Repuke Talking Points on Social Security: Anyone seen this...

[liberal N proud]

The Talking points memo: http://www.talkingpointsmemo.com/

Social Security Rolls:
The Fainthearted Faction
The Conscience Caucus
(explanation of terms)

(January 31, 2005 -- 01:57 AM EST // link // print)
We were scratching our heads trying to understand it. Why is President Bush heading out to Montana after his State of the Union address when Sen. Baucus (D) just couldn't make it any clearer that he's not going to vote for a Social Security phase-out bill?

We tossed around a bunch of possible explanations before suddenly the mysterious hidden truth revealed itself: Baucus is just a cover. President Bush is really going to Montana to muscle the state's sole member of the House of Representatives: Rep. Denny Rehberg (R)

the weirdest part:
The Talking Points Fainthearted Faction Conscience Caucus:
(Updated January 31, 2005)


House

Rep. Allen Boyd (D-Florida) (L&P!)
Rep. Robert "Bud" Cramer (D-Alabama) (OFO?) (*)
Rep. Harold Ford (D-Tennessee) (OFO?) (*)
Rep. Ron Kind (D-Wisconsin) (OFO?)
Rep. Collin Peterson (D-Minnesota)
Rep. Ike Skelton (D-Missouri) (*)
Rep. John Tanner (D-Tennessee) (OFO?) (*)
Rep. Gene Taylor (D-Mississippi) (OFO?) (*)

Senate

Sen. Evan Bayh (D-Indiana)
Sen. Tom Carper (D-Delaware)
Sen. Kent Conrad (D-North Dakota)
Sen. Mary Landrieu (D-Louisiana) (*)
(Say It Ain't So) Sen. Joe Lieberman (D-Connecticut) (OFO?)
Sen. Blanche Lincoln (D-Arkansas)
Sen. Ben Nelson (D-Nebraska) (OFO?)

Associate Members

Gov. Ed Rendell (D-Pennsylvania) (*)


(ed.note: 'L&P!' designates members who are "Loud and Proud!" in their support of the president's private-accounts-based Social Security phase-out bill. "OFO?" designates members who may already have "One Foot Out" of the Fainthearted Faction. Linked asterisks (*) note events, statements or stories that have affected a member's position within the Fainthearted Faction.)

[Ian David]

1. Stop the Social Security phase-out!

Revolt, seniors! Revolt!

[WyLoochka]

2. I read Marshall first thing

every day to keep up with who stands where on phasing out Social Security.

Josh has been doing a terrific job of documenting every comment by every Rep and Senator. No back door deals between our smarmy Dem "centrists" and the Rethugs are going to happen with the intense light Marshall is focusing on the issue. Thank you, Joshua Micah Marshall.

Read the update from early this AM - Bayh and Ford are out of the Fainthearted Faction and I have to give a good portion of the credit to:

http://www.talkingpointsmemo.com/

for keeping the heat and pressure on Dems to stay in line in this very crucial battle against BushCo's zeitgeist to obliterate everything New Deal and take us fully back to the days of the Robber Barons.