Bush Cites Failed Social Security Privatization Push As His Biggest Domestic Policy Achievement»

[babylonsister]

Sounds like he's out of straws to grasp.

http://thinkprogress.org/2009/01/05/bush-social-security-accomplishment/

Bush Cites Failed Social Security Privatization Push As His Biggest Domestic Policy Achievement»


The Weekly Standard’s Fred Barnes reports today that he and fellow conservative Bill Kristol met with President Bush last Friday for a lunch in the president’s “private dining room adjacent to the Oval Office.” According to Barnes, the “left-wing haters” are “going to be disappointed when they see his demeanor as he leaves his eight-year presidency” because Bush “appears comfortable with what he expects his legacy will be.”

Speaking of Bush’s legacy, Barnes reports that the president cited his push to privatize Social Security as his biggest domestic policy accomplishment:

On domestic policy, Bush was asked if he made progress in some areas for which he hasn’t and probably won’t get credit. Topping his list was his unsuccessful drive in 2005 to reform Social Security. Bush said his effort showed it’s politically safe to campaign on changing Social Security and then actually seek to change it.

He also said it was important to have raised private investment accounts as an attractive option in reforming Social Security.

It seems odd that Bush cited an unsuccessful effort as his biggest domestic policy achievement, but understandable given that he doesn’t have much else to consider. But not only was Bush’s drive to privatize Social Security an utter failure, the concept is also widely unpopular with the American public and if enacted, it would have had disastrous consequences for Americans’ retirement funds.

A recent Center for American Progress Action Fund report found that if a worker had retired on October 1, 2008 after 35 years of contributions to private retirement accounts, that retiree would have lost nearly $30,000 in retirement funds because of the downturn in the stock market over the last two years.

Part of the reason Bush’s push failed was that very few people actually believed he was trying to reform Social Security and instead thought he was trying to dismantle it. Even back in 2005, despite a lack of support for privatization, the Bush administration was insisting that their efforts were a “great success.”

Indeed, a recent CNN poll found that 62 percent of Americans oppose privatizing any part their Social Security taxes. But seeing that Bush regularly ignores what Americans think, its no wonder he thinks he doesn’t get enough credit for his privatization crusade.

[anonymous171]

1. He would have succeeded in destroying the middle class if that had not failed.

[Hydra]

11. He basically did succeed in destroying the middle class

But I can't be sure- a middle class income has always been denied to me.

[dixiegrrrrl]

2. Rec'd to keep a record of delusional Bush statements.

[DeSwiss]

3. Only in Bush Bizarro World....

...would a monumental, total, and abject failure be considered a success.

- What a f*cking putz.....

K&R

[samdogmom]

7. Agreed! HUH!?!? He's saying something he wanted didn't succeed???

And that's a success???

Of course, privatizing social security WAS A VERY BAD IDEA. Fortunately this crazy idea never got beyond the talk stage in Bush's administration. Mostly because those with brains got it! This was the hare-brained, idiotic, stupid, dumb idea of the century!!!...and therefore we'll pass, thank you very much! For those who still doubt...take a look at the stock market today and tell us how the bulk of the population would be faring.

Good grief. Is he now trying to claim success because no one tried to implement his idea? WHAT A J-A***, if true!

[madrchsod]

4. he`s more delusional than reagan was at the end of his presidency.

one can`t blame reagan because he had alzheimers. we can`t confirm that bush is suffering simliar disease but gee what could it be?:rofl:

[gratuitous]

5. Oh yeah, I'm sure we all remember that

I'm sure we all remember what a cornerstone of his 2004 campaign reforming social security was. Bullshit. In fact, social security "reform" was a selling point of his 2000 campaign, quickly abandoned when it turned out to be politically untenable:

http://www.nytimes.com/2004/09/01/politics/campaign/01speech.html?_r=1&pagewanted=2

Bush only rediscovered his zeal to "reform" social security in 2005, when he knew he'd never have to stand for election ever again. And what would have happened to people who invested poorly or unwisely or unluckily? Would we, as a society, merely cluck our tongues and let them starve in the streets because it would have been "their own fault"?

[tularetom]

6. This left wing hater & SS recipient is happy that didn't happen

By the time they ding us for Medicare there really isn't a lot left of our monthly check. But at least we get our COLA every year.

Can you imagine what would have happened to SS over the past 6 months if the little douchebag had succeeded.

Yep private investment accounts would sure be an "attractive option" to most people right about now.

Fred Barnes once was beaten by a monkey in the accuracy of his predictions. I see he is just as bad at reporting.

[charlie]

8. He showed it's politically safe, too funny

Sure, if he discounts that he'd just been reelected and was crowing about the "political capital" he was ready to spend. He came out with fists flying... and got promptly smacked back into the box. Republicans noted the issue was so "politically safe" they could afford to back-burner it for another decade. Mission accomplished.

[hfojvt]

9. disappointed? We always knew he was a clueless a$$hole

who didn't know the meaning of remorse, or pity, who couldn't be bargained with, or reasoned with.

In this case, though, I think he's right. Since all of his other policies were trainwrecks, the trainwreck he didn't manage to accomplish must count as his greatest accomplishment. Failing to destroy social security was one of the few things he did that didn't hurt the American people.

[louis-t]

10. Wait, so his biggest achievement

was failing at something? Hey, my biggest achievement is NOT making $100,000 this year. I succeeded at failing.

[wilsonbooks]

12. This could have been in the Onion.

Political double think. Failure is success.

I think that the r's will have a hard time spinning this one......

[babylonsister]

13. Yes it could have, it's that ridiculous.

And welcome to DU!

[eridani]

14. The Dems did good in blocking this. Not a single Blue Dog broke ranks

However, why the FUCK aren't the Dems as persistent as Bush and the neocons in advocating policies that are actually popular, like public universal health care?

[4_TN_TITANS]

15. Can we get rid of him already?

This stunt probably would have floated the markets into the next presidency and got him off the hook, but the damage would ultimately be done to those soon to retire. The current depression will serve as a firm reminder for another generation not to hedge their future on a market gamble. In that respect, he was astonishingly successful.

Privatizing social security was a desparate attempt to pass some of the financial blame on the next president. Instead of using our retirements, they were left to try hosing the market on *'s watch with Paulson's billions - cementing the status of FAILURE.

[Vickers]

16. "My greatest success was a failure."

Man, the late-night comics are really gonna miss that idiot.

[Phoebe Loosinhouse]

17. His greatest achievement was not being impeached.

And we can't say he achieved that. It was a gift handed to him by those afraid to enforce the Rule of Law and the Constitution because it would have been so, so . . . messy.