Bush may have made a significant blunder...

[amjucsc]

One pleasant surprise in the speech--

I was expecting that Bush would come out and say that private accounts are the 'only' way to save social security; that he would attempt to inexorably link private accounts and the need to save SS in the public eye. Instead he merely presented them as one possible solution to the problem.

This could be very good news for Dems if we play our cards right--we can publicly agree that improving the finances of SS is a good idea, while simultaniously attacking Bush's specific proposal as being too costly and an inadequate solution for the problem.

The aspect of private accounts that polls most negatively is their cost--this allows us to home in on the price tag relentlessly.

However I was also disappointed that Reid (or whomever co-ordinates the Dem response) didn't seem to touch on this very much. I suspect that Bush will be able to convince the country that something must be done to 'fix' SS, which means that the Dems will need to come up with a reasonable plan that can be put up as a superior alternative to private accounts.

[PROGRESSIVE1]

1. Take that sound bite and make a commercial.

I am hoping for Bushies failure. If he succeeds, America will be a Facist nation. The entire Neo-Con/Corporatist/Fundie klan has to fail in order to save America!

[global1]

2. No Matter - Whatever Happens With SS - * Will Take The Credit.....

even if the Dems come up with a superior alternative and quash the "Piratization Retirement Accounts".

[sueh]

13. global1 you are correct.

Look what Bush did with the medicare prescription drug benefit. He took a traditionally Democratic issue and took "ownership" of it.

[chaska]

3. didn't I hear on NPR...

That Reid said he had the votes to defeat the SS BS? That it was "not going to happen".

[Erika]

4. I think Reid did an excellent job

Many lost their retirement plans/hopes in the Enron etc debachle. The happenings of 9/11 finished off the job of destroying private accounts. No thanks.

[readmylips]

5. I think his mama made the blunder....

to allow this worm to be born.

[98geoduck]

6. The Dems need to tell the TRUTH. TAX THE FILTHY RICH!!!

[lyonn]

11. Clinton did it

And it worked for everybody, win - win.

[lyonn]

7. his blunder was when he said

If you are 55 or older you have nothing to worry about. In other words, if you are younger you have problems. Hmmm? The younger ones get to gamble on the market for their retirement years. That isn't something to worry about? Real property is a good investment, stocks are for those that are savy to the system, most people arn't.

[98geoduck]

8. I thought the same, of course it was meant to court the vote.

[AwakeAtLast]

9. I thought the very same thing!

I also thought that the reason he chose the age of 55 is because by the time the rest of us start to see SS checks, this country will be in a police state or something like that, and then they will just take it away!

[lyonn]

10. Bush has our future all planned out

After 15 min. into speech I felt like I was listening to a socialist Pres., he had everything worked out for us from health care, getting rid of those nusuance (sp?) lawsuits, SS, lots of jobs, homes, stocks, judges that will protect us (not our rights). This guy has more guts, or is it that he has no respect for our sensibilities? Pure BS.

[AwakeAtLast]

12. B.S. for sure, and

he sounded like he was still campaigning, except with Kerry's issues!

WTF?!?!