Hartford, CT — Mark Greenberg has opposed Social Security at every turn, calling it “a failure,” advocating raising the retirement age to 70, and even seeking ways to privatize it.

That’s why it was odd that his campaign recently decided to lie to voters by claiming that he wouldn’t cut benefits to seniors. The only problem is that Greenberg has spent years pandering to the far-right, Tea Party-extreme on the issue. Want proof that he’s lying?

Just go…to the…tapes.

“Mark Greenberg has pandered to the Tea Party extreme on almost every issue. On Social Security, his position couldn’t be more clear: benefits for seniors would be rolled back. He wants to slash funding, privatize the program, and turn back the clock on progress—and that’s unacceptable,” said Devon Puglia, Democratic Party spokesman. “Greenberg is so out of touch that he’s called Social Security a ‘failure’. If voters want evidence that he would take Connecticut backwards, look no further than that.”

Background:

Mark Greenberg called Social Security “a failure” and considers it a handout. During a town hall in Simsbury, Mark Greenberg said, “Social Security is a failure” [Simsbury Republican Town Committee, 2/3/10].

He considers Social Security a government handout, telling seniors who have earned these benefits after lifetimes of hard work to get “off the public dole” and instead, “rely on your own system of retirement, your self-retirement system and not the Social Security system.” [Meet Mark Greenberg iCaucus interview, 4:42, 4/08/10; Conservative Chat with Ameriborn News, 1:00, 7/27/10]

Instead, Mark Greenberg would privatize Social Security and cut benefits for seniors. Mark Greenberg supports privatizing Social Security [Mark Greenberg Town Hall, 7/23/12; Meet Mark Greenberg iCaucus interview, 4:30, 4/08/10].

He has consistently called for raising the Social Security retirement age to 70 [Interfaith Roundtable: Conversation with Candidate Mark Greenberg, 11:46, 6/4/13]

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