Bush can "privatize" Soc Sec thru "Executive Order" (CNN)........ WTF ?

[cthrumatrix]

The ace up his sleeve
Tuesday, March 29, 2005 Posted: 9:49 PM EST (0249 GMT)

NEW YORK (CNN) -- This past weekend, Republican Senator Chuck Grassley of Iowa, the influential chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, seemed to throw cold water on President Bush's hopes for major Social Security change. And recent polls have shown that the public is also cool to the idea of private accounts, arguably the central element of President Bush's Social Security plan.

But as the Social Security debate continues to unfold, do not underestimate President Bush's ability to still get his ideas enacted. Indeed, even without broad Congressional or public support, President Bush just may have an ace up his sleeve. How might he enact his private accounts idea without such support, you may ask? By executive order.

Indeed, the Constitution has long provided the president with a certain amount of unilateral power to make policy. And from George Washington to George W. Bush, that power has frequently been used when presidents have felt stymied by Congress or the courts. Among some of the notable presidential directives (a broader category of unilateral presidential power that includes executive orders, proclamations, pardons, national security directives and more) are: the Louisiana Purchase, the Emancipation Proclamation, and the Japanese Internment Camps.

When President Clinton failed to get his health care plan passed in the mid-1990s, he experimented with portions of his program via executive order.

Similarly, if President Bush ultimately fails to persuade Congress (especially centrist Senators) to back his private account plan, he may sign an executive order for a smaller version of his plan, such as allowing federal employees to experiment with a heavily regulated form of private accounts. It clearly would not be his first choice.
snip

http://www.cnn.com/2005/ALLPOLITICS/03/29/ace.up.sleeve/index.html

If he did....it would bring down the GOP in a "heartbeat".

[NVMojo]

1. This arrogant SOB is capable of anything resembling a dictatorship.

When do we impeach him???

[cthrumatrix]

6. he would destroy the Rethuglican Party...I can't see it

[Vincardog]

11. After we Win back the House in 06 nt

[Cessna Invesco Palin]

2. Wait a second...

I thought the courts were bad and congress was good. Sounds like delay and shrub need to get their stories straight.

[no_hypocrisy]

3. Separation of Powers. Courts could nullify Executive Order.

* will have shown his mean-spirited side -- again and the issue will center around those pesky activist judges.

[patricia92243]

4. I had heard of this some time ago. He ALWAYS gets his way, and there is

not a doubt in the world that that is what he will do. That he is going to do this is one reason it is even being mntioned now - to get the public ready for it when it does happen.

[Boo Boo]

5. Ah, the ol' trial balloon!

Whatever. If he gives the Fed employees the option of farting around with a private account that seems more like a face-saving measure than anything else. It's irresponsible of course, but Bush is nothing if not irresponsible. Besides, what does he have to lose anyway?

For somebody up for reelection, like Schwarzenegger, privatizing the state retirement fund could bite him in the ass in a big way if some Dem is smart enough to hammer him hard for what amounts to nothing more than shoveling huge amounts of public funds into the pockets of special interests.

Man, Privatization is a real obsession with these freaks. What happened in Iraq at the beginning of the occupation was unbelievable. They really screwed themselves, but they just couldn't help it. Weird.

[checks-n-balances]

14. No wonder he made his "filing cabinet" remarks yesterday

to try and convince us that there's nothing there anyway, so why not have "personal" (private) accounts?

Sometimes he gives off signals in his remarks/speeches, and if you're listening carefully, you get a clue about what may be coming next.

I have mixed feelings about whether he should go ahead and do it. But I DEFINITELY think the masses should be warned about the possibilities!!

Send this one to the bloggers, y'all!

[gordianot]

16. Wonder if the filing cabinet had a lock?

[OneTwentyoNine]

7. Go ahead ass-wipe,very few will put any cash those accounts....

He can executive order his ass off but he can't force anyone to participate in this Mikey Mouse Wall Street scheme.

It will just make his numbers drop lower than they already are.

[gademocrat7]

9. Can his numbers drop so low that

he is pushed into oblivion? He needs to go!!!!!!

[Caution]

8. PLEASE BUSH! DO IT!

This would end his presidency. If he made a unilateral move like this which is completely against the will of the people, the people would revolt against the republican party completely and the next incomign dem would just have to run his cammpaign saying "i will reverse theoorder as my very first action in office"

[earth mom]

10. Thanks for posting this. We need to watch that S.O.B like a hawk! eom

[w8liftinglady]

19. Look back a few years...

he pulled a similar stunt with UT retirement funds(start at page 4)
http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1111/is_1797_300/ai_59086099/pg_4

[Adenoid_Hynkel]

12. i thought it was the judiciary that was out of control?

i'm so confused these days

[Skittles]

13. this would go over worse than the Schiavo fiasco

indeed it would

[Nothing Without Hope]

15. Recommended. The opposition needs to be ready and loaded for bear n/t

[underpants]

17. Louisiana Purchase & Emancipation Proclamation-will be RW talking points

No mention of the Internment camps and anyone who brings it up will be shouted down as playing the race card

[beam me up scottie]

18. Wasn't there a thread around here yesterday that advocated

ending chimp-bashing?
He's not done destroying this country yet, no surrender from me.

[blm]

20. They're PANICKING. GM and others are on the verge of being outed for Enron

style accounting ethics. The employees pensions have been usurped to cover their crony enrichment schemes.

Bush promised his corporate cronies that he'd get the SS funds funnelled into their companies to cover their crimes.

[iconoclastNYC]

21. Oh god this would be such a gift to the left. PLEASE DO IT!

Thumbing his nose at seniors and the constitution all in one move...the left coudln't ask for a better gift.

[amjucsc]

22. It would probably be politically suicidal for W...

I don't know if it'd kill the Republican majority in Congress or not, but it'd give us something to scream about for a long time to come. Though I haven't heard any other speculation regarding anything like this, so I doubt he's seriously considering it.

[thecai]

23. Kick n/t

[deadparrot]

24. Do it, biatch...you know you want to. nt