Martin O'Malley

Third Way has been in the forefront of groups sounding unwarranted alarms about Social Security's future, while proposing retirement programs that wouldn't do much more than line investment promoters' pockets. As for its "Lexus-driving retirees in Palm Beach," this would be unworthy even of a group that wears its Wall Street connections as a badge, much less one that hides them behind the claim of being "centrists."

The truth is that more than half of all married couples in retirement and about three-quarters of singles get 50% of their income or more from Social Security. For a fifth of married seniors and half of the unmarried, the program accounts for 90% of income.

O'Malley understands that; Third Way doesn't.