Lori Saldaña calls on Scott Peters to explain why he is hiding intent to slash Social Security, Medicare.

Lori Saldaña calls on Scott Peters to explain why he is hiding intent to slash Social Security, Medicare.

Peters' mailer misleads voters into believing he can be trusted to protect Social Security and Medicare, but he's busted by earlier interview on KUSI.

SAN DIEGO - Corporate Democrat Scott Peters has revealed that he's not much different than Republican Brian Bilbray when it comes to radical cuts to programs like Social Security and Medicare - or his willingness to conceal that fact from voters.

Scott Peters' first political mailer hit mailboxes this week vaguely asserting "We need results that responsibly reduce the deficit and protect Social Security and Medicare."

But in a televised KUSI interview, Peters revealed his belief that seniors who rely on  Social Security, Medicaid and Medicare are appropriate sacrifices on the altar of 'deficit reduction'.

Peters: "Everyone has to give up something."

Anchor: "So are you in favor of cuts to entitlement programs- Social Security, Medicaid and Medicare?"

Peters: "Yeah, I favor a balanced approach."

Democratic frontrunner Lori Saldaña says Peters needs to come clean about his attempts to mislead the voters about his stance on these programs.

"Scott Peters made a public statement that contradicts what he's now delivering to voters' mailboxes," Saldaña said. "He needs to explain to voters why he is hiding his intent to slash Medicare and Social Security, rather than protect them."

"How is cutting programs that keep seniors alive and out of poverty 'balanced'?" Saldaña asked.

Republican Brian Bilbray tried employing a similar political slight-of-hand in his own mailers featuring clip art photos of smiling seniors with headlines declaring "Congressman Brian Bilbray is Protecting the Promise of Medicare" and ''Congressman Brian Bilbray is working to "Protect Medicare for All Taxpayers".

But the mailers conceal the fact that he voted twice to dismantle Medicare and turn it into a voucher system, a scheme that would effectively gut the program and leave seniors without enough money to cover their healthcare costs.

"Voters are seeing very little difference between Peters and Bilbray these days," Saldaña said.

Lori Saldaña is running against Bilbray and Peters to represent the 52nd Congressional District.

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