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President Bush Speaks Out Again About Social Security
March 10th 02:50:32 PM
At the National Newspaper Association Government Affairs Conference:
The long-term budget challenge is -- it really has to do with mandatory spending, what's called mandatory spending. That's code word for Social Security and Medicare. Baby boomers like me are getting ready to retire. My retirement age happens in 2008, by the way, which is aligned perfectly. (Laughter.) I talked about the issue last year. I'm going to keep talking about the issue. The job of a President is to confront problems -- that's why you put me up here -- is to deal with problems, not to pass them on or hope somebody else takes care of it.
And we have a problem with Social Security and Medicare. We've got a lot of people retiring, and not enough people paying into the system. We've been promised a lot of benefits, our generation, better benefits than the previous generation. And so Congress needs to join me in setting aside all the needless politics in Washington, D.C., to come together and to present a solution to the American people, so we can say we've done our job. I'm looking forward to working with Congress.
I said in the State of the Union, I want people at the table. I meant it. I want Republicans and Democrats to come to the table, to come up with a solution. Part of the solution is going to be -- the best way to describe it is like an automobile, if you're speeding, you slow your car down to get to the speed limit. You don't put it in reverse. We can fix the problem. We can come together and show the American people we're capable of dealing in a bipartisan way.
Posted by Chris Schrimpf
Comments
Now, don't get me wrong - I agree that entitlement reform is the biggest issue facing the US in the next couple of decades, and we need to implement SOMETHING. However, I think one major factor in the failure to get anything accomplished by this Administration is Bush's "my way or the highway" mindset - he says he's for bipartisanship and is looking forward to discuss options (he "talks the talk" in this column), but it seems that when it is time to talk turkey, the options are 4% for private accounts or 6% for private accounts (rhetorical options, not actual data that can be verified). Democrats are equally at fault, falling on the sword of "Social Security is fine, it's the (insert favorite pet peeve) program that's screwed up." Sorry for sounding glum, but I don't see much happening in the short term.
Posted by Rich in TN on March 10th 03:45:43 PM
How was creating a new entitlement program (Mediscare prescription drugs) "slowing the car down" especially mediscare is probably in worse shape that Socialist Insecurity?
Besides, government spending is nothing like driving a car. Sorry. Why don't you (Bush) actually present real ideas and plans instead of coming up with bullcrap analogies which only divert attention from earnest policymaking. Oh, of course, it's because you're a moron.
SS Equity Funds EQUAL Big Government Corruption!
S4 Sucks and Gives Change!
Posted by Noid on March 13th 04:54:14 AM
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