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Politics : Politics for Pros- moderated -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: JohnM who wrote (116393)	5/26/2005 2:50:08 PM
From: JohnM	Read Replies (3) \| Respond to of 793725

Here's the article in The Hill which Josh Marshall had in mind. I doubt we get any SS legislation this congressional cycle. Thank heavens. --------------------- Rubin urges Democrats not to reveal their hand By Hans Nichols Former Treasury Secretary Robert Rubin, the steward of President Clinton’s economic policy, told the House Democratic Caucus yesterday that it needs to continue to “hold firm” in its opposition to President Bush’s effort to reform Social Security and advised the Democrats not to introduce their own plan, according to aides and lawmakers in the meeting. Rubin, who has gained huge stature in the party for presiding over the national finances during the Clinton boom years, counseled congressional Democrats against engaging Republicans on specifics. He urged them instead to cast the debate in terms of principles, with opposition to deficit spending as their guiding conviction. “Putting out a Democrat plan on Social Security would be a horrible mistake because right now it’s the president’s principles against our principles,” Rubin said, according to a Democratic leadership aide. The aide added that Rubin told his party colleagues that it would be hard to win a battle of specifics. In a sweeping review of the fiscal health of the country, the strength of the dollar and international trade, Rubin said that Social Security ranks third behind deficit reduction and Medicare reform as the most important economic policy issue facing the country. He also warned his fellow Democrats that they would need to work in a bipartisan manner with Republicans to address Medicare’s deep problems. Another leadership aide said, “From a political standpoint, he said, hold firm because you have a difference in principles; their principle is a privatization plan, ours is not to add to the deficit, and there’s not a whole lot of room for compromise. “They control the playing field. We can’t get into this debate without compromising our principles.” Last week, after months during which Democrats have made headway criticizing Bush’s proposal to create private accounts but have not put forward an alternative, Rep. Robert Wexler (D-Fla) broke ranks with his colleagues by introducing the first Democratic proposal on the long-term solvency of Social Security. Wexler, who earned the ire of Democratic strategists, did not attend yesterday’s caucus. “He basically said what was in his op-ed,” said Rep. Rahm Emanuel (D-Ill.), chairman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC), referring to an opinion piece Rubin wrote for The New York Times, printed March 13. Emanuel added, “Privatization has become the poison pill on progress on retirement security.” Democratic lawmakers said that the encouragement from a Clinton administration figure would steel the caucus in its resolve to defeat the president’s Social Security plan. “Here’s a guy who was in a position of authority when we experienced this incredible amount of economic growth,” said Rep. Joe Crowley (D-N.Y.). “It’s important that we hear from them from time to time. His whole take was no more deficit spending and no to the president’s Social Security plan.” Rubin also told the Democrats that they have reason to be optimistic about the future but there are challenges that they must meet, including healthcare, energy, education and the nation’s yawning fiscal deficits. But while Rubin stressed the need for bipartisan action on some of those challenges, he had some tart words for the president and Republican plans. Criticizing Bush’s plan for Social Security reform, Rubin said, “I haven’t ever heard a bond marketer talk about savings 50 years out,” according to a Democratic leadership aide. thehill.com

To: JohnM who wrote (116393)	5/27/2005 1:15:28 AM
From: KLP	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 793725

If the Dems do this: In fact, Dems should really start making the point now that they are the ones who stopped President Bush from phasing out Social Security this year. ... It will be a huge problem for them, as the Repubs will broadcast over and over, all the Democrats who for the previous 10 years or so, said that Social Security needed to be fixed. (Clinton, Kennedy, etc) They will certainly be viewed as the party with no new ideas, and obstructionists as well.