Back from the Dead (Privatizing Social Security - only five Republican senators needed)

Post Writers Group ^ | 6/27/06 | MARIE COCCO

[Libloather]

Back from the Dead
MARIE COCCO
June 27, 2006

WASHINGTON -- The corpse will be revived.

Plans to resuscitate President Bush's stone-cold proposal to turn Social Security from a guaranteed insurance program into a patchwork of private savings accounts already are in the works. All it will take, says Grover Norquist, conservative strategist extraordinaire, is the election of another five conservative Republican senators -- enough to surmount procedural roadblocks by Democrats or those tremulous Republican moderates who would try to preserve the nation's most successful and best-loved government program.

``I believe that when there are 60 Republican senators we will move Social Security from the present Ponzi scheme to a fully funded, individually held system,'' Norquist told journalists brought together by The American Prospect magazine.

A morning with Norquist helps to solve one of the great mysteries of the political moment: How can it be that a clear majority of Americans can sour on the Republican rule of Congress, reject Bush's top domestic priority of privatizing Social Security and offer resounding disapproval of the president's stewardship of the economy -- while the radical conservatives responsible for it all still believe they are right on the merits and are, in fact, heading into another political victory lap?

Through Norquist's lens, no setback is the result of the citizens looking at -- and living under -- Bush's policies and rejecting them. The political misfortune is merely the result of errant tactics, not egregiously bad prescriptions for problems the American people really care about.

Take, for example, Social Security.

Democrats on Capitol Hill see vindication in the panicky, early abandonment of the president's plan for private accounts in 2005.

[Libloather]

Illegal immigration, sosha security, the war on terror, tax cuts, etc. Let the debates begin!

[Holden Magroin]

Gosh, it seems like ages ago that Bush ditched Social Security reform for open borders as his signature issue.

[llevrok]

All it will take, says Grover Norquist, conservative strategist extraordinaire, is the election of another five conservative Republican senators

Sure. Simple.

[AntiGuv]

"I believe that when there are 60 Republican senators..."

I believe that when I win the lottery this'll be my new home for a while:

[billbears]

All it will take, says Grover Norquist, conservative strategist extraordinaire, is the election of another five conservative Republican senators

With the political landscape the way it is now may as well hold out hope for Republicans to become a party of limited government as well.

[John Lenin]

Bush has made blunder after blunder in his second term, putting SS refrom before immigration was probably the largest mistake he has made.

[Once-Ler]

Illegal immigration, sosha security, the war on terror, tax cuts, etc. Let the debates begin!

Could the differences between the parties be more stark? When Clinton was President the questions of the day were...Homo's in the military, tax INCREASES, and Soviet style health care.

Real conservatives will stay home in Nov. Real Americans will vote GOP. We will win again...I just wish real conservatives would shut up about voting GOP. They seldom really do it and they take credit when we win.

[FairOpinion]

This is great news.

Let's hope that privitization of social security gets resurrected and passes this time. That's the only sensible way to save it.

[Recovering_Democrat]

All it will take, says Grover Norquist, conservative strategist extraordinaire, is the election of another five conservative Republican senators -- enough to surmount procedural roadblocks by Democrats or those tremulous Republican moderates who would try to preserve the nation's most successful and best-loved government program.

We must never give up...2006 could be a great year if we shock the LSM and gain seats!!!

[Brian Allen]

<< .... the nation's most successful and best-loved government program .... >>

Least successful, more like it!

[goodnesswins]

OKAY....where is THAT! I need to know!

[AmeriBrit]

I agree 100%.

[syriacus]

Maybe some of the Seniors won't be as "nervous" as they were the last time this discussion came up.

Just about now, most of them are noticing that George W's Medicare Prescription Drug plan has saved them money.

[painter]

That is definitely a vacation getaway I could handle.

South Pacific,Carribean?

[mthom]

You got to pick one. Ask those that dare to have problems with positions the GOP takes to depart permanently because their vote doesnt and never mattered or threaten them by saying if you dont vote GOP youre responsible for any Dem win.

[AntiGuv]

That's Vahine Island about half way between Tahiti and Bora Bora. *sigh*

[painter]

Sounds like you've been there. It's been awhile,but a group of us used to charter a bareboat catamaran out of Miami and sail over to the islands and scuba dive for a week. There is nothing like sailing among the islands in a fairly small boat.

*Sigh* is right.