SHOT:
Cresent Hardy, who definitely does not want to talk about his former campaign advisor accused of sexually enslaving and assaulting his ex-fiancée, at a candidate forum in Mesquite last week [at 10:22]:
“Social Security and Medicare is not an entitlement. I paid into it. Just to defend Congressman Ryan, he has never wanted to cut it.”
CHASER:
Cresent Hardy, literally in the next sentence, endorsing Paul Ryan’s “reforms” and raising the retirement age:
“[Paul Ryan] wants to reform it. It needs to be reformed. People are living much longer today. We have a work force out there that is able to generate the funds that are needed if we get them back to work. … I think that’s the opportunity- we need to do some reform and need to make sure it’s set up at a different time. It used to be 62 years of age and it’s up for me, when I retire- 67, I have no problem with that.”
LIME:
Paul Ryan’s plan clearly sets the stage for cutting Social Security and Medicare. And if Hardy is trying to deny that’s exactly what he wants to happen, one need only look at his reasoning for voting against a bipartisan budget deal in 2015: “Hardy wanted more cuts to mandatory programs like Medicare and Social Security.”
ANOTHER LIME (BECAUSE YOU’RE NOT 21 ANYMORE):
More than 132,000 people in Nevada’s Fourth Congressional District are current beneficiaries of Social Security.
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DCCC Spokesperson Drew Godinich released the following statement:
“It’s not just that former Rep. Cresent Hardy is a far-right Tea Party radical, it’s that he’s a far-right Tea Party radical who’s all in on Paul Ryan’s plan to slash Social Security and Medicare.”