Coleman shifts position on Social Security

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DFL Senate candidate Al Franken is criticizing Republican Sen. Norm Coleman for backing off his previous support for letting some workers invest part of their Social Security withholdings in the stock market.

In his first run for Senate six years ago, Coleman promoted the idea of private accounts for workers 50 and younger.

Coleman's campaign manager Cullen Sheehan said Wednesday Coleman now believes voluntary private accounts are just one option that should be considered for Social Security.

"It's an option on the table, absolutely. But what has to happen is there has to be a commission who studies this, who comes up with a recommendation to Congress and Congress has to act," Sheehan said.

Democrats have long criticized Coleman for supporting what they refer to as the privitization of Social Security.

Speaking at a St. Paul retirement home Tuesday, Franken said he would never support privatizing any part of the Social Security system.

"My reaction to that is that he's just fudging on this. And why doesn't he admit that it was just a bad idea? I mean he still will not admit that this is a bad idea," Franken said.

Given what's been going on on Wall Street, Franken said if an individual account plan would have been a disaster for Minnesota seniors.