Wow, this could spell a major misstep by the Dems in the battle to save Social Security...
Dems. Adjust on Social Security Stance
By GLEN JOHNSON
The Associated Press
Saturday, April 16, 2005; 12:44 PM
WASHINGTON - House Democrats have decided to quit emphasizing that they will not negotiate changes to Social Security until President Bush drops his idea for private accounts. The switch in strategy comes after Democrats learned from focus groups that people frown on the lawmakers for being obstinate.
"People feel like it doesn't show a good-faith effort," said a top House aide, who like several others spoke on the condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the internal data. "It makes us seem like we're `typical politicians.'"
Does this mean the Dems are going to shift to a bipartisan, "let's write a bill" mode? God, I hope not. What a mistake that would be.
(more after jump)
Duhbya likes to boast that he's grabbed the
"third rail" of American politics by proposing changes to Social Security. Of course, Duhbya is too fucking stupid to know what a "third rail" is and why it's a bad idea to grab one.
He is facing total defeat on this issue. His own party is furious that he would do something so stupid.
This is absolutely not the time to throw him a bipartisan lifeline. The oft-cited maxim of "throw him an anvil" is 100% correct.
The Dem message, what we should be saying over and over and over, is
- that the Repubs intend to privitize Social Security by hook or by crook,
- that all this talk about "Everything is on the table" is just a Repug trick to get to privitization,
- that if the Repugs had their way we would wake up one morning and Social Security will be privitized whether the people want it or not,
- but the Dems will stop them and save Social Security.
Hopefully this is a ruse, it might be. We have a smart Dem leadership right now, they know what's at stake and they are willing to throw punches.