Bush's Road Tour Rolls On in Push to Sell Social Security Changes

[brooklynite]

ST. LOUIS, June 2 - When President Bush's Social Security plan first ran into headwinds, the White House began a 60-cities-in-60-days tour to drum up political support that could be used in Congress.

That approach proved insufficient. So Thursday, in Hopkinsville, Ky., Mr. Bush described his next tactic: the endless Social Security tour.

... snip ...

At the "town hall" meeting in Kentucky, Mr. Bush sought to emphasize the benefits of his Social Security plan for rural populations, part of a strategy to win over specific groups of voters to using personal accounts as part of an overhauled program of retirement benefits for younger workers.

... snip ,,,

"People are paying their payroll taxes, the beneficiaries are receiving their benefits, and there's been money left over," the president said. "And that money has gone to government programs. And so all that's left in the Social Security trust is a file cabinet full of I.O.U.'s."

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/06/03/politics/03bush.html?
- - -
So, let's be clear. The head of the Government is saying that the Government which issued the bonds against the SS trust fund revenues won't meet its legal and ethical responsiblity to pay them.

T-Bills, Anybody?

(nb - kudos to the Times for properly putting the term "Town Hall" in quotation marks)

[HawkerHurricane]

1. "We borrowed the money, and don't intend to pay it back"

Yes, you can tell Bush was a CEO.

[Supersedeas]

16. is that the HARKIN business model?

[HawkerHurricane]

17. Pretty standard business model it seems...

Looks like lots of pensions are being seized by the business managers, spent, and then declared unpayable.

[bunkerbuster1]

2. uh oh, chimpy

They're dissing your "Town Hall" meeting!

Looks like Judith Miller's oral skills aren't gettin' it done at the Gray Lady any more.

[whistle]

3. The people need to push back, embarrass shrub with his own....

...ignorance and arrogance on the subject. Bush makes his case by suggesting:

"So, let's be clear. The head of the Government is saying that the Government which issued the bonds against the SS trust fund revenues won't meet its legal and ethical responsibility to pay them."

Then, in the same talks when he builds his case for private accounts for social security, he advises that people can invest in the government bonds which have been used to borrow against the SS trust fund revenues as a way to have safe secure moderate growth SS private investments.

The two hemispheres of Bush's brain have no connection it seems. Either that, or he knows that in his protected sheeple audiences, he'll get no blow-back from them regardless of what he says.

[Doctor_J]

10. Anyone who would push back is barred from attending

should one of them sneak in, (s)he'll be arrested by fake Secret Service personnel.

[brooklynite]

4. A simple mantra is needed: "Why is Bush afraid?"

Every day, on the floor of the House or Senate. A democratic should be willing to stand up and ask this question, noting that President Bush, on one of the most important issues affecting Americans, is too afraid to meet with "real" people who might disagree with him, and asking "What's he scared of?"

[BulletproofLandshark]

5. That's a great idea. Another question I would ask...

How much of our money has * burned through for his little propaganda tour that could've been put toward Social Security?

[cthrumatrix]

11. Bush is afraid of "truth".... facts are the enemy when things are so

corrupt

[maxrandb]

6. This is an Impeachable Offense

Here's what the Constitution says:

"Section 4. The validity of the public debt of the United States, authorized by law, including debts incurred for payment of pensions and bounties for services in suppressing insurrection or rebellion, shall not be questioned.

[Tyler Durden]

9. HEY, this has nothing to do with BLOW JOBS...

Blue Dresses, cigars.....

Haven't you learned ANYTHING?

Sarcasm off.

[truthisfreedom]

7. roll on, bushco. roll and roll and roll.

waste our time, on our dime. we will never believe you... we've outgrown you.

[MadisonProgressive]

8. Give it up, monkey boy!

[ozymandius]

12. The bus tour rolls on!

(into the ditch)

[GoldenOldie]

13. Remember When???

The major Newsprint and the TV media would have photo's or film of the POTUS sitting at his desk within the Oval Office, late at night after much of the Whitehouse staff had left for the eveing. These photo's were usually taken when the POTUS was under considerable pressure's of war, budgets, serious diplomatic problems, etc., etc., etc. Camera's followed the POTUS from the Oval Office and his lonely journey through the rose-garden as he set-out to the family quarters within the Whitehouse.

These special POTUS clips always reflected the pressures that this man was dealing with and gave the impression that he was dealing with The People's business.

Does anyone recall any such photo's, film clips, of George W. Bush doing any late night homework. This man has been on a non-stop, campaign tour and the majority of his working (?) hours are spent on AF-I. He touts these tours as Town Hall information of his programs.....yet he only invites the choir. Notice that as he speaks to each of these choirs, he is also performs as the bag-man for the Republican Party.

Remember when the POTUS wanted to speak to The People, he spoke from the Oval Office and all The People that wanted to hear him were able to.

Remember When?

[ozymandius]

14. I remember.

That seems an age ago. Nixon was a more responsible executive who could go toe-to-toe with smart, spirited reporters during press conferences.

And Clinton. The press was hard on him because he was so smart, as smart as his detractors.

How I long for a mental gymnast to be POTUS rather than this mental slug.

[MrBenchley]

18. LOL!!

By the way, worth noting in passing that Chimpy McDipstick didn't go to anything like 60 cities in 60 days...I think the actual count was 17 (allowing for some of the small towns he wnet to being counted as cities)...

[leesa]

15. I thought he canceled this sideshow.

They are desperate for this cash. Wall Street musn't be able to hold the crash back much longer.