Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y., joins a rally against the privatization of Social Security, on Capitol Hill, Tuesday, April 26, 2005, in Washington. Man on the right is James Roosevelt Jr. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)
Posted on 04/26/2005 2:56:41 PM PDT by Libloather
Democrats Stage Rally for Social Security
30 minutes ago
By DAVID ESPO, AP Special Correspondent
WASHINGTON - From the buttoned-down confines of a Senate hearing room to a boisterous outdoor rally nearby, Democrats took on President Bush and his Social Security proposals with gusto on Tuesday and rebuffed pleas for bipartisanship from frustrated Republicans.
"If he's going out to push for privatization, let's help him pack," Sen. Dick Durbin of Illinois said to cheers from a sun-splashed crowd on the lawn across the street from the Capitol. He was ridiculing Bush's heavily publicized 60-day tour to build support for his proposals.
"Personal accounts unravels the Social Security safety net in a way that makes it hard to find common ground," said Sen. Ron Wyden (news, bio, voting record) of Oregon, one of several Democrats who criticized the president's recommendations at a lengthy Senate Finance Committee hearing.
The Republicans didn't just sit and take it.
"Those of you that are bad-mouthing every other suggestion out there, suggest your own plans," Iowa Sen. Charles Grassley (news, bio, voting record), the normally mild-mannered committee chairman erupted at one point during the hearing. "Doing nothing is not an option, because doing nothing is a cut in benefits," he added. "Grandpa Grassley gets Social Security, but my granddaughter, when she retires 56 years from now, if we do nothing, is going to get this cut that you're talking about."
Taken together, the hearing and the rally underscored the hardening of partisan differences in the three months since Bush called on Congress to enact solvency legislation that included an option for younger workers to invest part of their payroll taxes on their own.
The president was in Galveston, Texas, during the day, the latest in a string of appearances designed to build support for his plan. His cross-country campaign neared an end as a Washington Post-ABC News poll showed public support had declined for his plan for personal accounts.
Against that backdrop, Bush's top political aide, Karl Rove, journeyed to the Capitol for a meeting with GOP senators that one participant said included a discussion of Social Security. The White House and Bush's Republican allies in Congress have been struggling for weeks to advance legislation that meets the two goals Bush has stated — placing the program on a stable financial footing while creating the voluntary personal accounts for younger workers.
His proposal, which Democrats unvaryingly refer to as privatization, envisions deep cuts in guaranteed benefits for future retirees.
House Republicans, confronting solid Democratic opposition and fearing a political backlash in 2006, have made it clear they want the Senate to move first on legislation that would make major changes in Social Security.
But efforts to do so are hampered by the same Democratic opposition and by skittishness among several members of the GOP's own rank and file. After weeks of insisting that any legislation would have to be bipartisan, Grassley said recently he might try to craft a measure that had only Republican support.
Even that may prove difficult, given the breakdown of votes on the committee, although he said after the day's session he remained determined to try.
"We need to start somewhere and we don't need to have unanimity among Republicans to start," said Sen. Craig Thomas (news, bio, voting record) of Wyoming, one of 10 Republicans on the panel, which has eight Democrats.
Grassley gaveled the meeting to order with a reference to the rally that Bush's opponents organized for later in the day.
"Outside the hearing room today, we have political theater and dramatic attempts to polarize Social Security along partisan lines," he said.
"I ask my fellow committee members to resist the temptation to allow such theatrics to pervade this hearing room. If there is ever going to be a bipartisan consensus for reform, the process must begin in this committee, and there's no time like the present to get started."
Sen. Max Baucus (news, bio, voting record), D-Mont., responded moments later by agreeing changes were needed to assure that Social Security can pay full promised benefits after 2052. "But we do not need to privatize Social Security to save it," he said.
Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., who lost to Bush in the 2004 election, said it was the president who had failed to put a plan on the table. Referring to a proposal he made during his bid for the White House, Kerry called for repealing Bush-era tax cuts for the nation's top wage-earners to help shore up Social Security's finances.
"We're going to do something," he said of the need to address Social Security funding difficulties. "We're not going to do nothing."
Grassley called the hearing in an attempt to review competing proposals that would make Social Security permanently solvent. Three of the alternatives call for personal accounts, while a fourth does not.
For much of the hearing, though, the witnesses played the role of foils for senators seeking to elicit information favorable to their own views. Democrats prodded one witness to verify that a plan similar to Bush's would result in large new federal borrowing. Republicans called on another witness to affirm that without changes, Social Security would not be able to pay full benefits beginning at mid-century.
She's got the Mao suit look down.
