Oh lookie... Dick Armey has a book to sell. So needless to say he's been all over the airways pushing it. He appeared on C-SPAN's Washington Journal and right after telling everyone that part of the Tea Party's agenda would be to "ask the government to... relieve yourselves of the unnecessary burdens" he pretends that they really don't want to privatize or phase out Social Security and calls Tim Kaine "funny" for calling them on it. He can't defend his views so he has to attack Kaine personally instead.

Orgel: Dick Armey a viewer here wants some detail on what will be cut. Via Twitter they ask “What specifically is the Tea Party plan once their candidates take over. What are they going to cut?” Can you tell us?

Armey: Yeah. One of the things we would ask the government to do is relieve yourselves of the unnecessary burdens. For example, just make… make so many of your now mandated benefits voluntary. If Social Security is such a blessing, make it voluntary. Anybody who wants Social Security as you know it today, guarantee it to them and keep your word and then let anybody who wants to be free to choose to do something else, let them be free to do that.

Healthcare… let me be free to choose and take care of my own healthcare needs if I can do that and I don’t need government assistance, leave me alone. Let me be free to choose. And in doing that the government relieves itself of financial obligations they didn’t need to have taken on in the first place.

Why in the world would it be good public policy to compel people like myself who can easily afford their own health insurance to participate in a government provided health insurance and put the burden of that taxation on my grandchildren? Just leave me alone and leave me be free to take care of my own health.

So if you let these programs be voluntary the costs can be enormously reduced. Then be careful with how you spend money. Establish priorities. Make trade-off decisions. Lower and simplify taxes to make it a civilized tax system. There are so many things this government can do to be a blessing and a service to the lives of the American citizenry at large rather than a burden, but for Lord’s sake don’t take on unnecessary, costly burdens, imposing the cost on our grandchildren for something you didn’t need to do, but wanted instead to only do to enhance your power for that moment.

It’s not about you Mr. Senator, Mr. Congressman. You’ve got a privilege from your neighbors. Don’t make it about yourself and your power. Make it about a service in the lives of the citizens who trust in you and gave you this great privilege.

Host Paul Orgel then plays a video of Tim Kaine explaining what the Tea Party’s agenda is. The Republican Tea Party Contract on America:

1. Repeal the Affordable Care Act (Health Insurance Reform)

Put insurance companies back in charge, repeal tax credits for small businesses, allow insurance companies to deny coverage based on preexisting conditions and to drop coverage when a person gets too sick and make prescription drugs for seniors less affordable.

2. Privatize Social Security or phase it out altogether

Turn the guaranteed retirement benefits of America's seniors over to Wall Street CEOs by putting Social Security at risk in the stock market or, as some Republicans have called for, phase out Social Security altogether and end a program millions of American seniors rely on for their survival.

3. End Medicare as it presently exists

Phase out and end Medicare as it presently exists for future generations of seniors -- ending Medicare's guaranteed healthcare benefits for more than 40 million American seniors -- and replace it with a voucher system which will result in higher premiums and fewer services for seniors.

4. Extend the Bush tax breaks for the wealthy and big oil

At a cost of nearly $700 billion, extend the Bush tax breaks for the wealthiest Americans and big oil, which are set to expire and which have and will continue to explode the federal budget deficit.

5. Repeal Wall Street Reform

Roll back the toughest consumer protections ever enacted, allow banks to continue to grow too big to fail, and ensure that predatory lenders continue to utilize their most abusive practices.
6. Protect those responsible for the oil spill and future environmental catastrophes

Cap liabilities for those responsible for environmental disasters like the Gulf oil spill and let companies like BP decide which victims deserve compensation for the disaster and what the timeline for relief should be.

7. Abolish the Department of Education

Put the big banks back in charge of student loans and put an end to federal assistance for public schools.

8. Abolish the Department of Energy

End America's investments in a clean-energy future and disband the organization responsible for oversight of nuclear materials.

9. Abolish the Environmental Protection Agency

Gut the Clean Air Act and Clean Water Act -- which together protect our kids from air pollution and keep drinking water safe -- and disband the watchdog that holds polluters accountable.

10. Repeal the 17th Amendment

Take away your right to pick your U.S. Senator.

Dick Armey’s response… Tim Kaine is funny. He accuses them of fear mongering even though he just laid out himself some of the things on that list just moments before they played the tape. Take a look in the mirror if you want to see the fear monger Dick. I guess Dick Armey thinks we're all silly enough not to realize what would happen to Social Security if it were made voluntary.