Okay, I think the folks at Bluejersey.com may be in the hunt in the Straight Answer from Tom Kean, Jr. on phasing out Social Security contest.
As we noted back on Tuesday, Tom Kean, Jr. (R) is running for the Senate in New Jersey. And even though President Bush and the Social Security chair in the House 
both say they’ll go for Social Security phase-out again next year if they hold the Congress, Kean refuses to say whether he favors preserving Social Security in its present form or phasing it out and replacing it with private accounts.
Go to his events, call his campaign, whatever, he’s keeping mum.
But this guy at bluejersey.com has dug up some info.
Turns out that back in 2000, Kean tried to run for a seat in Congress. And back then he was in favor partially phasing out Social Security and replacing the phased out part with private accounts.
Reported the Westfield Leader on May 25th, 2000 …
Mr. Kean supports investing 2 percent of the Social Security Trust Fund in the Stock Market, in the form of personal retirement accounts that would be controlled by individuals rather than the government.
This is a little garbled. But what the reporter is referring to is taking about 18% of the money that goes to Social Security and putting it into private accounts. (2 percent refers to 2 percentage points out of the total of 12.4% of payroll that goes to Social Security.) That’s the Bush plan from 2000.
In other words, back in 2000 Kean was in favor of what President Bush tried to do last year and says he’ll try to do again next year. In 2000, Kean was for it. Now he refuses to say whether he’s for it or not.
The contest prizes await whoever can get him to say whether he’s still for it or whether he’s changed his mind.
It can’t be that hard. He can’t stay silent forever, can he?
