Posted on 06/20/2005 1:06:20 PM PDT by SmithL
Washington -- President Bush has gone from threatening Democratic lawmakers that they'll suffer politically for not supporting his Social Security overhaul to cajoling Republican lawmakers with promises of campaign help if they do.
Neither tactic is working. Bush's poll numbers continue to sink, driven in part by his plan to add private accounts and reduce benefits in the giant retirement program.
Democrats appear on the verge of scoring a huge political victory over Bush by defeating what had been the centerpiece domestic policy of his second term.
Bush's hopes of salvaging even small private accounts now rest entirely on the two Republican leaders of the committees in charge of Social Security: former college professor Rep. Bill Thomas of Bakersfield, the shrewd and unpredictable chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee who is a master of the tax code and entitlement programs, and blunt-spoken Iowa farmer Sen. Charles Grassley, chairman of the Senate Finance Committee.
Both men face unbroken Democratic opposition and disagreement and resistance within their own party.
Nonetheless, the White House is relying on Thomas to craft a bill that contains some version of private accounts, which Republican leaders can then push through the House, where they control the agenda.
Grassley faces the filibuster rules of the Senate, where Republicans hold 55 votes, but need 60 votes to overcome the blocking maneuver by Democrats.
As bad as the polls look, Bush shows no sign of backing off.
(Excerpt) Read more at sfgate.com ...
A Leader, not a poll-follower.
And the San Fran Chron will continue to loss circulation if it can't get the complete story printed.
Message to Bush - "Its the border stupid"
People are sick and tired of his elitist attitude re. the border. Bush and the GOP better wake up and start enforcing the border and quit giving away the country to freeloaders from Mexico.
Message to Bush - "Its the border stupid"
People are sick and tired of his elitist attitude re. the border. Bush and the GOP better wake up and start enforcing the border and quit giving away the country to freeloaders from Mexico.
The MSM continue to believe that people don't want to own anything. Just let the Government take care of everyone. After all "We The People" are to stupid to care for ourselves.
Congress just wants the money to stay in the 'lockbox' ha! ha! So they can spend it with promises of more givaways for votes.
Guess what else. ------ In 1982 Congress did opt out of SS and now have their money in a growth account and will retire with more than most of us make in a working year. NOT only that -----if they had the quarters in - 10 - they will ALSO collect from SS EVEN tho they have not contributed since 1982.
How dumb does that make you feel.
Who says it's UNPOPULAR? Just because you say it, or in this case print it, doesn't make it so.......
Most Mexicans only want a better life for their families and actually work very hard. But I agree they should go through the legal channels to get in.
Ditto
Forgive me. For years, we've had private accounts in a little socialist enclave called Canada. It gives an average schmo some self directed investment savings with a huge tax break, i.e. borrow $2000 to put into your account at tax time, and get $2000 back in government refund to payback your loan. Turnover time = 2 weeks if you efile. This gets stashed away until you're 65 and then only taxed when you take it out. The individual is easily 85% ahead. You pick where and how monies are invested. No strings, no interference. Everything I've read about the Bush plan is parallel - why the fuss?
And that's among adults. I bet it's much higher among likely voters.
I'd like to see the President address the nation on a live broadcast on this issue alone. He could take his time a go over privatization point by point, emphasizing the benefits of private accounts and rebutting the fallacies and lies being fed to the American citizens, especially the scare tactics, (the Left's favorite weapon in their arsenal of deceit), being perpetrated on this country's seniors.
why the fuss?
That's easy. It's because a Republican president has proposed it.
Otherwise, feeerget it, it's dead.
Oy. Figures. My point is that if it works under a basically socialist government, how much BETTER it would be in an actual, economically viable environment.
Forget adopting medicare, set your sights on these accounts.
He is suppose to work for us so he should listen - I don't know anyone that thinks keeping their own money is their own accounts in unpopular.
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.