Sen. Baucus needs to hear from us re: SS - * on his way West

contact max ---> http://baucus.senate.gov/emailmax.html

Bush to visit Great Falls Thursday

By SONJA LEE
Tribune Staff Writer

It's official.

President Bush will be in Great Falls on Thursday promoting his Social Security reform package.

Bush is visiting states whose Democratic senators might be pressured to back personal Social Security accounts. Those senators are Max Baucus of Montana, Kent Conrad of North Dakota, Blanche Lincoln of Arkansas, Bill Nelson of Florida and Ben Nelson of Nebraska.

Baucus will join Bush in Great Falls, said Barrett Kaiser, a spokesman for Baucus. Baucus, who is not traveling with Bush on the trip, is the top Democrat on the Senate Finance Committee, which will vote on the Bush proposal.

"He's honored to be a part of the president's visit, and he thinks it is a real honor for Montana to host the president," Kaiser said.

more --> http://www.greatfallstribune.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050129/NEWS01/501290301/1002

Baucus has said he is concerned about partially privatizing Social Security, and he has said he will base his decision on facts, not political pressure.

Sen. Baucus (D) is hanging tough, telling the press that the president can come to Montana as often as he likes; he still won't help him phase out Social Security. Sen. Nelson of Nebraska (one of the most entrenched numbers of the Fainthearted Faction until now) has preemptively announced his support of add-on accounts, rather than phase-out. Others on the hit list are Sens. Lincoln, Conrad and Nelson of Florida.

Will the Fainthearted go fainter still or will they send the president back to Washington with no one else to help him phase out Social Security? It's in their hands; so it's in your hands.
http://www.talkingpointsmemo.com/

...I just e-mailed him.