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February 21, 2005

Dirty Tricks

Representative Anne Northrup of Kentucky received an anonymous automated call urging her to call herself to oppose Social Security Reform:

The 3rd District Republican was both the recipient and the target of an unusual anonymous telephone campaign alleging she supported "privatizing Social Security." Hundreds of Kentuckians have called Northup and two other House members at the urging of the telephone campaign, the lawmakers said. It apparently was part of a broader effort that included another 19 GOP House members, including Rep. John Hostettler of Indiana's 8th District, according to the National Republican Congressional Committee. "It was so filled with misinformation," Northup said of the message. "The claims in it were so outlandish that I honestly feel that people do more damage to their position than they do help it."

The information was horribly inaccurate; however, it is the same talking points being bandied about in many liberal quarters including on liberal blogs.

The messages from the mystery phone campaign were nearly identical to those left in Northup's district late last month, one of which was recorded by The Courier-Journal. The lawmaker who was cited in the recording depended on who was being called. The call stated that the lawmaker supported "privatizing Social Security," a move that "would cost taxpayers $2 trillion ... (and) would also decrease future benefits to retirees by 47 percent."

The number is registered to the American Federation of Teachers, but they deny being involved with the calling and claim their phone lines were "appropriated" by "somebody." This anonymous scare tactic is another indication that anti-reform groups will stoop rather low and are afraid of debating in an open manner based on the benefits of Persoanl Retirement Accounts. (Hat Tip: Pejman at Redstate.org)

Posted by Adam Doverspike at February 21, 2005 2:22 PM | Print

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