Social Security: The Forgotten Issue
[Disclaimer: This post was first published on Coleen Rowley's campaign weblog.]
Let's travel back in time to February, 2005. In response to far-ranging criticism, Billboard created the Pop 100 music chart. The New England Patriots eked out their second 3-point Super Bowl victory in as many years, staking their claim to dynasty. And George Bush, who himself had just eked out a second consecutive victory the previous fall, gave the first State of the Union speech of his second term, and announced his centerpiece policy initiative: privatization of Social Security.
After 60 days spent traveling around the country talking about his plan, Bush found that the more he talked, the less people wanted to listen. Eventually his privatization plan just sort of faded away. But John Kline was one of the plan's most vocal proponents, and if Kline returns to a Republican-led Congress next year, February 2007 may well look an awful lot like February 2005 (except for the parts about Billboard and the Super Bowl).
An early indication that Bush hasn't given up on his privatization plan came this past February, when he silently slipped it in to his 2007 budget proposal. More recently, Republican House members have been inexplicably promoting the idea again, and two days ago, House Majority Leader John Boehner told the Washington Times "If I'm around in a leadership role come January, we're going to get serious about this." And he's not the only prominent national Republican saying such things.
Remember, whatever problems Social Security might have, George Bush's "personal accounts" will only make the problem worse. And given Social Security's projected insolvency date, Congress has more pressing things to consider, like energy policy, 46 million Americans without health care, and of course, civil war in Iraq.
To my knowledge, John Kline has not made any recent comments about Social Security, but he campaigned long and hard for privatization during the 2005 legislative session. There's every reason to believe he'll do it again in 2007 given the chance.
Coleen Rowley has other priorities.
Let's travel back in time to February, 2005. In response to far-ranging criticism, Billboard created the Pop 100 music chart. The New England Patriots eked out their second 3-point Super Bowl victory in as many years, staking their claim to dynasty. And George Bush, who himself had just eked out a second consecutive victory the previous fall, gave the first State of the Union speech of his second term, and announced his centerpiece policy initiative: privatization of Social Security.
After 60 days spent traveling around the country talking about his plan, Bush found that the more he talked, the less people wanted to listen. Eventually his privatization plan just sort of faded away. But John Kline was one of the plan's most vocal proponents, and if Kline returns to a Republican-led Congress next year, February 2007 may well look an awful lot like February 2005 (except for the parts about Billboard and the Super Bowl).
An early indication that Bush hasn't given up on his privatization plan came this past February, when he silently slipped it in to his 2007 budget proposal. More recently, Republican House members have been inexplicably promoting the idea again, and two days ago, House Majority Leader John Boehner told the Washington Times "If I'm around in a leadership role come January, we're going to get serious about this." And he's not the only prominent national Republican saying such things.
Remember, whatever problems Social Security might have, George Bush's "personal accounts" will only make the problem worse. And given Social Security's projected insolvency date, Congress has more pressing things to consider, like energy policy, 46 million Americans without health care, and of course, civil war in Iraq.
To my knowledge, John Kline has not made any recent comments about Social Security, but he campaigned long and hard for privatization during the 2005 legislative session. There's every reason to believe he'll do it again in 2007 given the chance.
Coleen Rowley has other priorities.
posted by David Bailey | 10:12 PM
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