Tucson, Ariz. -- Today, Giffords for Congress is releasing a new TV ad, “He’s not looking out for my family.”

In the ad, Southern Arizona mom Rachel McMenamin describes how Jesse Kelly’s proposed 23% national sales tax on everyday items like food, gas and medicine would devastate her family.

“We’re really struggling at this point to make ends meet,” she says. “We could never afford to pay 23% more on groceries or gas.”

The ad begins airing tomorrow in the Tucson media market. A transcript of the ad is pasted below.

Jesse Kelly’s proposed 23% national sales tax would give a big tax break to millionaires and corporations that ship jobs overseas while raising taxes on working Southern Arizona families.

The Kelly tax on everyday items like groceries, gas and medicine would raise the overall tax burden paid by 80 percent of Arizonans by an average of more than $3,000 each year. At the same time, it would cut taxes for the wealthiest five percent of income earners by an average of more than $40,000 each year and eliminate corporate income taxes altogether.

While Kelly has recently tried to backpedal from his support of the so-called “Fair Tax,” he endorsed the 23 percent national sales tax enthusiastically for months.

Kelly reiterated his support for this abusive tax in this week’s Tucson Weekly cover story. When asked by a local senior if he supported the proposal, he is quoted as responding with a resounding, “Yes Ma’am.”

TRANSCRIPT of “He’s not looking out for my family”

[Rachel McMenamin]
We’re really struggling at this point to make ends meet. We could never afford to pay 23% more on groceries or gas.

[Text Graphic]
Rachel McMenamin
Tucson, AZ

[Rachel McMenamin]
Jesse Kelly’s sales tax is going to hurt my family and other families in the middle-class.

[Text Graphic]
Jesse Kelly’s 23% Sales Tax

[Rachel McMenamin]
People like Jesse Kelly are going to be supporting corporations over people.

[Text Graphic]
Jesse Kelly
Eliminate Corporate Income Tax

[Text Graphic]
Jesse Kelly
23% Tax on You

[Rachel McMenamin]
He’s not looking out for me. He’s not looking out for my family.

[Rachel McMenamin]
We could not afford Jesse Kelly’s tax. We absolutely couldn’t.

[Gabrielle Giffords]
I’m Gabrielle Giffords and I approve this message.

Gabrielle Giffords is a third generation Southern Arizonan and the only person in Congress with an active duty military spouse. Gabrielle is not like other politicians. She takes an independent view on the issues and was rated Arizona’s most moderate member of Congress by the National Journal in 2009. She’s voted against a Congressional pay raise every time one has come up, and she doesn’t make earmark requests for campaign contributors. Most importantly, Gabrielle stands up for Southern Arizona by working across the aisle to secure the border, protect our military and veterans and create jobs by investing in solar energy.
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Tucson, Ariz. – Today we learned that Jesse Kelly not only wants to privatize Social Security, but after weeks of saying that these private accounts were “guaranteed,” he has finally admitted that there would be no help for seniors who lose their Social Security in the event of a stock market crash: “The government stays out of it—that’s the guarantee.”

For months on the primary campaign trail, Jesse Kelly made his position on Social Security crystal clear: “Right now… you have to take steps to reform it, to privatize it, to phase it out.” (KUAT CD8 GOP primary debate, 7/30/10, approximately 46 minutes into the debate, http://ondemand.azpm.org/videoshorts/watch/2010/7/30/1648-gop-candidates-in-congressional-district-8/)

However, since winning his party’s nomination, Kelly has undergone a general election makeover, claiming he wants to “protect” Social Security and supports a privatization scheme in which seniors “choose guaranteed, protected, private accounts.” (Jesse Kelly, Town Hall, Oro Valley Country Club, 9/9/10,http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Y6xpHKEgKs).

But today the real Jesse Kelly slipped out.

In the Tucson Weekly that hit newsstands this morning, Kelly is asked about the guarantee on the “private accounts” he supports.  Kelly’s answer is absolute: “‘The government stays out of it,’ Kelly says. ‘That’s the guarantee.’”

As the Weekly reports, “While Kelly has been telling audiences that the private accounts would be guaranteed, he said last week that he didn’t think the government should step in to bail out the accounts in the event of a downturn in the stock market. He says there’s no need to do so, because stock market downturns are never serious enough to require such a guarantee… Kelly says he doesn’t plan to bail out anyone who makes a bad investment.”

