Posted on 02/03/2005 8:59:44 AM PST by NormsRevenge
WASHINGTON - The standard responses from members of Congress during the president's State of the Union address usually follow a graduated scale of support: from stone silence to polite applause to standing ovation and, finally, the occasional enthusiastic, ``hurrah!''
But as President Bush laid out his case --snip-- he managed to earn a rare response from Democrats that did not bode well for his plans.
They hissed.
Their reaction came when Bush asserted that Social Security is ``headed toward bankruptcy'' -- a point that most Democrats and some analysts dispute.
``When you start out by stating a premise that's factually incorrect, there's no place to go,'' said Rep. Zoe Lofgren, D-San Jose. ``When he doesn't tell the truth, where do you go from there? The system has challenges. It is not bankrupt.''
--snip--
``I didn't sense any olive branches being set out there,'' said Rep. Mike Honda, D-Campbell. ``I don't think that the rest of my colleagues are going to go along with him on the plan he laid out.''
Bush strode into the House chamber Wednesday in arguably the strongest position of his presidency.
--snip--
``This is an issue where the Democrats have a lot of leverage and therefore he needs some of them at least,'' said Joel Aberbach, director of the Center for American Politics and Public Policy at the University of California-Los Angeles.
Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nevada, said in the official Democratic response that his party was willing to work with Bush, but then hammered Bush's Social Security plans.
``We will be the first in line to work with him,'' Reid said. ``But when he gets off track, we will be there to hold him accountable.''
(Excerpt) Read more at mercurynews.com ...
It's what I expected from snakes.
Hissing during the State of the Union address doesn't enhance likeability.
Ya-ya-ya.....the people are with Bush. the dems will lose, yet again!!!
Actually, hissing is the one thing that dems do well, it's just not reported much.
I thought it was more like oinking.
BS. They have no leverage, and at the rate they're going, they'll have even less after 2006.
Choice A - stay with SS which actuaries assure us will have to reduce benefits, raise taxes or both if one lives so long.
Choice B - invest in the market (index funds and the like) which have a net of inflation superior return for a comparable dollar "invested" in SS - also, if one dies along the way, those assets go to my beneficiaries...
The Democrats should be scared...give a person the freedom to choose and one loses control over that - this is political Aids for Democrats.
The only leverage they have is the fast track to oblivian. They are lining themselves up for another fall in '06. More power to them. It just keeps getting better for us.
...Rep. Zoe Lofgren, D-San Jose. 'It is not bankrupt.' "
It appears Zoe has a grammatical problem with chronological agreement. Of course her statement is prefaced by her own applicable truth:
"When you start out by stating a premise that's factually incorrect, there's no place to go..."
First of all the democrats rude behavior is inexcusable. Its also a sign that they have no intention of helping in solving ANY problems. Which would be a problem if we did'nt have control of the House,Senate and the Whitehouse.
So I say steamroll their sorry (expletive deleted).
Most people can recall how the Democrats have been wailing and knashing their teeth for the last 30 years about how the eeeeeeeevil Republicans are going to bankrupt Social Security. Now they turn around and say that it is solid a Sears. Folks just are not going to buy that.
You can make the math say whatever you want. But Social Security, as currently configured, will get much more expensive over the next thirty years. Not only will the demographics mean more recipients, but the amount going to each recipient is going to more than double in constant dollars, based on the formulas now in place. Something's gotta give.
Just because FDR thought it was a good idea back in 1943 does not mean we have to stick with the same program forever.
Typicla spin from the Dems.
The President didn't say it was bankrupt.
He said, "The system, however, on its current path, is headed toward bankruptcy. And so we must join together to strengthen and save Social Security."
Quite a difference. But not in the mind of someone who thinks in black and white only and has a vested interest in opposing anything the President says.
I couldn't agree with you more.
Emphasizing that the plan is really to help younger people. I'm tired of the AARP griping about it when it won't really affect any of their members.
I concur.
How can they claim to be progressivists when they only obstruct, encouraging the status quo?
What would be the Democratic response to that speech? Don't tell me. I already know.
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