Guardian: Bush not revealing Social Security details

[seafan]

WASHINGTON (AP) - President Bush will outline ideas about strengthening Social Security but will not spell out all the details of a plan to fix the system's financial problems when he delivers his State of the Union address Wednesday night.

Bush's strategy to offer a partial outline rather than detailed remedy reflects a split between the two houses of Congress about the president's role in the politically sensitive debate.

In the House, where every seat is up for election every two years, Republican leaders want the president to present a specific plan and work to sell it to the country before pressing Congress to vote. But key Senate leaders prefer that Bush work behind the scenes with Congress to develop a bipartisan consensus.

``It's time to shine a very clear light on the problems facing Social Security and then to talk about ways we can work together to strengthen it,'' White House press secretary Scott McClellan said Tuesday.

<snip>

http://www.guardian.co.uk/worldlatest/story/0,1280,-4771962,00.html

[NC_Nurse]

1. Hey, Scottie!

It's time to shine a clear light on the rats in the darkness behind the scenes who are running this country!

George isn't going to give any specifics because I'm sure he doesn't even know about them and he'd never understand them. That's how he can present them with a smirk and believe they're "for all of our good". It's the behind-the-scenes Repub operatives that come up with this bullshit and use W to sell it. Let's see them come out and explain to all of us how it takes one of the few progressive programs of the federal government and turns it into yet another way for the rich to get richer and the poor to get poorer. I'd love to see the light shone on this pile of horseshit!

[peacetalksforall]

2. What can be done now to make sure:

that R congresspeople don't work behind the backs of D congresspeople.

that R congresspeople don't prepare a 500,000 page document during the night that calls for a vote in the AM.

that liberal media gets listened to to counter R mainstream media.

????

[seafan]

3. A couple more snippets....

``There are a lot of details that will have to be worked out by Congress,'' the official said at a pre-speech briefing, insisting on anonymity so as not to steal Bush's thunder.

<snip>

``We're not in a position where we want to be ruling things in or out,'' the official said.

Bush's proposal to rewrite the income-tax code, meanwhile, is clearly an initiative on the back burner. The senior official didn't even mention it when he first ran down the priorities that Bush would emphasize, although when pressed, said it remains a key Bush second-term item. The official said that making first term Bush tax cuts permanent remained a priority.

<snip>



It is shameful that this administration is hell bent on destroying the social safety net of the people of America. Social security, medical care, education, care of veterans; everything remotely for the good of people is a target.

It is raw, unadulterated greed, the very worst of human nature, that is exemplified by this administration. And it will be up to the people to stop them.