Washington ? John Kerry assailed President Bush on Sunday for reportedly using the word “privatizing” to describe an ambitious plan that Kerry said risked Social Security benefits for retirees, while Republican campaign aides denied the president said it and blasted the Democrat for having no plan to shore up the nation’s retirement system.

With little more than two weeks remaining before Election Day, both candidates looked to Florida, where voters will begin casting ballots today. Kerry campaigned Sunday in Ohio and Florida while Bush, who took a day off the campaign trail, heads today to Florida after a stop in Democratic-leaning New Jersey.

Social Security and health care traditionally have been politically potent issues in Florida, with its large population of seniors. Bush has maintained Social Security reforms are needed to ensure benefits can be paid to future workers, but Kerry has derided the plan as too costly and contends it would jeopardize benefits to current retirees.

Bush was quoted Sunday in The New York Times Magazine as including Social Security as part of an ambitious second-term agenda during a speech to wealthy donors at a closed-door Republican fund-raiser last month.

“I’m going to come out strong after my swearing in,” Bush said, “with fundamental tax reform, tort reform, privatizing of Social Security.”

Since his 2000 campaign for president, Bush has backed plans to allow younger workers to privately invest a portion of their Social Security payroll taxes, but Congress has shown little willingness to take on the controversial proposal.

The president has revived his Social Security proposal in the current campaign. In his speeches, Bush assures current beneficiaries and those nearing retirement that their benefits are protected and that Democratic critics are resorting to scare tactics from the 2000 campaign that proved unfounded.

Kerry, campaigning in Columbus, Ohio, contended the president was planning a “January surprise” on Social Security that would affect beneficiaries and be a “disaster” for the middle class.