Not a single Senate Dem will support Bush's Social Security plan

[wicket]

According to Josh Marshall:

http://www.talkingpointsmemo.com/archives/week_2005_01_30.php#004621

Not a single Senate Democrat will support President Bush’s proposal to divert a portion of the Social Security payroll tax to personal investment accounts, Minority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., said Tuesday.

If he is right, Bush’s plan will be dead on arrival in the Senate, where a supermajority of 60 votes will be needed to overcome a filibuster by opponents. Republicans have 55 seats.

...

“We want to make sure that the American people understand that we’re not for benefit cuts and we’re not for privatization,” Reid said. “There’s no crisis in Social Security.”

...

Reid said he had private commitments from all 44 Senate Democrats that they would not support diverting payroll tax revenues into private accounts, the key facet of Bush’s plan. The Democratic staff on the Senate Finance Committee has come to the same conclusion, based on polling Democratic members and their staffs.

[GRLMGC]

1. This better be right

I guess Social Security is the only thing uniting Dems

[wicket]

5. I certainly hope it is

They must not let him destroy Social Security.

[elperromagico]

10. Let's hope Reid's a good "counter,"

to use the terminology used to describe LBJ back in his days as Leader.

[genius]

20. Gee 45 voices whine about being opposed. No effect. Big deal.

Today, the Senate Democrats proved they were unwilling to exercise power and just wanted to be like those with abused woman syndrome, you know the ones who keep begging for more abuse.

[LaPera]

27. NOT one republican voted for SS during the Great Depression in 1935

The republicans have vowed to destroy Social Security completely, ever since.

That is Bush's goal, people are too blind and stupid, they believe Bush wants to "fix" something that's NOT broken!

[Just Me]

41. Being a "victim" creates helplessness and hopelessness.

What I have been witnessing is a growing body of individuals standing up to the abusers.

I am grateful for such courage.

[FreedomAngel82]

29. I hope so too

And I think as long as Reid is there he'll be putting up a fight. I think that's his really big-time main issue. I wonder about Liberman though and Miller?

[Just Me]

39. Republicans' political careers are on the line, too.

There are several who have openly opposed Bush's ideology on SS and there are many who have simply kept silent.

Bush and his neoCONspirators will lose on this one unless they declare martial law and themselves the expanded power of the legislative branch. :scared:

[burythehatchet]

2. and that's what the idiot and his brain will use to bludgeon dems

in the mid-terms

[GRLMGC]

3. So we're supposed to throw away Social Security? nt

[burythehatchet]

8. HELL NO

I'm saying that's what they're setting up.

[GRLMGC]

12. That's true

but I'm hoping that the Dems push that children's healthcare bill. It probably won't pass but the attack ads practically write themselves. "Republican asshole hates children. You don't hate children...do you?"

[FreedomAngel82]

31. Yes that would be great

That's why I'm glad Kerry named the bill what he did. That way if the republicans don't use it they can use it to slam the one's who didn't. :D Only thing with this is it'd be true for those who don't support it.

[elperromagico]

14. I'm not sure SS is the issue they hammer us on.

The majority still feels that Bush has no mandate to tamper with Social Security. Of course, the GOP is going to put in a huge effort to convince that majority that the opposite is true.

But I believe the GOP will hammer us on many of the same things they used in '02 and '04 - "moral values," security, war in the middle east, et cetera...

It's so obvious that I can't believe the Dems in leadership aren't better prepared for it. One can only hope, and hold their collective feet to the fire whenever possible.

[aquart]

15. So bloody what?

Let 'em. They're such geniuses.

[elperromagico]

6. That is, until Iran is in need of regime change...

[wicket]

9. They are already beating the war drums...

:puke:

[FreedomAngel82]

32. Bush was beating war drums in 1999

so it's nothing new. He's high on war.

[aquart]

11. So by all means let's cave and give them what they want.?

If they bludgeon us, please god, let it be for standing up.

[Hippo_Tron]

13. Wrong, privatizing social security is very unpopular

This is the issue that the GOP is going to try to marginalize during the midterms just like they did during the presidential election. The campaign Slogan of most Senate Republicans will be: "Eh social security, yeahhh, did I mention that I'm for Strong Family Values."

[burythehatchet]

17. Its about divide and conquer

They will sell privatization to the black community as a more "fair" treatment, and to young people who are NOT as against it as those over 40.

They don't do this shit without a plan.