“Jesse Kelly says he wants to privatize Social Security with ‘guaranteed’ private accounts, and he has finally explained how that guarantee will work,” said Giffords for Congress campaign manager Rodd McLeod. “If you lose your Social Security in the stock market, Jesse Kelly guarantees that you won’t get any help. You’re on your own. Thinking back over American history, it’s hard to think of a candidate who has shown more hostility to seniors than Jesse Kelly has. He ought to remember, he’ll be elderly some day, too.”

Social Security has kept millions of seniors out of poverty for the past 75 years. Today in the U.S., one in 12 seniors live in poverty; without Social Security, that number would be one in two.

Gabrielle Giffords is a third generation Southern Arizonan and the only person in Congress with an active duty military spouse. Gabrielle is not like other politicians. She takes an independent view on the issues and was rated Arizona’s most moderate member of Congress by the National Journal in 2009. She’s voted against a Congressional pay raise every time one has come up, and she doesn’t make earmark requests for campaign contributors. Most importantly, Gabrielle stands up for Southern Arizona by working across the aisle to secure the border, protect our military and veterans and creates jobs by investing in solar energy.

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On the campaign trail, Jesse Kelly has continually struggled to tell the truth when speaking about his opponent. When speaking to audiences through a variety of media–radio, newspapers, the Internet and in person–Kelly has told untruths, and done so repeatedly.

It is unclear whether Mr. Kelly knows the truth and chooses to ignore it, or is just misinformed. What is clear is that Mr. Kelly has repeated untrue statements about his opponent Gabrielle Giffords.

“On simple matters of fact, Jesse Kelly fails to be truthful,” said Giffords for Congress campaign manager Rodd McLeod. “In campaigns, differences of opinion crop up all the time. This is different. Kelly says Giffords voted yes when she voted no; that she eliminated a program that has not been eliminated. Jesse Kelly has let down everyone who believes that honesty is the best policy.”

The memorandum below lays out the facts on three of Kelly’s repeated failures to be truthful.

Untruth #1: Giffords voted for the auto bailout

“She supported the government takeover of the auto industry.” (Jesse Kelly, campaign website op-ed, 11/17/09)

“…That she added 16,500 IRS agents, nationalized the student loan industry, voted for Nancy Pelosi’s budget, voted for the United States Congress to nationalize not only the auto industry, but the energy industry in this country…” (Jesse Kelly, Sierra Vista Town Hall, 08/09/10)

“She voted to nationalize the banking industry and the auto industry, […]” (Jesse Kelly, Arizona Republic, 8/29/10)

The Truth: Giffords voted against the auto bailout

Source: Library of Congress. H.R. 7321, Auto Industry Financing and Restructuring Act. Giffords Voted: NO, Roll Call Vote #690, 12/10/2008.

http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2008/roll690.xml

Untruth #2: Giffords “eliminated” the Medicare Advantage program

“’Giffords cut $500 billion from Medicare and Giffords eliminated Medicare Advantage, and now she is lying about my plan to protect those relying on the system,’ Kelly said in a statement.” (Arizona Daily Star, 9/10/10)

“I find it laughable that the same Congresswoman that voted to cut $500 billion from Medicare, and cut $200 billion from the Medicare Advantage program, basically eliminating that program, would ever address my issues with Medicare.” (Jesse Kelly, Garrett Lewis Show, 790AM KNST, 9/15/10)

The Truth: The Medicare Advantage program has not been eliminated. It will soon offer seniors better coverage for less money.

“The Obama administration announced Tuesday that average premiums paid by individuals for private Medicare Advantage plans, which insure about one-fourth of all elderly beneficiaries, would decline slightly next year, even as insurers provide additional benefits required by the new health care law…

“The announcement came as something of a surprise. Some members of Congress and some health policy experts had predicted that insurers would increase premiums for Medicare beneficiaries in private plans…

‘Despite the claims of some, Medicare Advantage remains a strong, robust option for millions of seniors who choose to enroll or stay in a participating plan,’ said Dr. Donald M. Berwick, the administrator of the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.”

Source: “Medicare Advantage Premiums to Fall in 2011,” The New York Times,9/21/10.

Untruth #3: Giffords can “pay a portion” of her Social Security taxes into private accounts through the Thrift Savings Program.

“Americans should have the same options that Giffords, as a member of Congress, has through the Federal Thrift Savings Plan.” (Kelly campaign website “Social Security” tab, accessed 9/23/10)

“… I am also committed to finding a long-term solution that offers retirement choices to young people. They deserve the same sort of program currently enjoyed by Gabrielle Giffords and the rest of Congress through the Federal Thrift Savings Plan. … I propose a system where younger workers can choose to allocate a portion of their money into a personal retirement account that they own. They can watch it grow, just as Gabrielle Giffords does with her own account right now.” (Jesse Kelly, Green Valley News Op-Ed, 9/14/10)

“Gabrielle Giffords has a Federal Thrift Savings Plan, where she’s allowed to pay a portion of her Social Security instead into a private account, but she does not want that for the people of the district.” (Jesse Kelly, Garrett Lewis Show, 790AM KNST, 9/15/10)

The Truth: Every member of Congress must pay into Social Security at the same rates and by the same rules as every other American.

Members of Congress cannot “pay a portion” of their Social Security into the Federal Thrift Savings Plan (TSP). As with other employer-based retirement plans – such as pensions and 401Ks – the TSP is an optional retirement plan in addition to Social Security.

Congressional pensions, like those of other federal employees, are financed through a combination of employee and employer contributions. All Members pay Social Security payroll taxes equal to 6.2% of the Social Security taxable wage base($102,000 in 2008 and $106,800 in 2009). Members enrolled in FERS also pay 1.3% of full salary to the Civil Service Retirement and Disability Fund. In 2008, Members covered by CSRS Offset pay 1.8% of the first $102,000 of salary, and 8.0% of salary above this amount, into the Civil Service Retirement and Disability Fund. [Emphasis added.]

Under both CSRS and FERS, Members of Congress are eligible for a pension at age 62 if they have completed at least five years of service. Members are eligible for a pension at age 50 if they have completed 20 years of service, or at any age after completing 25 years of service. The amount of the pension depends on years of service and the average of the highest three years of salary. By law, the starting amount of a Member’s retirement annuity may not exceed 80% of his or her final salary.

As of October 1, 2007, 435 retired Members of Congress were receiving federal pensions based fully or in part on their congressional service. Of this number, 286 had retired under CSRS and were receiving an average annual pension of $63,696. A total of 149 Members had retired with service under both CSRS and FERS or with service under FERS only. Their average annual pension was $36,732 in 2007.

[…]

The Thrift Savings Plan

The Thrift Savings Plan (TSP) is a tax-deferred investment program through which federal employees can save money to supplement their pension income. The TSP is open to participants in both CSRS and FERS, but in consideration of the smaller pensions paid by FERS, Congress has authorized more generous incentives for workers covered by FERS to save for retirement through the TSP. In 2008, FERS participants may invest up to $15,500 in the TSP. The maximum annual contribution is indexed to inflation. It will increase to $16,500 in 2009. Individuals enrolled in FERS who invest in the TSP also receive a matching contribution from their employing agency on the first 5% of pay that they invest in the plan. CSRS participants also may invest up to the annual statutory maximum in the TSP, but they receive no employer matching contributions.

Source: Retirement Benefits for Members of Congress

Katelin P. Isaacs

Analyst in Income Security

October 28, 2008

Congressional Research Service

7-5700

www.crs.gov

RL30631

Gabrielle Giffords is a third generation Southern Arizonan and the only person in Congress with an active duty military spouse. Gabrielle is not like other politicians. She takes an independent view on the issues and was rated Arizona’s most moderate member of Congress by theNational Journal in 2009. She’s voted against a Congressional pay raise every time one has come up, and she doesn’t make earmark requests for campaign contributors. Most importantly, Gabrielle stands up for Southern Arizona by working across the aisle to secure the border, protect our military and veterans and create jobs by investing in solar energy.

