One of the unheralded pillars of Republican Senate nominee Mike McGavick's campaign is his take on Social Security, a subject until not so long ago traditionally avoided by campaigning Republicans.
It became less avoidable (and we don't mean to imply that McGavick would have wanted to skirt it) in this race with a confluence of two elements: President Bush's highly unpopular Social Security proposal from last year, which put the issue squarely on the table, coupled with McGavick's background as CEO of a large insurance company (SafeCo). After all, as McGavick routinely points out, Social Security is a sort of insurance, and it makes sense he'd have something to say about it.
That doesn't mean what he has to say gets said without risk - or countering. (more…)