"Social Security is a Ponzi scheme — only worse, because Ponzi schemes are voluntary and Social Security is compulsory," – Andy McCarthy, NRO.
Perry says he is doubling down on this matter as well. Except he isn't. He has switched from demonizing social security as a "monstrous lie" to advocating today that we need to save social security by being more honest about its funding shortfall:
We must have the guts to talk about its financial condition if we are to fix Social Security and make it financially viable for generations to come. Americans must come together and agree to address the problems so today's beneficiaries and tomorrow's retirees really can count on Social Security for the long haul.
That's a fair argument and a few fixes – indexing, minor means-testing – could save it easily. Let's see if Perry proposes such small fixes – or whether he really wants to do away with it altogether. But will it work? Mataconis has doubts:
There’s already plenty of tape out there of Rick Perry making these statements that his opponents can use in states like Florida, Pennsylvania, and Ohio, and if they use it you know that the Obama campaign, the Democratic Party, and all the pro-Democrat 527 groups and SuperPACs will be using it too. If Perry has to explain himself again every time one of those ads comes, out, it could turn out to be a problem. I’m not sure it will be fatal for Perry, but this is clearly one of those situations where a candidates words will be used against him, again and again and again.
The Dish 