WP: Bush Allies May Defect Over Fiscal Proposals

[kskiska]

The AARP bulletined its 35 million members last week that President Bush's plan to make personal investment accounts part of Social Security was the "wrong direction" and would "make the problem worse." The National Retail Federation has cautioned lawmakers that a national sales tax would hurt the economy. And health lobbyists have begged the White House to retain tax breaks for health insurance.

As the White House opens a two-day conference today to promote its second-term fiscal priorities, powerful interest groups that once supported Bush are either actively working to undercut him or are wary of his proposals. The result, experts say, is that the president will likely have a hard time passing his ambitious plans, which include cracking down on medical malpractice lawsuits and overhauling both the federal tax code and Social Security.

"Combining all three of these major issues mobilizes the largest interest groups in America, including the trial lawyers and AARP," said James A. Thurber, director of the Center for Congressional and Presidential Studies at American University. Added Marshall Wittmann, a former Republican congressional staffer and now a senior fellow at the pro-business Democratic Leadership Council: "No one has ever tried to do as many of these at once, and he will be very lucky if he achieves just one of his goals, let alone all of them."

To be sure, Bush will have coalitions to back him. The Alliance for Worker Retirement Security, for instance, is a group of business trade associations that has lobbied to let workers invest some of their Social Security taxes in private retirement accounts. On Monday, a new group called Women for a Social Security Choice put out a news release supporting the president's efforts. And in his attempt to rein in lawsuits, Bush will have a potent and big-spending friend in the U.S. Chamber of Commerce's Institute for Legal Reform.

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http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A64846-2004Dec14.html

[Bush_Eats_Beef]

1. A national sales tax would KILL, not hurt, the economy

Bush's "base" cannot carry the prosperity of the entire country on its Armani-clad back.

:grr:

[gordianot]

2. Bush has already killed the economy.

The corpse has not yet begun to stink.

[Gloria]

3. That former Nixon Commerce Sec. on Hardball tonight,

Pete Petersen, was excellent. It would be great if a few more intelligent Repubicans stood up to this crap....

[mediaman007]

4. Wow, Bush* may get what's coming to him before his first term is up!

I hope he gets it early and has to live with 35% approval ratings for four years.

Please let the American people wake up before the 2006 midterm elections, so these greedy bastards that support him in Congress can be swept out! Start with Frisk and Hastart.

[ailsagirl]

8. This is great news!! Groups actually taking a stand AGAINST

the chimp

[VegasWolf]

5. I usually defecate over bush proposals. n/t

[Brundle_Fly]

6. I control the house,,,,

I control the senate....but no body, nooohoo body...

wants top work wif meee... :hurts:


BUSH IS A BOZO LOSER

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

7. It's about God damn time they did.

I'm tired of all the kissing of Bush's ass. These people have dingle berries in their teeth.

[Just Me]

9. I remember what it was like to STOP denying a betrayal.

I remember the shock of facing reality.

But, hell,...I caught onto "reality" much earlier!!! And, once I confronted it, contrary to popular belief (that acknowledgment is the biggest stepLOL),...the fight had/s just begun.

How much pain does it take? Do people have to be shoved to the pavement before they admit they are being abused?

Geez,...I sure as hell hope NOT!!!

[NVMojo]

10. too bad someone can't figure out a way to dismantle the US Chamber

of Commerce. They are totally against worker's rights, IMHO.

[xchrom]

11. thes people will NEVER abandon bush

they are tied together or genetically manipulated siamese twins.
they might complain -- but jump ship -- no way.

[leesa]

12. Too late now, jerks. You put the MoFo back in power.