WP: Social Security Vote May Be Delayed

Critics Could Force Proposal to Change

Wednesday, March 2, 2005; Page A01

The Senate's top Republican said yesterday that President Bush's bid to restructure Social Security may have to wait until next year and might not involve the individual accounts the White House has been pushing hard.

The comments of Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-Tenn.), made as GOP lawmakers returned from a week of trying to sell the plan to voters, underscored the challenge facing the White House, especially in light of unbroken Democratic opposition.

"In terms of whether it will be a week, a month, six months or a year, as to when we bring something to the floor, it's just too early," Frist said.

Frist is reluctant to put off a vote until 2006, when lawmakers will be focused on midterm congressional elections and the atmosphere will be more politically charged, aides said. But with polls showing widespread skepticism of Bush's proposal and some Republicans opposed to the approach, GOP leaders signaled yesterday that they may have no choice but to put off action.

That a politician as closely allied to the White House as Frist would even raise the possibility of putting off the proposal until next year -- possibly dooming it -- was an unexpected blow to the administration.

more…
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A64253-2005Mar1.html

THIS is the goal (IMHO)

still searching for the right words for the kool-aid-swiggin' reich-wingers

Never count your chickens before they hatch, but things are going in the right direction. Hopefully we can put this idea back into the file cabinets of the Heritage Foundation where it belongs.

truth-telling on our side.

Palestinians will negotiate a peace (which Bush will be responsible for because he is responsible for all the good in the world and none of the bad).

After Bush's incompetence leads to the next terror attack being a success, he will demand passage of the Patriot American Defense Freedom Fund Saving Social Security From Enemies Foreign and Domestic Act.

Last night when we heard on the news about the new terra 'lert, I said to Mr. MODem, "Uh oh, terror alert! Guess we better let Boosh destroy social security".

Best news we've had in some time. Although I do think 2000 Iraqis demonstrating against the violence was pretty amazing.

I'm overjoyed that bush*s wheels have come off so soon,


AND ESPECIALLY overjoyed that the Democratic Party showed some sign of life. Maybe this will give them a little confidence to stand up to the thugs. We need to congratulate them for taking a stand!

I think that the spineless ones saw the overwhelming outpouring of support for Boxer and realized they couldn't hide forever.

But in fact, he had no credit at all! }(

of the far right corporate agenda. Once that's done, then they can go all out on social security without risking any of the other fine, corrupt things they have in store.

The Republicans are playing the Dems like a fiddle.... pretty soon, there won't be much left to fight for.

A few other Republicans."

that huge in a few months? The lunatic rw fringe is astounding. The Bush plan was DOA by anyone's measure.

time!!!

Mandate huh? Gee, sure looks like he is having some problems. I must tell you all, the Repukes have the Oval office, the House, the Senate and they still cannot get anything done. I am starting to feel much better about the election and our future because the Dems are seeming to FINALLY stand up and say "Screw you guys, we've had enough bullshit."

I am pumped!

We've been beaten down constantly these last four years. To see the Democrats showing some spine and fighting this... maybe they can be stopped after all.

excuse me for enjoying the heck out of this. whew! i'm smiling again!

and this proves it. Next year is an election year. If they don't pass it this year, they never will. Chalk this one up as a victory for the people and a defeat for Bush!

The GOP does most of their dirty work in off year elections.

...a lame duck. Quack.

:evilgrin:

Of course, he hates to lose so we will see what dirty trick he and Rove come up with next.

Frist is reluctant to put off a vote until 2006, when lawmakers will be focused on midterm congressional elections and the atmosphere will be more politically charged, aides said. But with polls showing widespread skepticism of Bush's proposal and some Republicans opposed to the approach, GOP leaders signaled yesterday that they may have no choice but to put off action.

It's also because 2006 will be the time to bring up the Gay Marriage Ammendment, the Ten Commandments Defense Act, and the War in Iran Resolution.

But then again, I wonder what is more important to people in, say, the South--feeding their children and the elderly, or making sure "dem faggots" don't marry?

I do think, though, that having Soc Sec on the table then WILL help us.


http://www.cafepress.com/liberalissues.16884083

I hope we see a lot more right wingers turning their backs on *.

WHAT IS BUSH'S "PLAN"? He has never, to my knowledge stated what it is. So, we are debating something that does not exist. The strategy, of course, is to have the Dems propose an alternative to, well, nothing.

pitch.

There was a cartoon in out paper showing a donkey at the controls of a train named social security about to go off the end of a broken bridge and donkey was saying that we don't need to fix Social Security.

That wasn't the Dem position at all.

The Dems did the right thing this time by not playing in the rethugs game.

Twice now the rethugs tried to define us and lost. First with what we need to do to win elections and what plan we had to fix Social Security.

They won't ever give up on their dream of eliminating Social Security.

Its about whether or not WE give up, and I hope our representatives in Congress keep the balls they've been showing lately.

no doubt they will try to slip SS legislation into another bill in the dead of night and it will get passed. Frist has done this before-I don't trust him or any of em for a nano second. We all need to watch these f-ers like hawks!

