Social Security: What are Braley's, Ernst's plans?

It's always instructive when candidates for public office are more eager to discuss their opponent's position on an issue than their own.

The phenomenon is center stage in Iowa's race for the U.S. Senate. Republican Joni Ernst has been traveling around the state attacking Democrat Bruce Braley, claiming he wants to raise the retirement age for Social Security.

Braley's campaign denies the congressman supports raising the retirement age, although there's at least one newspaper article showing he considered it a possibility in the past. Meanwhile, Democrats were loudly accusing Ernst of supporting privatization of Social Security, which Braley opposes. Ernst says private accounts under Social Security is just one of many alternatives she's willing to consider.

"First, yes, I have talked about privatizing Social Security as an option," she said, stressing the word "option." "Again, that is one solution. So what I recommend is we look at a number of solutions, because we really don't know which way is the best way to go yet," Ernst said Wednesday during a campaign event at Wesley Acres, a retirement home in Des Moines.

Ernst said she has ruled out raising the retirement age above 67 as an option because she believes the current law represents a promise to seniors. "I'm not going to look at this population and say, 'Those of you just getting ready to go on Social Security, I need you to work another five years,' " Ernst told reporters.

When a reporter asked, however, Ernst did not rule out the possibility that the retirement age might be raised for people who are now in their 30s or 40s. "I'm not saying I support that," she added quickly. So, she's adamantly opposing raising the retirement age for people on the brink of retirement, which no one is proposing, while leaving it as an option for younger people.

It's a familiar dance. The Social Security trust fund, under current conditions, will continue to pay full benefits until 2033, at which point benefits drop to 75 percent if nothing is done. The most often cited "solutions" are also familiar: raising the retirement age to 70, requiring the wealthy to pay more in taxes, changing the formula for cost-of-living increases, or allowing younger Americans to segregate their Social Security tax dollars into private, interest-bearing accounts. Ending "borrowing" from the trust fund, without ever paying back the money, is also a familiar refrain.

Every one of the solutions has winners and losers, which makes firm support of any one idea a politically risky proposition.

Ernst is trying to argue that she won't be part of the Washington problem of taking options off the table purely for partisan reasons (but she'll exclude the one option she wants voters to believe Braley supports).

Braley's campaign staged an event a few blocks away, featuring seniors and advocates arguing against the privatization of Social Security. Janet Laue, president of the Iowa Alliance for Retired Americans, argued for removing the cap on earnings subject to Social Security taxes, currently $117,000.

Braley spokesman Jeff Giertz said the congressman considers that an option. He also believes raising the federal minimum wage would add billions of dollars to the Social Security trust fund and extend its solvency.

Braley does not support raising the retirement age, Giertz said, adding Braley has been "consistent" about that. Braley has voted against Republican budget proposals that were expected to raise retirement ages for Social Security or Medicare, his campaign notes.

Republicans point to a Cedar Rapids Gazette article from October 2006. Braley says he opposes private accounts. "However," the article states, "there aren't many options he would rule out. Braley called for 'some modest adjustments.' With life expectancy growing, raising the retirement age — similar to the adjustment made under the Reagan administration — might be necessary, Braley said."

So, Braley has held out a retirement age increase as a possibility, which he insists now he does not support. Ernst has frequently held out private accounts as a possibility, but she insists she's not supporting any particular ideas.

Enough with the hide-and-seek on this issue. The problem and the various fixes have changed very little in the past decade. Instead of talking about options, it's time for someone to lead on this issue. Instead of wasting voters' time characterizing the opponent's position, it's time for both Braley and Ernst to be clear and transparent about how they would preserve Social Security for today's seniors and future generations.