May 9, 2005

A BAD CASE OF SPLINTERBUTT:

Time for Dems to step up to the plate (Cokie and Steve Roberts, 5/09/05, Jewish World Review)

The president advanced a plan called "progressive indexing" that works this way: Lower-income workers would keep all of their promised benefits, while checks to middle- and upper-tier recipients would rise at a slower rate.

It is not a perfect plan, mainly because it includes no new taxes. And means-testing Social Security could erode support among wealthier beneficiaries. But the president made a sound and even courageous offer on a highly controversial issue. In response, Congressional Democrats should now come up with some ideas of their own.

Frankly, we're not optimistic. Democrats are so angry at the president, and so eager for revenge, that they have absolutely no interest in joining the debate and sharing the blame. Their strategy is clear: let Bush and the Republicans take the heat, and hope the voters will punish the GOP in the next election.

That might be good politics, but it is poor public policy. As Bill Clinton has clearly warned, an aging workforce makes the current system of financing retirement unsustainable. Legislators in both parties should put the national interest ahead of partisanship and look for a common solution.


It's not likely to be good politics either. The President has succeeded in convoincing folks that there's a problem and he obviously wants to solve it. The Democrats say there isn't and they don't.

Posted by Orrin Judd at May 9, 2005 9:35 AM
Comments

It is not a perfect plan, mainly because it includes no new taxes.


Kinda sums up old Cokie and Steve, doesn't it?

Posted by: pchuck at May 9, 2005 9:38 AM

"It is not a perfect plan, mainly because it includes no new taxes."

"The President has succeeded in convoincing folks that there's a problem and he obviously wants to solve it. The Democrats say there isn't and they don't."

Bush is a political genius. Politically, he does not need to resolve the SS issue before the next elections. He can keep beating the Dems about not being serious about domestic issues either. Or, if they do offer a plan, the only possible play for them (if they do not endorse his plan) is to propose new taxes.


Posted by: sam at May 9, 2005 9:58 AM

Sam beat me to it.

Are Sam and Cokie the same person a la Julia and Eric Roberts?

Posted by: AWW at May 9, 2005 10:11 AM

Why would new taxes make it a more perfect plan? Because it absolves government of it's responibilty as mismanager of what is in fact a fraudulant program called 'social security'. In the mind of Cokie, Steve and the rest of the D.C. 'brights', the governmnet IS the country. Since we live in a democracy, you see, the governmnet only does what it is directed to do by the people. A democratic state can never be wrong. If the program is in trouble, it just may be the result of the people not holding up their end of the bargain. Punishment through longer periods spent working for the federal government may be in order. The public sector can't do everything without a little cooperation from you people.

Posted by: Tom C., Stamford,Ct. at May 9, 2005 11:05 AM
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