GOP Sees Short Time to Sell Soc. Sec. Plan

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

That means we have about 90 days of a hard fight on our hands.

By LAURA MECKLER, Associated Press Writer

WASHINGTON - President Bush (news - web sites) and his allies have about three months to sell the public on his proposals to change Social Security (news - web sites), the chairman of the Senate Finance Committee says, as Republicans continue their search for Democrats who might come aboard.


Bush was in Nebraska, Arkansas and Florida on Friday pitching his plan, trying to pressure Democratic senators from these states.


The centerpiece of his plan would divert some payroll taxes into private accounts that could be invested in the stock market. That could lead to higher returns, though the transition would cost more than $1 trillion. Other measures, still unspecified, would be needed to bring the Social Security system's long-term finances into balance.


Proponents agree that any overhaul plan will need bipartisan support if it is to pass Congress, particularly in the Senate, where Democrats can block measures and require backers to find 60 votes to move forward.

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20050205/ap_on_go_co/social_security

[BlueEyedSon]

1. Right, 'cause in May their going to start selling us the Iran War.

[Trajan]

2. I dont think it's gonna fly ....

Even George's brow beating cant get this through ....

The latest details; the narrow range of allowed investments, the cost of the stopgap loans, the counterbalancing loss of general benefits to those who participate in the investment scheme .... ALL are negatives that even have the righties grumbling ....

NO amount of media payola and grandstanding demagoguing is gonna get this BS to pass .....

[Rican1]

3. Why should the Democrats feel pressure?

I think republicans are going to feel the pressure to leave social security alone. I have "misunderestimated" Bush before, but there is no way he is going to convince the country that his plan is better for them

[EVDebs]

4. They're on the road to domestic Fallujah and jihad will ensue

if they continue to raid Social Security to pay for tax cuts for the super wealthy

"Bush’s tax plan depended on raiding the Social Security lockbox.”
http://www.jimnewsom.com/PFW-perfectlylegal.html

[RPM]

5. three months till the market shits the bed

on what news?

Iran war?
Peak oil?
Bush is an alien?
Rapture?

Time will tell...

[ArmHayseed]

6. No Time Limit

The “compassionate conservatives” have been against this program since it’s inception and have been engaged in guerrilla warfare against it the entire time.

The current strategy seems to be: offer few details and waffle on those, exaggerate the positive, label anyone who points out the parts that do harm to the vulnerable as “obstructionist who have no plan of their own, only criticism“, talk the plan to a point beyond boredom where even those reporters on the White House payroll can no longer keep an audience, then, as America sleeps, at 3 o’clock in the morning, the “Stock Brokers Welfare Plan” will brought to the floor.

The Republicans have been plotting the current ‘Loot the Lockbox” coup for over 20 years. I don’t believe for a moment that a lack of success in the next 90 days will discourage the Looters. The lure of billions in future management fees is just too strong.