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AZ-08: Social Security Alert: Privatizers Jesse Kelly and John Boehner Celebrate at The Ritz

Kelly welcomes fellow Privatizer who leads “tight circle” of Wall Street lobbyists

Jesse Kelly welcomes Washington, D.C. lobbyist magnet John Boehner to Marana today for a fundraising luncheon at the Ritz-Carlton. As Republican leader, Boehner has promised to “get serious” about privatizing Social Security.  As reported recently in the New York Times, Boehner “maintains especially tight ties with a circle of lobbyists and former aides representing some of the nation’s biggest businesses,” including Wall Street banks whose greed and abuses led to the financial crisis. (New York Times, 9/11/10.)

Privatizing Social Security would open new avenues for profits by Wall Street firms–and both Boehner and Kelly are committed to Wall Street.  Jesse Kelly has called to “privatize” Social Security, in order to “phase it out.”  Recently, he has promised to “protect it,” in order to hide his dangerous ideas from Southern Arizona voters.

Social Security will pay a big price under Boehner and his Wall Street friends. He has promised to privatize Social Security, saying, “If I’m around in a leadership role come January, we’re going to get serious about it.” (Washington Times, 7/31/06.) He even signed a letter to the President’s Commission to Strengthen Social Security urging for privatization of the program. (Letter to The Social Security Reform Commission, 5/24/01.)

Jesse Kelly’s plans for Social Security are even more devastating for our seniors than Boehner’s. Kelly has said, “…we must take steps to privatize [Social Security]” and to “phase it out.” (Arizona Illustrated – KUAT Debate, 7/30/2010, 46:35.)

Medicare would be another casualty of Boehner’s Wall Street agenda. He voted for a plan that “called for eventually replacing the traditional Medicare program with subsidies… [for] private health care plans.” (AP, 4/2/09, 4/03/09; H CON RES 85, #191, 4/2/09.)

Kelly says seniors on Medicare need to “get off the public dole” and supports eliminating the program.  (Tucson Weekly, 12/2/2009.)

Kelly has also called for eliminating all corporate income taxes and the minimum wage. And yesterday Kelly confirmed what even Boehner has waffled on: he would hold middle class tax cuts hostage during these tough economic times in order to demand yet another tax cut for millionaires. (Garrett Lewis Show, 9/15/10.)

“Anyone who has to go out and work for a living should be very frightened today,” said Giffords for Congress campaign manager Rodd McLeod. “Both Boehner and Jesse Kelly are committed to tilting the tax code even further toward corporations and the rich at the expense of the middle class. Whether it’s ‘phasing out’ Social Security, ‘eliminating’ the minimum wage or getting rid of all taxes on corporations forever, Jesse Kelly’s dangerous ideas just don’t add up for the middle class.“

John Boehner is the latest ambassador in a string of Social Security privatizers supporting Kelly. Last month, Americans for Prosperity, the political slush fund of oil-billionaire and Social Security privatization advocate David Koch, launched attack ads against Giffords. The 60-Plus Association, another group dedicated to privatizing Social Security, is currently running smear ads against Giffords.

Gabrielle Giffords is a third generation Southern Arizonan and the only person in Congress with an active duty military spouse. Gabrielle is not like other politicians. She takes an independent view on the issues and was rated Arizona’s most moderate member of Congress by the National Journal in 2009. She’s voted against a Congressional pay raise every time one has come up, and she doesn’t make earmark requests for campaign contributors. Most importantly, Gabrielle stands up for Southern Arizona by working across the aisle to secure the border, protect our military and veterans and create jobs by investing in solar energy.

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Today Giffords for Congress is releasing a new TV ad, “She’s One for Our Side.” In the ad, Cochise County veterinarian and rancher Dr. Gary Thrasher testifies that Gabrielle Giffords is, “the best advocate for border security that we’ve ever had down here,” along the border.

The ad begins airing today in the Tucson market. A transcript of the ad is pasted below.

In July, Dr. Thrasher presented Gabrielle with the Arizona Cattle Growers Association’s annual award for public service in recognition of her work to secure the border.

Since taking office in 2007, Gabrielle has been one of the strongest advocates in Congress for securing the border and fixing our broken immigration system. Along with border representatives from both parties, Gabrielle has fought to:

• Push through $600 million in border security funding for additional Border Patrol boots on the ground, new forward operating bases and new surveillance aircraft.
• Secure the border through measures such as doubling the number of Border Patrol officers and deploying National Guard troops to the Arizona sectors of the border.
• Break down the power of Mexican drug cartels by blocking the flow of money they receive and increasing prison sentences for those who smuggle drugs across the border.
• Establish a mandatory verification system to stop employers from hiring illegal workers in Arizona and throughout the U.S.

