In Omaha, Rove touts Social Security plan

[Judi Lynn]

In Omaha, Rove touts Social Security plan
BY NATE JENKINS / Lincoln Journal Star



President Bush's top political orchestrator chose not to exercise his powers of political persuasion Friday on what could be a key swing vote in his boss' plan to retool Social Security.
White House Deputy Chief of Staff Karl Rove speaks at Ameritrade in Bellevue on Friday. (Eric Gregory)

Political observers expected Karl Rove, Bush's deputy chief of staff for policy, to possibly meet with Sen. Ben Nelson, D-Neb., Friday while in Omaha. Rove advertised Bush's plan to partially privatize Social Security to about 300 associates of Ameritrade at the company's Bellevue headquarters before heading to a state GOP fundraiser in downtown Omaha that was closed to reporters.

Nelson, who says he has not yet taken a firm position on the Social Security issue because it still lacks a definitive proposal, has been stroked for support by Bush administration officials as recently as Thursday. He joined U.S. Treasury Secretary John Snow in Omaha for a meeting with business leaders to discuss Social Security and the economy and just two days before that was contacted by White House Chief of Staff Andrew H. Card, Jr.

Bush himself talked to Nelson one-on-one when he came to Omaha in February to tout his Social Security plan, which hinges on allowing people to invest in personal accounts.

Nelson could also be a key figure in the selection of a new Supreme Court justice.
(snip/...)

http://www.journalstar.com/articles/2005/07/08/local/doc42cf060cbf828229509436.txt


Nelson's on the left.

On edit: Adding handsome photos of two fine Republicans:



Harris, Coleman: seperated at birth?

[DRoseDARs]

1. All together now: "What plan?" n/t

[izzie]

2. Is Bush's women from Texas on the job yet?

Karen needs to get out and save the world.

[WhiteTara]

22. Mary has to lay low

these days. She may very well go down with the Rove/Plame affair.
:bounce:

[tsuki]

3. I wonder. When I attended school board meetings, about every two-

three months, the board would complain about the state pensions and how much they "cost" the taxpayer.

When the Repubs finish destroying Social Security, and allow the corporations to dump their retirement plans, will they go after the civil servant retirement plans?

[shanti]

13. that's the plan here in california

arnold has made no bones about going after "state workers" and their "luxurious" pensions! :grr: he is pitting the people vs. the state workers.

[tsuki]

18. They want Social Security, pensions and state and federal pensions.

How can these people live with themselves, and further, why can't Americans see this?

[rurallib]

4. " wouldn't take questions" and "avoiding debate"

looks like a typical Rove attack.

[blogslut]

5. hee hee

the writer snuck this in:

"Rove spoke for about 15 minutes at the online brokerage firm, answered a few written questions from employees, and then left without taking questions from reporters. He stuck solely to the Social Security message, not mentioning the bombings that left at least 50 dead in London. Nor did he address the pending investigation into whether Bush administration officials in 2003 illegally leaked the name of a CIA agent to reporters after the agent's husband, former ambassador Joseph C. Wilson IV, publicly criticized the Bush administration's arguments for going to war in Iraq."

Keep throwing them balls, people!

[sadiesworld]

6. Maybe * is laying the groundwork to point to a shackled Rove

and say, "SS reform...it was all HIS idea!".

(sort of like your Sutherland in your Bodysnatchers pic)

[Rose Siding]

7. It's a puzzle. Why send a tainted Rove to sell a tainted plan?

How could that be the best way to sell something to even a dem like Nelson?

[sadiesworld]

9. Maybe they are counting on rethug voters...

to rally 'round the embattled Rove. Actually, they probably just wanted him out of DC.

[shanti]

14. well, i don't think he was there for SS

most likely, he was there for a little 'arm twisting' of nelson regarding the future SC nominees.

[wallwriter]

15. I liked the Soft Cell version of that -- "Tainted Rove..."

[MaineDem]

8. Andy Card was in Maine a few weeks ago with the same line

He wasn't taking questions either but was forced to. :)

[Toots]

10. I would love to see the Democrats put up a Primary Challenge to Nelson

IMHO he is just as bad as Zell Miller. He cares only about his own well being just like all conservatives and has no empathy for the common man. We as a Party could do a lot better.

[WI_DEM]

11. Hasn't he been arrested yet?

[norml]

12. Rove used the word "Knowingly" in an Omaha radio interview.

The interview is available on KFAB's web site, which can be found on this thread.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x1914462

[lovuian]

16. Rove just dropped Bush's polls farther Everytime they bring up

Social Security it plummets!!!

[CityDem]

17. Better headline

Rove sent to Omaha federal prision for outing covert CIA operative. He will spend the next 5 years in the prision laundry.

[Zorra]

19. Bu*h's top political *orches-traitor* sells out Americans again. n/t

[mopinko]

20. what lurks beneath this dog and pony show, is what

i want to know. this whole little road show just strikes me as too extreme and absurd, even for these guys. i keep thinking about the election day stop in ohio, that was not a campaign stop, but likely a stop to drop money, twist arms, make threats, or whatever these people do. maybe all campaign stops are a little of that, but you know what i mean. i think someday we will follow this trail of breadcrumbs and find some dead bodies or something.

[despairing optimist]

21. Where Rove's headed, he'll have all the social security he'll ever need

Meals, health care (of sorts), an hour of fresh air, arts and crafts, even religious study.