...these guys would never back away this quickly from something they really wanted unless there was something they wanted more. Like consolidating their hold on Congress in the 2006 elections. Clearly 'younger Americans' have been supportive of the concept of 'personal accounts' and have never even bothered to appreciate the reason why 'SOCIAL Security' was given that name - Personal Security is already available, they're called Individual Retirement Accounts. They've 'grown up' in an environment of selfishness and greed - 'what's mine is mine and what's yours is mine if I can get it away from you without you doing anything about it'. What this all comes down to is that Democrats will be crucified over this issue to the point that 'younger' voters will - given that they don't have the attention span necessary to see beyond the first big lie - blame demos first. Face it. If bushco keeps it up the country won't be able to afford anything anyway - including Social Security.

promoting a failed program on the taxpayers dime--that's Bush leadership.

SOMEONE ought to tell big mouth ROBERT NOVAKULA just how really well Dean's visit to MISSISSIPPI went! Evidently, and CONTRARY TO WHAT NOVAKULA SAID ... there are some DEMOCRATS IN MISSISSIPPI and Dean intends for their voices to be heard.

Guess he'll have to settle for Guckert.

Make this an election year issue so the Dems can make some big gains in Congress. With this many Americans against the Republicans on this, this is the one we'd love to have in the forefront.

From MoveOn....

http://www.bushin30years.org/?id=5136-3796744-_vY9GMkynYwrBow6zidT8g

Social Security vote delay?

Senate majority leader Frist casts doubt on whether reform will be voted on this year.
March 2, 2005: 4:31 PM EST

NEW YORK (CNN/Money) - Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist said a vote on Social Security reform might be delayed until next year, a newspaper reported Wednesday.

The Tennessee Republican, who has said he supports the creation of individual accounts, also cast some doubt as to whether those accounts -- a key feature of President Bush's proposal for reform -- would be included, the Washington Post reported.

"In terms of whether it will be a week, a month, six months or a year, as to when we bring something to the floor, it's just too early," Frist was quoted as saying on Tuesday.


The newspaper also noted that Frist indicated to reporters that President Bush's plan to add individual accounts to Social Security is in trouble. But, he said, "I wouldn't take that off the table yet."

His comments came amid continued opposition to the president's plan from Democrats and growing public skepticism about Social Security reform.

http://money.cnn.com/2005/03/02/retirement/frist_delay/

Please please please!!!

Big time!

is beginning. I wonder if jr., is going to have a temper tantrum at not getting his way? It would be just like him to try and take it out on Syria. I'd say Iran but Europe and Russia are knuckling down on him about that.

A few plane crashes here and there, kidnap a couple of families, change some more rules in congress, and who knows, they just might get it through.

into getting lazy about fighting Privatization. Then they'll sneak it in on us, and win.

That sounds like a typical Rove "move."

What if the Repugs try and sneak (and hide) SS Reform inside another large piece of legislation? That would be like them. And since they want to push it so quickly, and aren't getting much cooperation the "legal" way...

Which IS a problem, that DOES need to be faced. I'm afraid Dems will feel all woozy and milk-of-human-kindnessy and end up letting themselves be railroaded somehow on it...

I hope they realize they can't let up for a minute with these guys.

by the Republican rightwingnuts is all you needed to see ! They screwed themselves royally. Bush's "legacy" is a dogpile Rove-turd.

then all bets are off

Why don't they focus on their precious Gay Marriage amendment in the meantime? That one is sure to pass.

according to a "press release" by the Executive Intelligence Review"; a site founded by Lyndon LaRouche.

snip<

"For the next five years, the projections for the growth rate for real GDP, prepared by the OMB and by the SSA, are, respectively:

Year OMB Estimate SSA Estimate

2006 3.5% 3.2%

2007 3.3% 3.0%

2008 3.2% 2.8%

2009 3.1% 2.7%

2010 3.1% 2.6%

In every year, the OMB's projections are higher than those of the SSA's. These differences between the OMB and the SSA set very different paths with regard to the solvency of the Social Security Trust Fund, even for the next five years. Starting in 2015, the SSA assumes a still lower real GDP growth rate of 1.8% per year until 2080. Commenting on the SSA's assumptions, Bloomberg News Service noted on Feb. 28, "Sustained annual Gross Domestic Product growth that low would be the worst economic performance since the 1930s ."

>snip

Link: http://www.larouchepub.com/pr/2005/050301gdp_nodeficit.html

It is much more likely that a GOP that can in fact do anything with impunity is merely trying to dampen the growing outcry and mobilization against "imminent" passage of the inevitable bill. A little bait and switch and mollification that one HAS to believe is in concert with the WH. Remember the last Senate Leader(s) who got too big for their britches. Frist does.

Would the WAPO have you believe that the cheating rulers of the nation are quaking in their boots over political opposition or have an original individual thought to critique their lockstep action conspiracies? I don't even know if WAPO believes the crap it dishes out. Useless, unimaginative reporting of a discredited propaganda outlet.

Mark Twain would decry the poor state of lying in this country, but this is what you get from a monopoly free of accountability.