A good anwer to the AP article on Republicans and SS

[Mass]

privatization off the table.

http://www.talkingpointsmemo.com/archives/week_2005_04_03.php#005379

Some Senate Republicans seem intent on conducting an intelligence test on their Democratic colleagues. Only they mean to eschew the normal square pegs and round hole approach and instead use a new gambit in the Social Security debate.

Says the AP's David Espo

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/S/SOCIAL_SECURITY?SITE=IADES&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT

: "Senate Republican leaders are considering whether to seek Democratic support for Social Security legislation without the personal accounts sought by President Bush, aiming to restore them later, officials said Thursday."



Setting aside this foolery, why would any Democrats agree to do anything on Social Security before getting agreement from Republicans -- embodied, where appropriate, in legislation -- that phase-out is off the table for good and that the Treasury notes in the Social Security Trust Fund will be repaid in full.

The Democrats' priority here is to protect Social Security. And the most pressing dangers to Social Security are not deficits in the 2040s but the present threat of privatization and President Bush's effort to renege on the promise that money loaned out of Social Security payroll tax funds will be paid back.

[papau]

1. Well said :-)

:-)

[paineinthearse]

2. Agree.

It's working fine today as it is. It may need a tweek to keep it solvent. Dems must hold the line and force the rethugs to sell concrete proposals during their 60 day "magical mysery tour".