TRANSCRIPT of “She’s one for our side”

[Gary Thrasher]

I’ve been harping at politicians along the border, our Representatives, for at least fifteen years.

[Gary Thrasher]

She is the first Representative that has ever listened to us.

[Gary Thrasher]

Congresswoman Giffords has just shown a tremendous amount of energy and compassion for what’s going on out here.

[Text Graphic]

“Giffords pushes for Feds to act on border, Mexico issues” (The Herald – March 15, 2009)

[Gary Thrasher]

She’s probably the best advocate for border security that we’ve ever had down here.

[Text Graphic]

“Giffords helps push through House border bill” (Douglas Dispatch – August 4, 2010)

[Text Graphic]

“Giffords urges government to deploy Nat’l Guard” (Arizona Range News – April 7, 2010)

[Gary Thrasher]

I can talk to her. She’s accessible. She’s one for our side, I’ll tell you that.

[Gabrielle Giffords]

I’m Gabrielle Giffords and I approve this message.

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Who is Jesse Kelly looking out for? This is the question that is asked in a web video released today by Giffords for Congress.

Is it Southern Arizona seniors? No. Kelly has called for “eliminating” Social Security and Medicare. He even says seniors receiving Medicare are on “the public dole.”

Is it working families? No. Kelly says we must reduce and eventually eliminate the minimum wage. He sure does like the word eliminate, doesn’t he?

What about big corporations? Yes. Kelly has said he wants to reduce the corporate tax rate to zero.

How about millionaires and corporate CEOs? Yes. Kelly champions the Fair Tax, a 23 percent national sales tax that would raise the average tax burden of 80 percent of Arizonans by an average of $ 3,828 each year in order to lower the average tax burden for the top 20 percent income earners by $40,005 each year. That doesn’t sound very fair, does it?

So, who is Jesse Kelly looking out for in this tough economy? His positions speak for themselves: corporations and the very rich. Jesse Kelly is a risk we can’t afford.

Gabrielle Giffords is a third generation Southern Arizonan and the only person in Congress with an active duty military spouse. Gabrielle is not like other politicians. She takes an independent view on the issues and was rated Arizona’s most moderate member of Congress by the National Journal in 2009. She’s voted against a Congressional pay raise every time one has come up, and she doesn’t make earmark requests for campaign contributors. Most importantly, Gabrielle stands up for Southern Arizona by working across the aisle to secure the border, protect our military and veterans and create jobs by investing in solar energy.

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The 60-Plus Association, a right-wing pro-Social Security privatization group that has been funded by pharmaceutical giants, will begin running misleading television attack ads against Congresswoman Giffords tomorrow.

Throughout the Medicare prescription drug benefit debate, the 60-Plus Association has lobbied against making prescription drugs more affordable for seniors. Now it is pouring millions into campaigns across the country. These ads attack members of Congress who want to protect Social Security from privatization plans that would gamble benefits in the stock market. The head of 60-Plus, Jim Martin, even called Social Security a “burden.” (Martin Op-Ed, The Washington Times, 8/1/01.)

The misleading ad that begins running tomorrow distorts Gabrielle’s record of standing up to protect Southern Arizona seniors. Gabrielle Giffords voted to make Medicare stronger. She voted to improve preventive care for seniors. She voted to make prescription drugs less expensive for seniors and to close the Medicare Part D doughnut hole. And she voted to extend the life of the Medicare Trust Fund into the next decade.

“The Wall Street interests that want to privatize Social Security are spending even more money to support Jesse Kelly and his call to ‘privatize it,’” said Giffords for Congress campaign manager Rodd McLeod. “If Kelly really wants to protect Southern Arizona seniors, he should admit that he was wrong when he called for privatizing and eliminating Social Security.”

Here are other examples of the 60-Plus Association’s anti-senior agenda:

• Pfizer Bankrolled 60-Plus Campaign in Minnesota to Defeat Legislation that Would Provide Low Cost Drugs Under Medicare. In March 2002, the pharmaceutical industry, through a group called Consumer Alliance, spent approximately $520,000 in eight states in a telemarketing blitz to defeat legislation that would create lists of preferred, lower-cost drugs for Medicaid patients. In Minnesota, a similar campaign was run by the 60-Plus Association that received lobbying and organizational services from Bonner & Associates. Pfizer Inc. donated Bonner & Associates’ services to 60-Plus. (Associated Press, 3/28/02.)
• 60-Plus Opposed Drug Re-importation. In the summer of 2001, 60-Plus placed an ad in the Morning Call critical of legislation allowing wholesalers to reimport drugs to the United States. 60-Plus warned that consumers would lose protections against mishandled, mislabeled and counterfeit drugs, which would put “our seniors and the entire nation at risk.” (Morning Call, 7/11/02.)
• 60-Plus Supports Privatizing Social Security. The 60-Plus Association joined other conservative groups’ support of the President’s plan to privatize Social Security. In 2001, 60-Plus attended a meeting organized by Grover Norquist of Americans for Tax Reform with then-Treasury Secretary Paul O’Neill to discuss support for private accounts. In 2001, 60-Plus indicated it would spend more than $1 million on grassroots efforts to support private accounts during the 2002 election. On December 11, 2001, 60-Plus participated in a news conference sponsored by Americans for Tax Reform that supported the Bush Social Security Commission’s plan to privatize Social Security. Martin wrote in an op-ed piece, “Washington also needs to make major changes in Social Security, an antiquated relic of a bygone era. The changes wouldn’t affect current retirees and the 50-somethings who will retire in the near future. But major changes are needed for the sake of their children and grandchildren…So why not use part of the surplus to finance the transition to a new retirement system that would allow younger workers to invest some of their taxes?” (Americans for Tax Reform press advisory, 12/11/01; National Journal, 9/1/01; Martin op-ed, Washington Times, 3/14/01.)
• James Martin Criticized McCain During 2000 Presidential Campaign. During the 2000 elections, James Martin criticized presidential candidate John McCain for supporting campaign finance reform and for opposing a repeal of the estate tax. Additionally, Martin criticized McCain for saying Bush’s tax cut would put Social Security in jeopardy. Martin said, “Sen. John McCain calls his campaign bus the ‘Straight Talk Express.’ But after his false charges that Social Security will be hurt by Texas Gov. George W. Bush’s tax cut, I think he should rename his bus the ‘Double Talk Express’… When Mr. Bush unveiled his tax-cut plan late last year, I was impressed that he made it very clean that the $2 trillion in Social Security surpluses would be ‘locked away’ for future retirees, the same position that Republicans in Congress, including Mr. McCain, took.” (Martin letter to the editor, Washington Times, 2/18/00.)

Gabrielle Giffords is a third generation Southern Arizonan and the only military spouse in Congress. Gabrielle is not like other politicians. She’s voted against a Congressional pay raise every time one has come up, and she doesn’t make earmark requests for campaign contributors. She takes an independent view on the issues and was rated Arizona’s most moderate member of Congress by the National Journal in 2009. Most importantly, Gabrielle stands up for Southern Arizona by working across the aisle to secure the border, protect our servicemen and veterans and create jobs by investing in solar energy.

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Tucson, Ariz. -- Today, Giffords for Congress released its new television ad that shows Jesse Kelly wants to eliminate Medicare and – in his own words captured on videotape – calls Medicare “the biggest Ponzi scheme in history.” Kelly also labels seniors who receive Medicare benefits as being on “the public dole.”

The ad, “Public,” will begin airing in the Tucson media market today.

In an ad released August 24th, Southern Arizonans learned that Kelly wants to “privatize,” “phase out” and “eliminate” Social Security. Now Arizona will learn of his support for “eliminating Medicare.” Kelly has declared war on the middle class, the reason why elite special interests and corporations that ship American jobs overseas have stepped in to support his flailing campaign. Kelly is a risk Southern Arizona can’t afford.

“Jesse Kelly is running from his words as fast as he can, but Southern Arizonans are too smart to fall for his flip-flopping, “ said Giffords for Congress campaign manager Rodd McLeod. “What kind of guy says that Medicare is a scam, or a Ponzi scheme? His ideas are dangerous.”

