Florida GOP Senate candidate Marco Rubio has a comfortable 15-point lead, according to a new Mason-Dixon poll, which shows independent Gov. Charlie Crist and Democratic Rep. Kendrick Meek are stuck in the 20s, battling for second place. Last night ABC News hosted a Florida Senate debate with the three candidates (you can watch it here), and neither Crist nor Meek appeared to do much to weaken Rubio’s standing.
Social Security was a big topic of debate. Charlie Crist kept up his false attack that Rubio would change Social Security for those already retired or near retirement. Rubio has said he wouldn’t change the retirement age or restructure benefits for anyone 55 or older. (To the chagrin of conservatives, Rubio doesn’t support allowing individuals to invest a portion of their Social Security contributions.)
Crist, meanwhile, pushed the idea that amnesty for illegal immigrants could strengthen Social Security:
Crist has pushed this idea before, and Kyle Peterson has debunked it. Amnesty, regardless of its merits, would actually reduce the worker-to-retiree ratio:
If Social Security’s numbers are the only consideration, keeping illegal immigrants illegal has its advantages.
Amnesty would bring the other half of current illegals into the fold of payroll taxes, and increase Social Security receipts in the short term. But it would also make all of these individuals eligible for the program upon retirement — essentially turning today’s one-way cash flow into a two-way street.
