|
Posted on 03/02/2005 2:31:22 AM PST by Rollie Hawk
The Senate's top Republican said yesterday that President Bush's bid to restructure Social Security may have to wait until next year and might not involve the individual accounts the White House has been pushing hard.
The comments of Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-Tenn.), made as GOP lawmakers returned from a week of trying to sell the plan to voters, underscored the challenge facing the White House, especially in light of unbroken Democratic opposition.
"In terms of whether it will be a week, a month, six months or a year, as to when we bring something to the floor, it's just too early," Frist said.
Frist is reluctant to put off a vote until 2006, when lawmakers will be focused on midterm congressional elections and the atmosphere will be more politically charged, aides said. But with polls showing widespread skepticism of Bush's proposal and some Republicans opposed to the approach, GOP leaders signaled yesterday that they may have no choice but to put off action.
That a politician as closely allied to the White House as Frist would even raise the possibility of putting off the proposal until next year -- possibly dooming it -- was an unexpected blow to the administration.
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com ...
God forbid they'd go out there and actually run on the issues they claim to believe in. No, that would take time away from telling Boobus America how much pork is coming back home.
Educate the Americans who are not as aware as the average freeper of the fragile nature of social security without reform and they will go along, but this is not a realm where we can expect instant gratification.
Keep this issue front and center, line up pro-reform 527's to put some money behind the muscle, change public opinion through leadership, and we will have our victory and leave the carcasses of the dinosauric Dems. to wither in the wind.
Are they even working on the legislation?!! I see no movement.
The Republican Leadership once again acting like a bunch of little girls at a tea party!
Frist should just go ahaed and change his name to Senator Eunuch.
i never liked frist since the nyt sunday magazine did a feature on him.
the pubbies are not very good at getting their agenda to the american people.
The polls are against Bush's plan now, but if memory serves, they were FAVORABLE to it by a significant margin right after the State of the Union speech, when Dubya explained the situation in no uncertain terms.
Clearly, the campaign of disinformation by the media/Dems (one and the same) has been effective.
The Republicans need to step up and get the message out, instead of cowering in the face of these polls.
From now until the elections in '06, nothing except what the Democrats will happen in the Senate. All you are going to hear from Frist is: "We have this option and we have that option",and other excuses. Meanwhile nothing will get accomplished.
Beginning in '07, there will probably be a Democrat majority.
I have decided that voting for Republicans is a total waste of time.
Maybe we just need to quit voting for wimpy Republicans.
|
Amen to that!
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.
I am so disappointed in the Senate Republicans. A five-vote majority, and all they do is dither and cave. The other guys call them "Hitlers" — an absolute outrage — and they cower in the corner like little children. What the Hell does it take to put some spine into these people?