Bush to renew push for Social Security privatization after elections

[kurth]

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President George W. Bush hopes to revive his plan to overhaul the U.S. Social Security retirement program if his Republican party keeps control of the Congress in the November midterm elections, the Wall Street Journal reported on Saturday.

Despite polls suggesting Democrats have their best chance in years to regain control of the House of Representatives, Bush told the newspaper in an interview he was confident a power shift was "not going to happen." "I just don't believe it," he said, adding that if Republicans prevail at the polls, next year might be a good time to reintroduce the effort to reshape Social Security because he could "drain the politics out of the issue."

Bush was forced to abandoned his 2005 push to add private accounts to the retirement program, in part because of concerns among Republicans that the unpopular plan would jeopardize their chances in this year's elections.

Some Democrats have emphasized the Social Security reform plan in their campaign to oust Republican incumbents in November, contending it would inject too much risk into the program and push the government deeper into debt. Bush made Social Security investment accounts a top domestic priority for his second term, arguing such a system would help young people by putting the retirement program on a more sustainable financial footing.

http://today.reuters.com/news/newsArticle.aspx?type=domesticNews&storyID=2006-09-09T185922Z_01_N09399044_RTRUKOC_0_US-BUSH-SOCIALSECURITY.xml

[oldtime dfl_er]

1. Bush is confident there would be no power shift?

Been talking to the folks at Diebold again?

http://www.cafepress.com/scarebaby/658010

[notadmblnd]

2. They really thing they've got it in the bag

The election, I mean. cheney said something to the effect that he was confident that repubs would retain leadership of both houses of congress.

[OwnedByFerrets]

3. This needs to be spun.....

that bush will abolish SS if Repugs win. Hell, lets play by their rules for a change.

[kurth]

8. Every Democrat MUST mention Social Security privatization in their TV ads

This is a HUGE issue among the retired and soon-to-be-retired.

[dogday]

4. Just like he was confident he won in 2000

Be afraid, be very afraid... He said in 2000 he won Florida, his brother told him he had Florida.... Apparently he knows the results before we do....

[zeemike]

5. No surprise to me

It is on of the most important goals the right wing has and is necessary to prop up the stock market.
So there is a lot riding on this election. So much I do believe they will try to steal it no mater how obvious it is. They know that they can count on the media to cover there ass after the fact.

[John Gauger]

6. Worst POTUS Ever

He is made of moron and fail.

[ProgressiveEconomist]

7. Here's a LINK to the actual interview published in the WSJ

Talk about out of touch! Dubya apparently inhabits a parallel dimension with alternate realities 180 degrees from ours:

From http://www.opinionjournal.com/editorial/feature.html?id=110008919 :

"'Most People Want Us to Win'
A president in the fray, more Truman than LBJ.

BY PAUL A. GIGOT
Saturday, September 9, 2006 12:01 a.m. EDT

ABOARD AIR FORCE ONE ...

"That's not going to happen," snaps the president of the United States, leaning across his desk in his airborne office. He had been saying that he hoped to revisit Social Security reform next year, when he "will be able to drain the politics out of the issue," and I rudely interrupted by noting the polls predicting Ms. Pelosi's ascension.

"I just don't believe it," the president insists. "I believe the Republicans will end up being--running the House and the Senate. And the reason why I believe it is because when our candidates go out and talk about the strength of this economy, people will say their tax cuts worked, their plan worked. . . ."

[Generator]

9. Yeah I saw that

There aren't enough filthy disgusting words in the English language to contain my disdain for this piece of crap who clearly despises all Americans that aren't wealthy.

[MysteryToMyself]

10. The tax cuts have NOT worked

What has worked is letting the oil companies gouge.

The Iraq war has made a lot of profits for the military industry that makes bombs, guns, bullets, spy equipment etc. Plus they charged obscene profits for anything sold to Iraq from America. Iraqi are captive buyers. Plus utilities and insurance have all went up more than the amount on the inflation index.

Something they don't talk about is that their measurment has dropped 4% recently from 9%. That is almost half. I think the world could be offended about the Hezbollah war that we contributed to and then those here are paying for their inflated homes.

Gas prices are easing up for the election. It won't take the prices long to get back on keel as soon as the last vote is diabolded, gas will go up.