Social Security, Republican | featured news

Democrats are eagerly renewing their fight against privatizing Social Security now that Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney has picked Paul Ryan as his running mate. It was a fight that didn't go well for the GOP when President George W. Bush pushed the idea in 2005.

Republican officials say legislation being drafted in the House would renew an expiring program of unemployment benefits at a time of 9 percent joblessness. The measure also would extend a Social Security payroll tax cut. Both are due to expire at the end of the year. The officials say the cost of provisions will be offset to avoid increasing the deficit.

Republican Rick Perry came under heavy fire on Social Security, jobs and his Texas record in a heated U.S. presidential debate on Monday as rivals tried to halt the front-runner's momentum.

In the book he wrote less than a year ago, Rick Perry calls Social Security a "failure" that should never have been enacted.