GOP Is Divided on Social Security Push

[papau]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A54481-2005Jan6.html

GOP Is Divided on Social Security Push

By Jonathan Weisman and Jim VandeHei
Washington Post Staff Writers
Friday, January 7, 2005; Page A04


Amid deep divisions over the White House push to restructure Social Security, congressional Republicans told President Bush yesterday that the administration is damaging its legislative prospects with leaks signaling the need for deep cuts in benefits.<snip>

Republicans say the fledgling debate has not started on the GOP's strongest ground. Instead of arguing whether younger workers should be allowed to invest their taxes in stocks and bonds, Washington is focusing on the size of the benefit cuts the White House is contemplating, congressional Republicans say. <snip>


Before getting into the details of a restructuring, Wehner advised Republicans, they should "establish an important premise: the current system is heading for an iceberg."<snip>

"The real face of the Republicans' Social Security 'reform' agenda: First, scare. Second, cut. Third, privatize. Now that's a reform agenda," Rep. Rahm Emanuel (D-Ill.), a House Ways and Means Committee member, said in a statement.<snip>

[papau]

1. WSJ Harwood reports some Dems working to destroy SS with GOP

1/7/05 John Harwood -Wall Street Journal - Bush is "expected to assure retirees at a White House event that they won't lose benefits, and promote sums young workers could amass from private accounts. Mr. Bush also plans a major speech on the issue this month, probably before the State of the Union, then travel to pressure reluctant lawmakers."

"ith White House encouragement, a small group of senators have begun meeting to seek agreement on a bipartisan blueprint for shoring up Social Security, preferably before President Bush outlines his plan and partisan lines harden in Congress."

It's a "long shot," he writes, but "Congressional Republican leaders have told Mr. Bush that his initiative will fail without support from both parties. But with the president insisting he won't raise payroll taxes or support a plan that doesn't create private retirement accounts, many Democrats are poised to oppose him.

So is the WSJ refering to Blanche Lincoln and Joe Lieberman?

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[Coastie for Truth]

2. My sources say that the Bush plan is smoke, mirrors, and cow pattie

My sources - Paul Krugman, Al Franken, and Ed Schultz, say that Bush's "undisclosed" plan is just so much smoke and mirrors and Texas cow pattie.

Krugman has a very concise op-ed in the New York Times, "Stopping The Bums Rush", January 4, 2005, which is a summary of a very well written paper "Confusions About Social Security" at www.bepress.com/ev, the abstract is at http://www.bepress.com/ev/vol2/iss1/art1, and the full text acrobat pdf is at http://www.bepress.com/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1048&context=ev

Franken has had some articulate conservatives, like Norm Orenstein and Pete Pedersen, who have panned Bush's plan.

Ed Schultz is our "heartland of America" attack dog, a real North Dakota James Carville, who talks for us "Meat Eatin', Gun Tottin' Lefties" who "Shower After Work." He has been going crazy on this Bush plan.