Tom Kean, Jr. (R-NJ): Social Security phase-out weasel?

We've been starting to compile our nationwide list of Social Security phase-out weasels -- congressional candidates who refuse to reveal whether they favor preserving Social Security or phasing it out and replacing it with private accounts (aka, the Bush plan).

http://www.talkingpointsmemo.com/archives/008925.php

So today we're starting out with two candidates: senate candidate Tom Kean, Jr. (R-NJ) and House candidate Peter Roskam (R-IL), who's running for the 6th District seat in Illinois.

In both cases, it's pretty clear they support President Bush in his desire to phase out Social Security and replace it with private accounts. But now that an election is coming they refuse to state their views publicly. From what we can tell, Roskam's site contains no mention of Social Security at all even though signs indicate he'll support phasing it out as President Bush says he'll try to do next year if he keeps his majorities in Congress. Kean's site ducks the issue. So we're looking to find out clearly and definitively which side they're on.

Are they for phasing it out? Or against phasing it out? Which is it?

perfect together.
Hey, Junior must be a real rubber knowing W's approval in NJ and aligning himself with the Dauphin.

According to a May 15th 2000 Associated Press article by Laurence Arnold, Kean said that he, like the other four candidates for the GOP nomination supported "the idea of letting people invest part of their Social Security payroll taxes into a private investment account they would manage."

In other words, in 2000 Kean supported President Bush's partial phase-out plan.

http://www.talkingpointsmemo.com/archives/008967.php