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02/27/2005: Hopeful Cracks Appear
An Opening on Social Security, a Washington Post Editorial on Feb 26th, had this to say about Bush's beginning recognition that saying he's "open to good ideas" on how to really fix the Social Security financial shortfall might just include options he's previously excluded...why...because they are Good Ideas and might actually be the solutions we need."ONLY IN THE context of the glacial political minuet over Social Security could President Bush's comments last week that he might, perhaps, be open to the notion of raising the Social Security earnings cap be considered bold. Mr. Bush cracked that door open the tiniest bit, repeating his previous insistence that the 12.4 percent payroll tax could not be budged, but noting that "all the other issues are on the table." Asked specifically whether he would consider increasing the amount of earnings subject to the tax, Mr. Bush added, "I've been asked this question a lot, and the answer is, I'm interested in good ideas."
Republicans, who are not truly interested in "Good Ideas"...only "Political Ideas"...had this response:"The reaction from certain quarters of the Republican Party to this welcome sign of presidential flexibility was as predictable as it was depressing. "We're not going to do that," House Majority Leader Tom DeLay (R-Tex.) said. "That's a tax increase." Speaker J. Dennis Hastert (R-Ill.) was only slightly less dismissive. Conservative interest groups, meanwhile, treated Mr. Bush's comments as heresy on a par with his father's move to break his "no new taxes" pledge. "President Bush needs to close that door to higher taxes, or risk losing the centerpiece of his domestic policy agenda," said former Republican congressman Pat Toomey, who is now president of the Club for Growth."
Some where...in the middle of all the Rhetoric IS the solution the Nation needs. But it's how to get there from here.
Karen on 02.27.05 @ 05:14 AM CST
