Chicago Tribune: 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."

This is pretty huge. As Speaker of the House, Hastert wields a lot of power. I'm surprised, pleasantly surprised about his candor.

[Withywindle]

1. I knew it!

Well, I hoped it, anyway--that all the Republicans wouldn't be in lockstep on this one.

Too big. Too scary to the public. * doesn't have to worry about getting re-elected, but everyone else does.

[Us vs Them]

2. I love that this is the Front Page!

I walked by the usual trash boxes today with a bit of a smile.