Social Security and the Election
WOODRUFF: A little enthusiasm. We like it here on the campus of the University of Colorado at Boulder. Well, while President Bush and Senator John Kerry zip across some crucial battleground states, the number two men, Dick Cheney and John Edwards, are on the road as well. The vice president met with community leaders in Charleston, West Virginia, this morning. And then he took part in a town hall meeting in Johnstown, Pennsylvania, where he praised the Bush administration's handling of homeland security. On Senator Edwards' schedule today stops in Florida and Pennsylvania. At a town hall meeting this morning in Fort Myers, Edwards accused President Bush of exploiting the 9/11 attacks for personal gain. John Kerry has bounced pounced on a controversial quote from President Bush on Social Security, a quote published over the weekend. Our Jeanne Meserve has a closer look at the Social Security issue.</s>JEANNE MESERVE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Boomers will bust Social Security, and the ever-combustible issue is burning hot. "The New York Times" magazine quotes President Bush as telling a group of supporters, "I'm going to come out strong after my swearing in with fundamental tax reform, tort reform, privatizing Social Security." The Bush campaign disputes the accuracy of the quote, but the Kerry campaign pounced.</s>UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The truth is coming out. George Bush has finally admitted that he tends to privatize Social Security in a second term.</s>MESERVE: Though a Bush campaign official says the president has never used the term "privatization," he has talked about the concept of partial privatization repeatedly.</s>BUSH: I believe that younger workers ought to be allowed to take some of their own money and put it in a personal savings account because I understand that they need to get better rates of return.</s>MESERVE: On the stump, Kerry tosses around statistics on the impact of the president's plan.</s>KERRY: The Congressional Budget Office, which is bipartisan, said that the president's plan will mean a 25 to 45 percent cut in benefits. It blows a $2 trillion hole in Social Security.</s>MESERVE: We went to the CBO. On the $2 trillion hole in the deficit...</s>UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The number's a plausible number. It's not our calculation.</s>MESERVE: As to the 25 to 45 percent benefit cut, it could be that high or much less, depending on factors, including how close you are to retirement age and how much money you make.</s>UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's not untrue, but it is very selective.</s>MESERVE: Kerry ignores the president's assurances that he will not cut benefits for retirees or those near retirement. And what would the Democratic candidate do to address the looming crisis?</s>KERRY: I will never privatize Social Security. I'll never cut the benefits. And I won't raise the retirement age.</s>MESERVE: That, economists say, leaves Kerry with very narrow options of either raising taxes or borrowing a lot of money. Neither candidate has spelled out the nitty-gritty specifics of their Social Security solution. And experts say that means neither man has completely leveled with the American electorate. Jeanne Meserve, CNN, Washington.</s>WOODRUFF: Well, we've been telling you we are on the campus of the University of Colorado at Boulder. Joining me now, two students who know something about the politics here on campus. Travis Leiker is president of the College Democrats, Krista Poch is chairman -- chairwoman of the College Republicans. Krista, to you first. What is the -- how much enthusiasm is there this year among students?</s>KRISTA POCH, CHAIRWOMAN, COLLEGE REPUBLICANS: There's a lot of enthusiasm. It's amazing. Both on the left and the right. The left may, they have a few more numbers here on Boulder campus, but it's amazing, and it's pretty contentious, too.</s>WOODRUFF: How contentious is it, Travis?</s>TRAVIS LEIKER, PRESIDENT, COLLEGE DEMOCRATS: Incredibly contentious. I mean, we have so many issues facing the student population, whether it be a woman's right to choose or the war in Iraq. And I would argue with Chairman Poch that the motivation and the enthusiasm on the left is much, much higher for us, rather than for...</s>WOODRUFF: Do you actually get into arguments and heated discussions?</s>POCH: We do a bit in class. It's not -- it's not personal attacks, but there are some very heated debates. We kind of have a -- the College Democrats and the College Republicans have had a serious of debates on campus, and those have been actually a lot of fun. And they're very, you know -- very low key, but...</s>LEIKER: But on a personal level, we get along really, really well.</s>POCH: Oh, yes.</s>WOODRUFF: Well, that's what we like to believe. We like to think that. Just quickly, who is going to win, do you think, in the state of Colorado, Kerry or Bush?</s>LEIKER: Oh, Kerry, hands down. All nine electoral college votes.</s>WOODRUFF: Why did I expect you -- and Krista?</s>POCH: And of course, Bush, because, you know, historically it's a conservative state. So...</s>WOODRUFF: OK.</s>LEIKER: But it is changing to a Democratic state, blue state on November 2nd.</s>POCH: That's just Boulder.</s>WOODRUFF: All right. That's what they've been chanting. OK. Travis Leiker is head of the College Democrats.</s>LEIKER: Yes.</s>WOODRUFF: He's from Colorado. Krista Poch, she's head of the Republicans. And you're from Minnesota.</s>POCH: Yes.</s>WOODRUFF: OK. It's great to talk to...</s>LEIKER: Another blue state.</s>POCH: A blue state.</s>WOODRUFF: It's great to talk to both of you. Thank you.</s>POCH: Thank you.</s>LEIKER: Thank you very much.</s>WOODRUFF: Well, we have much more ahead on presidential politics here in Colorado in the final half-hour of our on-campus coverage in Boulder. Could this state prove to be Floridaesque on Election Day? That, and two famous early voters tell us their not so surprising choice for president when we come back.