Social Security.

Obama and McCain are both jackasses. This much is known. But Obama has been caught acting a damn fool again.

"Obama Criticizes McCain on Social Security

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — Senator Barack Obama delivered an ominous warning to Florida voters on Saturday, suggesting that Senator John McCain would “gamble with your life savings” by investing Social Security money in private accounts that could be affected by the roiling financial markets.

While Mr. McCain has not called for a full privatization of Social Security, he has supported the concept of allowing individuals to invest part of their payroll taxes in stock and bonds, and he has pledged to consider all options to prevent the program from going insolvent. But the idea has taken on a new air of political vulnerability because of the upheaval on Wall Street, which Mr. Obama sought to seize on as his campaign intensified its efforts in Florida.

“If my opponent had his way, the millions of Floridians who rely on it would’ve had their Social Security tied up in the stock market this week,” Mr. Obama told an audience here. “How do you think that would have made folks feel? Millions would’ve watched as the market tumbled and their nest egg disappeared before their eyes.”"

Let me tell you what Social Security privatization is. It would allow everyone who has a stake in the SS retirement system, i.e. everyone who has a job and pays into it, to control where it goes. Right now SS is invested in government bonds that pay 3.5%. Inflation is around 4%. Is the absurdity of this system showing up yet? The SS trust isn't even matching inflation.

So here's what we do. Either let young people like you and me opt out of the system (not pay anything in, not get anything out later), or let us control where the money that we pay in goes. It's all about personal freedom (something the left likes to think they support more than the right). If you want the old guaranteed way you can still choose to have your funds invested in the same government bonds. If you want something with a higher yield then you get to choose something with a higher yield. There are great mutual funds out there paying over 10% with minimal risk.

But I'll leave you with these facts: Ss is invested at 3.5%, inflation runs around 4%, and the stock market has averaged a little under 11% since its creation. That's an overall average, and yes, there are peaks and valleys. It loses money 1 out of every 4 years, but the overall average is almost 11%.

So tell me what's so horrible about people having a choice how their money is spent?