame enjoys a

$58,000 disability check from the taxpayers but he wants to privatize social security. He wants the benefits for himself that he doesn't need and can afford on his own. Hey Grandpa: why not reject that check you get and send it back to the taxpayers?