Republican Illegal Immigrant 'Social Security' Claim Debunked

[NNN0LHI]

http://bbsnews.net/article.php/20061013015430333

GOP Illegal Immigrant 'Social Security' Claim Debunked


Friday, October 13 2006 @ 01:54 AM EDT


Republican Campaign Theme Debunked: Social Security for Illegal Immigrants, Twenty-nine ads and counting feature the claim with varying levels of truth and distortion


Factcheck via BBSNews 2006-10-13 -- Republicans are tagging Democratic opponents across the country for wanting to "give Social Security benefits to illegal immigrants." But nobody's proposing paying benefits to illegals, not until and unless they become US citizens.

The charge is a mischaracterization of part of the immigration bill that passed the Senate last May with a healthy bi-partisan majority, 62-36. Among hundreds of provisions in the bill is one that would allow naturalized immigrants to count taxes paid while they were still illegal towards their Social Security accounts – if and when they become citizens.

The measure has become a popular campaign issue for Republicans, particularly incumbent House members who raise it against their Democratic challengers. We have counted 29 GOP ads attacking Democrats with various versions of this misleading claim. Similar misconceptions about the measure were spread as part of a chain e-mail last spring and summer.

Along with this latest swarm of ads comes some related mischaracterizations, including a claim that the Senate plan "pays foreign workers more than Americans." The Senate bill does have provisions to ensure that guest workers are paid no less than Americans. But no guest worker could be hired if a US citizen accepted the job.

Analysis

[Rosemary2205]

1. more proof Republicans don't even know what truth is.

the lies come out so easily they've long ago forgotten what the truth is, let alone how to tell the truth.

Sad.

[Dr.Phool]

2. They've tried hitting us with that in Florida,

And we had no idea what they were talking about.

[Maggie_May]

3. We should hate counter ads

How the Republicans what to kill Social Security.

[Demobrat]

4. I don't understand why Dems don't

run ads simply telling people the truth: That Repubs want to give their SS to Wall Street. To benefit Wall Street, not retirees

[elocs]

5. Those ads have run here in Wisconsin in the governor's race.

Gov. Doyle has run ads to specifically counter them. I don't know how any rational person could swallow the crap put out by the Republicans, but the Freepers understand that it is emotion that wins the election and not well-reasoned arguments. Not right, but that's reality for the average American voter.

[mohinoaklawnillinois]

6. Peter Roskam started running an ad like that about Tammy Duckworth,

but I haven't seen anything countering it yet. Things are starting to get really ugly here in Illinois this past week.