Dems vow no negotiation on plan to alter retirement program

[ailsagirl]

By Susan Milligan, Globe Staff | March 7, 2005

WASHINGTON -- Buoyed by polls indicating support slipping for President Bush's Social Security overhaul plan, congressional Democrats said yesterday that they would not negotiate on any plan to change the government retirement program unless the president gave up on the idea of partly privatizing the system.

But the White House insisted that allowing younger workers to invest part of their Social Security payments in stocks and bonds -- a fundamental part of Bush's proposal -- was key to protecting the long-term survival of Social Security.

''The president is committed to these private accounts," Treasury Secretary John W. Snow said yesterday on ABC's ''This Week." ''I'm committed to them." Snow said the accounts were ''absolutely essential" to revamping the 70-year program. But Democrats, sparring with Republicans on the Sunday talk shows, said they would not even consider an overhaul that included privatization.

''Democrats have said what they'd do. We're not going to negotiate with someone that's trying to destroy . Privatization destroys it," Senator Edward M. Kennedy, Democrat of Massachusetts, said on ''This Week." ''Privatization cannot be on the table."

http://www.boston.com/news/nation/washington/articles/2005/03/07/democrats_vow_no_negotiation_on_plan_to_alter_retirement_program/

[Cha]

1. The president(sic) should

be "committed"!

Instead he's running around loose..thanks to the facsist media whores..that means you...novakula, kurtz, crowley,..all ya'll whores who are bending over for this monkey regime.

[applegrove]

2. Keep the system as is. Just add investment accounts on top & give

income tax incentives to make people keen to save on top of SS.

But I do believe that when we see the Bush Plan for TAX REFORM it will all be clearer. Bush cannot do what I suggest above (and what Canada and many, many Western democracies have done) because he plans on getting totally rid of income tax and replacing it with something else.

Those elites are desperate to not be under anyone's thumb. ***holes!

[ailsagirl]

3. Perhaps the SS issue is what will bring the bastards down

They've really pushed their luck on so many issues-- but this issue may be the one that brings them down.

We have to keep pushing our reps to vote against it.

[applegrove]

5. We should push the reps to actually push Bush to put 'pen to paper'

and publish the Plan. Then you can fight the specifics and kill it or adjust it. If they keep the plan hidden - they just create long term unresolved anxiety. The better to tire us out and makes us apathetic in the end.

It is working so well that they are even planning on "pushing it back to next year" "oh - darn we at the WH should have introduced tax reform first" to make the time of high anxiety and then deep emotional exhaust will long. And it is when we are exhausted that they will push their 'plans' through.

Karl Rove may have decided that we Liberals need to be exhausted & apathetic around the time of the next Presidential election.... they say the man (and I use that term loosely) plans ahead by years.

Don't fall for it. Demand 'pen to paper' in these next weeks while Bush is on his tour. Phony tour - phony plan.

[GetTheRightVote]

4. Sen Kennedy did very well on the show, I agreed with most of his

comments except * giving Democracy to Iraq, yuck.

:kick: