Republicans planning on shoving private accounts thru back door

[CatWoman]

via procedural votes:

I wish someone in the Democratic leadership would pay attention to this. According to the Washington bureau chief of the Dallas Morning News, the Republicans plan to push private accounts through the back door on a procedural vote:


Congressional Republicans, persisting in hopes of enacting some form of private Social Security option despite opposition from the public and the Democrats, are considering the same kind of maneuver that enabled them to pass a controversial Medicare drug bill two years ago.

That’s the clear signal from key GOP congressional leaders and chief White House strategist Karl Rove, one of the main architects of the Social Security proposal that President Bush made his top 2005 priority.

Mr. Rove, speaking to college students and lobbyists before Congress went on its current recess, said the House would act next month and the Senate soon after, according to the congressional newspaper The Hill .

And Rep. Bill Thomas, R-Calif., chairman of the Ways and Means Committee and one of his party’s canniest operatives, said without giving details that his panel would introduce a retirement security bill in September. <...>

Because the Senate had passed a similar bill, Republicans could take the measure to a Senate-House conference. By excluding most Democrats from any role, they crafted the kind of bill they wanted in the first place.

That would appear to be their hope for private Social Security accounts – pass a bill in the House authorizing private accounts, accept any Social Security vehicle in the Senate that gets the issue to conference and write a final version letting the White House proclaim success.

In recent weeks, various members have floated several different versions that could form the basis of a GOP bill.

Some House Republicans, including Rep. Sam Johnson of Plano, would use Social Security’s current surpluses for private accounts, rather than to curb the overall budget deficit. But that not only would fail to address the system’s solvency, it also is likely to make the budget situation worse.


http://susiemadrak.com/2005/09/07/09/22/under-cover /

[Teaser]

1. The leadership knows

and are acting against it.

[bribri16]

2. But does the public know? Bombard the outlets and let them know we know!

They had better start reporting about this.

[sarcasmo]

3. Social Security current surplus would turn quickly to a deficit under

these inept Republicans.

[FormerRepublican]

4. These people are absolutely shameless.

They know the public doesn't support it, they know they have elections coming up in 2006, yet still they persist?

Are they insane? What's in the water in Washington - hallucinogens?

[Trillo]

6. Corporatists' money.

"What's in the water in Washington - hallucinogens?"

[dusty64]

8. No, their

behavior lately confirms my fears about the extreme fascist voting machines that are secret and unable to be investigated by the People. They are NOT afraid of being voted out of office, they know that is NEVER going to happen.

[StClone]

5. Another disaster used as Agenda cover

Damn them! Damn it. How can these bastard be called human!

[onenote]

7. I hope they're stupid enough to try

They've just demonstrated to the country that they don't know how to protect the citizenry. I think a lot of folks feel less secure right now and making changes in one of the fundamental parts of the safety net will earn the repugs a world of hurt.

onenote