[Hippo_Tron]

18. Except that black people aren't stupid

They vote 9 to 1 Democratic and they will continue to do so despite the bullshit that the GOP tries to feed them. Republicans trying to gain mass support of African Americans is like Democrats trying to gain mass support of Evangelical Christians. It ain't gonna happen. The difference is that the African Americans are actually voting to support their own economic interests. Evangelical Christians are voting in direct contrast to them.

Privatizing Social Security is something that they have to at least try to do because they promised their big donors that they would do it once they got elected. They don't have to run for re-election so they don't have to worry about the political ramifications.

[burythehatchet]

19. read up on bush's planned expansion of

his faith based bribery. did you know he gave fundies almost 1 billion last year? he's going to try and buy the black ministers as well. some will sell, some wont, but the division will be created.

[Hippo_Tron]

24. I have a different theory, I think that Bush is through with the fundies

They got him elected, he doesn't need them anymore. Cheney won't be running so it won't reflect poorly on him as well. They'll get Rick Santorum to be either the nominee or VP nominee who can appeal to the fundies even if Bush doesn't. Bush isn't going to even try to be a "uniter and not a divider" from here on out, he won't be yelling Terra every two seconds either. From here on out his full attention will be on dismantling every single social program that he possibly can.

The only pandering he will do to the fundies will be school vouchers.

[Dulcinea]

30. Boy George doesn't care about social issues.

He won't do anything to ban abortion & he'll ignore gay marriage. He only cares about wars & dismantling the social safety net.

The fundies'll be bending over & grabbing their ankles like the rest of the nation.

[FreedomAngel82]

34. You got that right

burythehatchet. All Bush donates to is churches. Never any type of charity unless it's "faith" based. Nothing wrong with having faith but sometimes you have to have reality too.

[paineinthearse]

4. Bet Zell would have had he still been in the Senate. n/t

[elperromagico]

16. Zell would dance as long as Bush called the tune.

Pathetic end to a rather respectable career, really.

[Pam-Moby]

7. I am very glad to hear this. I hope Reid is correct...n/t

[Tigress DEM]

21. Yeah! Bush will have to borrow from daddy to balance budget.

[FreedomAngel82]

37. Or the Saudi's will

bail him out again. :eyes:

[wicket]

22. kick

:kick:

[Generator]

23. Well good but I just believe

MORALLY that the torture thing outweighs the $$ thing. In other words, I could live with being an old poor person but being an old poor person that was tortured, or had a son who's soul and brain were ruined by torturing in the name of "freedom" would haunt him and me until the end of my days.

I had my a-ha moment. Because it's shitty Americans-face it-the majority in this country-don't give a shit. Toture is for "them", maybe they deserve it afterall. But don't touch my SS check, PLEASE. That's the holy grail. MONEY

Americans spout a loud of crap-but are no better than anybody else on earth.

And in the end-it all comes down to something else morally disgusting-politics. Because the Dems rarely have the guts to take a moral stand-hey-this is wrong!-instead it's the easy NO-the one they are certain won't cost them anything in the next election. Oh-supporting social security-how fucking brave of them.

[wicket]

25. kick

:kick:

[JerseygirlCT]

26. I wonder if he could even count on all the Republicans?

I think some of the moderates aren't keen on this, either.

[ElsewheresDaughter]

28. 43 Dems and Jeffords just signed and presented the WH with a letter.....

stating this. they held the ceremonial signing of this letter at the FDR Memorial and brought it to the WH....only Dem NOT signing it was Sen. Ben Nelson :grr:

[wicket]

35. whoa, great news!

Except for Ben Nelson of course, what a choad.

[wicket]

40. do you have a link for this?

I want to post it on my blog, thanks in advance! :)

[ElsewheresDaughter]

43. no i heard and saw it live on MSNBC Sen. from NJ announce it ...i'm sure

that it will be up on the DNC or Democratic Party site

[Blue_In_AK]

33. This whole social security thing

is just a smokescreen to divert us (and Congress) from the war and other ** scandals.

[FreedomAngel82]

38. Exactly

That's all it is. I wish Bush would listen to professionals in this area. Of course why doesn't it surprise me he doesn't? :eyes:

[RaulVB]

36. Not, so sure...

Lieberman, Blanche Lincoln, Salazar...

Not so sure!

[Cocoa]

42. I'm surprised

glad they're hanging so strong together.