Palin: Obama's trying to scare seniors
Posted: Tuesday, October 07, 2008 2:01 PM by Mark Murray
Filed Under:
Sarah Palin
From NBC/NJ's Matthew E. Berger
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. --
Palin said a
McCain Administration would protect Social Security and not tax health care, while suggesting
Obama was trying to scare senior citizen voters in Florida.
“We will protect the entitlement programs that Americans depend on -- above all Social Security,” she said at a fundraiser at Jacksonville Municipal Stadium. “No presidential election cycle is complete, though, so keep in mind, without the Democratic candidate coming down here to Florida especially and trying to stir up fear and panic on this issue of Social Security.”
Palin accused Obama of exploiting the health care and Social Security issues to win votes among seniors in Florida. “If you expect any better from a guy who promises to get rid of old-style politics, you’re in for a good warning there,” she said. “Because Barack Obama has exploited this issue and that’s the way that he works.”
Palin’s choice of venue for this message was odd, however. Despite the Florida address, she spoke predominantly to Baby Boomers and younger voters at the fundraiser, and the promises to “make health care more accessible and more affordable” did not garner applause.
Palin said Obama’s health-care plan “puts expensive mandates on small businesses” and said that would lead to unemployment and layoffs.
“Our health-care plan will give millions of middle class Americans access to better health-care coverage without costing you a dime,” she said, saying middle class families would receive a $5,000 tax credit to buy coverage.
Palin suggested the new lines were needed because of Obama’s advertising campaign -- which argued the McCain plan would tax health-care benefits -- and because McCain’s health-care message was not getting through in the media.
“Barack Obama is calling that a tax,” she said. “Now, there’s no tax; that’s changing health care for the better. He doesn’t understand that. I don’t know how he captures it and spins it to being a tax on Americans. No, it’s a credit.”
