March 3, 2005
MAKING HIMSELF USEFUL:
Hagel to unveil his own plan for Social Security (JAKE THOMPSON, 3/03/05, Omaha WORLD-HERALD)
Sen. Chuck Hagel will unveil legislation to restructure the Social Security system in a speech Monday at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, his spokesman said Wednesday. [...]Hagel will propose setting up personal accounts that invest in the financial markets. He will propose funding them by diverting some of the 12.4 percent in payroll taxes split by workers and employers to currently fund Social Security payments for retired Americans. He also will propose ways to make Social Security solvent in the decades ahead, Buttry said.
After his speech, Hagel will return to Washington to introduce his bill in the Senate. To date, Bush has offered ideas, including personal accounts, but not specific legislation.
He's a terrible nitwit, but this will be useful. It also shows where the politics of this is in outlying years: pro-privatization. Posted by Orrin Judd at March 3, 2005 4:21 PM
He wants to run so bad, he is almost p_ _sing his pants, but he knows he has hurt himself with the base by being so critical of Bush everytime a camera is in sight. If he thinks being out front on SS reform will get him back in the good graces of the base, he is sadly mistaken. I know literally dozens of people who worked their fingers to the bone, gave money past the point of all reason, and in the case of some of my charitable org clients, skated terribly close to the line of losing their tax exempt status to get Bush re-elected. They care about one thing, domestically: Judges. Their second domestic priority is Judges. Their third domestic priority is Judges. If Hagel wants to have a serious shot at the nomination, he will be the loudest voice in DC in supporting Bush's judiical nominees.
Posted by: Dan at March 3, 2005 9:25 PM