Phase out polls at TPM and response

[edhopper]

Over at Talking Points Memo
http://www.talkingpointsmemo.com/
Josh Marshall writes this:

"Saturday's Des Moines Register ran a piece on Sen. Grassley's first comments suggesting that he may not be able to get any Social Security phase-out bill through his committee this year.

What jumped out at me, though, was this passage ...

Bush says allowing workers younger than 55 to invest a portion of their tax in private accounts would provide a better return and allow them to pass the account on to heirs.
And while public opinion polls have shown that a minority of Americans support Bush's handling of the issue, support for the concept of personal accounts has gradually increased, although no polls have shown a majority in favor of the idea.

"We are pleased with the progress Senator Grassley is making on Social Security," White House spokesman Allen Abney said. "The president is fully committed to personal accounts."

What polls is he looking at?

I haven't watched the numbers as closely recently as I was earlier this year. But it's hard for me to believe this can be true if for no other reason than that the first polls in December and January actually showed narrow majority support for private accounts. Since the author of the piece, Thomas Beaumont, seems to agree that they don't show majority support now, I don't see how that can be a gradual increase.

Can any poll-watchers provide some guidance on this one?"


And I wrote this comment in response:

"Check out the latest Zogby/Cato poll which shows a "majority of "likely voters" favor private accounts.
Look forward to a wave of right wing push-polls that will show increasing support for Bush. These will be reported with a straight face and as if they were accurate by the mainstream media.
Enough cover will then be given to the republicans on the hill and DINOs like Lieberman to phase out Soc Sec."