Gabrielle Giffords is a third generation Southern Arizonan and the only person in Congress with an active duty military spouse. Gabrielle is not like other politicians. She takes an independent view on the issues and was rated Arizona’s most moderate member of Congress by the National Journal in 2009. She’s voted against a Congressional pay raise every time one has come up, and she doesn’t make earmark requests for campaign contributors. Most importantly, Gabrielle stands up for Southern Arizona by working across the aisle to secure the border, protect our military and veterans and create jobs by investing in solar energy.

TRANSCRIPT of “Public”

[Voice Over]
First we learned Jesse Kelly wants to phase out Social Security.

[Text Graphic]
Jesse Kelly: “phase out” Social Security -KUAT Debate, 7/30/10

[Jesse Kelly]
Privatize it… to phase it out.

[Voice Over]
Risking your retirement in the stock market.

[Voice Over]
Now Kelly says he’d like to eliminate Medicare too.

[Text Graphic]
Jesse Kelly supports “eliminating Medicare” – Tucson Weekly, 12/2/09

[Voice Over]
Kelly says seniors on Medicare are on “the public dole”

[Text Graphic]
Kelly says seniors on “public dole” – Tucson Weekly, 12/2/09

[Jesse Kelly]
Social Security… Medicare, it’s the biggest Ponzi scheme in history.

[Voice Over]
Jesse Kelly has dangerous ideas. And he’s a risk we can’t afford.

[Text Graphic]
Jesse Kelly
Dangerous ideas
A risk we can’t afford

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Jesse Kelly’s general election extreme makeover continues as he desperately tries to backtrack from his calls for a 23 percent sales tax that would raise taxes for 80 percent of Arizona taxpayers in order to lower taxes for the wealthiest five percent of Arizonans.

Throughout his primary campaign, Kelly enthusiastically promoted the “Fair Tax,” a radical tax proposal that includes a 23 percent nationwide sales tax on food, gas, clothes and just about everything else Southern Arizonans buy:

“A lot of people want to know how I feel about the ‘Fair Tax.’ This, this 23% consumption tax that’s out there right now. I’ll tell you right now, I would vote for the ‘Fair Tax.’ I do support the ‘Fair Tax.’” (Jesse Kelly, primary campaign video, date unknown. Watch it here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m9hzlTe0HbI.)

Under the radical Fair Tax scheme, the bottom 80 percent of Arizona taxpayers would see their average tax burden increase by $3,828. The top five percent of Arizona taxpayers would see their average tax burden decrease by $40,005.

Now undergoing a general election extreme makeover, Kelly is trying to backtrack from his repeated call for this tax increase that would devastate working families:

Jon Justice: “The other one I like is on Facebook, where they have the little picture of you off to the side, and it says you support the 23 percent tax increase.”

Jesse Kelly: “I saw that, and, you know, it’s a bit shocking that liberals would make such a mistake… that is so unbelievable that it’s just not going to be able to gain traction. These lies that people tell in campaigns.” (The Jon Justice Show, 104.1 FM, 8/30/10. Watch it here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m9hzlTe0HbI.)

As the video shows, these are not campaign allegations; they are Kelly’s own words:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m9hzlTe0HbI.

This is not the first time Kelly has reversed course since last Tuesday’s CD8 GOP primary. Throughout the primary, Kelly repeatedly condemned Social Security with calls to “Privatize It,” “Phase It Out” and “Eliminate It.” Since last Tuesday, Kelly has begun calling for protecting Social Security, the same program he labeled “a waste” for 15 months.

Just like his dramatic reversal on Social Security, Kelly’s words and statements about raising taxes on working families in order to lower them for millionaires speak louder than his handlers attempt to give him an extreme makeover.

“I guess Kelly went out and bought a pair of flip flops since his primary,” said Giffords for Congress campaign manager Rodd McLeod.  ”Kelly can duck and dodge all he likes—the video doesn’t lie. He will raise your taxes in order to pay off his millionaire benefactors. He said it.  He meant it.”

Gabrielle Giffords is a third generation Southern Arizonan and the only person in Congress with an active duty military spouse. Gabrielle is not like other politicians. She takes an independent view on the issues and was rated Arizona’s most moderate member of Congress by the National Journal in 2009. She’s voted against a Congressional pay raise every time one has come up, and she doesn’t make earmark requests for campaign contributors. Most importantly, Gabrielle stands up for Southern Arizona by working across the aisle to secure the border, protect our military and veterans and create jobs by investing in solar energy.
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