Bill Cassidy is the Republican opponent of Louisiana Sen. Mary Landrieu (D). During yesterday’s debate with Landrieu, Cassidy said that Louisiana’s poor could retire early to get Social Security even if the eligibility age rises, reported The Huffington Post.
The exchange between Cassidy and Landrieu went as follows:
“So you expect them to work their whole life, pay into Social Security and earn benefits and get nothing back?” said Landrieu.
“Someone in Madison Parish can still retire at 62,” said Cassidy. “That won’t change.”
The problem with Cassidy’s logic is that he’s been voting to raise the Social Security eligibility age to 70, meaning that he is suggesting people to retire and live without any income. The parish in question, Madison, is one of the state’s poorest and the life expectancy is way lower than the national average.
In Madison Parish, the male life expectancy is 69.3 years whereas the national life expectancy among American males is 76.4 years. If Cassidy’s mission of raising the age to 70 was ever accomplished, the number of elderly males missing out on their Social Security benefits would sharply increase.
That sounds like some dirty GOP trick to maintain the appearance of being fiscally conservative, doesn’t it? The HuffPo further noted that when asked, Cassidy couldn’t provide any explanation of how a 62-year-old retired person would survive if the eligibility age increased to 70.
Astoundingly, Cassidy is leading Landrieu according to HuffPost Pollster by five points, a considerable lead. It has also been noted that Madison Parish, Louisiana is one of America’s hardest places to live.
Josh is a writer and researcher with Ring of Fire. Follow him on Twitter @dnJdeli.
