Hastert: Public not sold on Social Security plans

[Tweed]

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/chi-0502110241feb11,1,1729146.story?coll=chi-newsnationworld-hed&ctrack=2&cset=true

"WASHINGTON -- Despite President Bush's intensive public campaign to revamp Social Security, House Speaker Dennis Hastert said Thursday that voters are not yet persuaded that the retirement program is in crisis or that it needs a dramatic overhaul to save it.

As Bush travels the country promoting his plan, Hastert cautioned in his first extensive interview on the president's top domestic priority that much selling needs to be done and a hard fight in Congress lies ahead, because "you can't jam change down the American people's throat."

Hastert (R-Ill.) said he thinks Bush is doing a good job, but he also said it would be difficult to tackle the issue without Democrats' participation and that it would take the House and the Senate "to be able to lift this load."

Hastert said he is open to combining Social Security reform with tax legislation to spur the economy, but he declined to specify what sort of tax changes he would like to see. He said the road to reform could be a lengthy one, taking as much as two years."

As a citizen of Illinois, I never thought I would see the day when I liked something that came out of ol' Denny's mouth. As Speaker of the House, this is pretty huge for him to admit what he does. You should read the whole article. He's quite candid in his thoughts.

[Pacifist Patriot]

1. Did Bush forget to hire a "journalist" to push the SS agenda?

[Tweed]

4. LOL, looks like it

Good call

[Skink]

2. Did anyone catch that commitee hearing on CSPAN today..

Guaranteed retirement to guaranteed fees. Yet another catch phrase. Talk it up.

Oh and Tony Snow's a punk.

[Cha]

3. And why would the Democrats want

bush to raid SS for his and wall street's benefit?

I hope bush/hassert got the message at the chimp's sotu!

[applegrove]

5. BUSH Hides Assumptions About His SS Plan with vagueness and gets Hastert

BUSH Hides Assumptions About His SS Plan with vagueness and gets Hastert to pretend VAGUE was his idea! Don't let Hastert tell you that Vague is Okay. AMERICA HAS A RIGHT TO KNOW!


With Tax Reform there will not be Income Tax - you can still deduct for SS. But all the rich money will be in Corporations traveling outside the US in "Emerging Markets". None of it will be in the US.

Plus when the wars stop, a low level of deflation will be the norm. Treasury bonds will not pay squat.

I am tired of watching Democrats try and argue against SS when they have no idea what the White House plan is!!

George Bush - tell the Democrats what the plan is - so they can study it!!

Otherwise the Democrats are just going to have to study all potentional combinations.

1) will it be national Vat Sales Tax (no income tax) and private accounts invested outside the USA?

2) will there be deflation?

We need the facts & assumptions from the Bush plan before Democrats can invest in any study of it. Democrats have a right to know what Bush assumptions are for growth of the USA Economy in the next 75 years.


1) will it be national Vat Sales Tax (no income tax) and private accounts invested outside the USA?

2) will there be deflation?

We need the facts & assumptions from the Bush plan before Democrats can invest in any study of it. Democrats have a right to know what Bush assumptions are for growth of the USA Economy in the next 75 years.

[Mark E. Smith]

6. Translation: Bush's Approval Numbers Are Tanking ...

...because of this very issue, and Hastert doesn't want to get dragged down with him.