Bush Denies That Private Accounts Are in Serious Trouble [View All]

March 4, 2005
Bush Denies That Private Accounts Are in Serious Trouble
By ROBIN TONER

- President Bush dismissed the notion Thursday that his campaign to create private accounts in Social Security was in serious trouble, asserting he was still "at the early stages of the process."

Vowing to push ahead and acknowledging that "I've got a lot more work to do," Mr. Bush said he was open to ideas from both parties and tried again to allay the fears widespread in his own party that Social Security was "the third rail of politics."

"Ultimately," he said, "I think politicians need to be worried about not being a part of the solution."

Senate Democrats seemed unworried. They said they would work with Mr. Bush on Social Security only if he would "publicly and unambiguously announce" that he rejected his proposal for private investment accounts financed by payroll tax revenues.

"Such a statement would eliminate a serious obstacle to the kind of bipartisan process that Democrats are seeking to deal with Social Security's long-term challenges," Democrats said in a letter that was circulated for senators' signatures Thursday night and quickly acquired 42.

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/03/04/politics/04social.html?pagewanted=print&position=