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Republicans continue attack s on Democrats and AARP

MQAblog 03.01.05
MQAblog 03.02.05

03.03.05....The Social Security debate is very instructive in
illustrating today's political climate. First, President Bush and
the Republicans tried to drum up a "crisis" in the Social Security
program. The president, artfully utilizing simple logic that
served him well in the 2004 election, said that the number of
people receiving Social Security is rising and the number paying
in declining. Therefore, he argued, the system is heading for
bankruptcy. Congressional Republicans echoed the battle cry
and off they went to take their case to America.

A funny thing happened though. The public did not think that
shifting benefits from government oversight to the private
sectors' risks was a very good idea. Reports told of public
forums by Republicans like Rick Santorum being packed by
citizens who feared the dramatic shift of wealth into private
hands proposed by the GOP. Only a few groups of college
Republicans, who strongest skills seem to be chanting in unison,
attended these forums in support of the Bush plan. "Hey hey,
ho ho, Social Security has got to go" was the chant of choice by
these privileged young Reds.

Now the Congress is back in session. Upon return to the
capitol some Republicans first told the truth. They admitted that
people they spoke to don't want the program outlined by the
President. Simple. But that was before they got together and
decided as a group what to say. Senate majority Bill Frist
accidentally exposed the strategy Tuesday on The NewsHour
with Jim Lehrer. He was asked about a Republican colleague
who stated that the Social Security plan proposed by the
President was off the mark of public opinion. Frist said that
those comments should be emphasized less since they were
made prior to the Republican caucus of members as they
returned to Washington. Now they have a focused message.
The new line is quite a piece of political spin.

Now the story is that Republicans heard from their constituents
that they felt that Social Security had some problems. That's
why, Frist spun, Republicans are working hard to find A
solution - the Democrats (notice quick shift of blame) do not
want to do anything! The Republicans are outraged that
Democrats would let Social Security rot on the vine without
lifting a finger. So instead of letting the collapse of their own
policies of a month ago bring them down, Republicans simply
claim mission accomplished at raising the issue. It's sort of like a
doctor who is stopped from unnecessarily amputating a leg
pointing at another physician and saying
"At least I stopped cutting, HE didn't do anything!"

So in order to extinguish any chance of blame being laid at their
feet for coming up with an such an unpopular idea, the
Republicans are using a strong offense as their defense and
positioning themselves as the ONLY ones honorable enough
looking for a solution. They are criticizing the Democrats for
not putting forth a complete blueprint while simultaneously
condemning them for being against a republican plan "not even
proposed yet".

Also beneficial is the fact that while valuable air time is being
taken by this literal blame game the truth stays out of sight.
Social Security is not in a current crisis and will not go bankrupt
(look up the word). The Democrats have been trying to
improve Social security for years (remember the "lockbox" and
the mocking of Al Gore about it?) And Republicans are not
looking for a way to fix Social security. They are seeking a
strategy to destroy it. They are also willing to say anything to do
so. While the President, Senator Frist and other professional
Politicians have learned to verbally dance around the facts, out
of the mouth of babes come the truth.

"Hey hey, ho ho Social security has got to go!"