You better get another job - I'm gonna want more than my fair share of gubmint handouts. All I need is a few strong backs to donate to my retirement accounts. RATS will do nicely...
I was thinkin Fidel
If I were in the army, I'd ask her not to wear that color.
Kim Jon Il has bad hair day.
My VERY First thought!
Solid.
As responsible as teenagers.
GOOD for Grassley. Nice to start seeing Spine start to contagiously flow amongst the Republican Senators. Fire it right back at them and show NO mercy.
Who would have known?
So that's why she looks so ronery.
bingo. ping to #11.
It's like Kim Jong Il dyed his hair, and lost some weight! Scary.
Congress unabatedly continuing to spend the Social Security surplus while investing NONE of it is the real risky scheme.
"Do you want your Social Security turned over to those on Wall Street?"
YES! Anyone but Congress!
Check out this picture of Hillary with a picture of Kim Jong Il.
Reminds me of that Saturday night live skit, Pat. Is Pat a girl or a boy? I can`t tell in both pictures.
"Democrats eagerly take on Bush over Social Security"
And while I do my best not to be a nattering nabob, have you noticed which party has no difficulty whatsoever showing its gonads (including, ahem, Hillary), and which party couldn't fight its way out of a wet paper bag?
Sorry...but I'm not encouraged.
Rush's recent comments notwithstanding, the libs are still in charge.
Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., joins a rally against the privatization of Social Security, on Capitol Hill, Tuesday, April 26, 2005, in Washington. Man on the right is James Roosevelt Jr. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)
Sen. Barbara Mikulski, D-Md., joins a rally against the privatization of Social Security, on Capitol Hill, Tuesday, April 26, 2005, in Washington. Man on the right is unidentified. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)
Sen. Mark L. Pryor, D-Ark., joins a rally against the privatization of Social Security, on Capitol Hill, Tuesday, April 26, 2005, in Washington. Man on the right is James Roosevelt Jr. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)
A man uses a protest sign to shield himself from the sun during a rally on Capitol Hill held to protest President George W. Bush's plan to privatize Social Security, April 26, 2005. A U.S. Senate panel today showed no sign of being able to bridge sharp partisan differences over President Bush's plan to create individual investment accounts out of the Social Security retirement program. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque
A man talks standing behind a placard talks on his cell phone during a rally on Capitol Hill held to protest President Bush's plan to privatize Social Security, April 26, 2005. A U.S. Senate panel today showed no sign of being able to bridge sharp partisan differences over President George W. Bush's plan to create individual investment accounts out of the Social Security retirement program. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque
From left, Rep. Steny Hoyer (D-MD), Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL), Democratic House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi and Democratic Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid join hands onstage as they are cheered by supporters at a rally on Capitol Hill against the privatization of Social Security April 26, 2005. A U.S. Senate panel today showed no sign of being able to bridge sharp partisan differences over President Bush's plan to create individual investment accounts out of the Social Security retirement program. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque
Grandson of President Franklin Delano Roosevelt, James Roosevelt Jr., gives his applause welcoming Democratic lawmakers joining a rally against the privatization of Social Security, on Capitol Hill, Tuesday, April 26, 2005, in Washington. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)
Democratic House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi and Democratic Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid join hands onstage as they cheered by supporters at a rally on Capitol Hill against the privatization of Social Security April 26, 2005. A U.S. Senate panel today showed no sign of being able to bridge sharp partisan differences over President Bush's plan to create individual investment accounts out of the Social Security retirement program. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque
Gladys Mitchell, 80, right, from Washington, and Louise Hobbs, 71, left, from New York, N.Y. join a rally against the privatization of Social Security, on Capitol Hill, Tuesday, April 26, 2005, in Washington. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)
Jeff Slade, 25, left, and Henry Horne Jr., right, share their views on President Bush's Social Security plan in Galveston, Texas, Tuesday, April 26, 2005. More than 100 people demonstrated outside President Bush's roundtable discussion of his plan to reform Social Security, some to oppose the plan and others, they said, to help Bush set the record straight. (AP Photo/ Carlos Javier Sanchez)
That looks like a cigar on her nose. Bill musta been copying what he saw her doing with it when he and Monica.....
Well, you know the rest.
What a bunch of LUNATICS!
"It's not wise to privatize".
I bet the woman doesn't even know why she is there. Neither do the so-called leaders. It's just that they are against anything Pres. Bush is for. We wouldn't want the "American People" to have the same choice as our "leaders" now would we?! I guess they are only pro-choice when it comes to abortion.
I'm so glad you in the press are for us and against those fanatical christian right-wing extremists
/SARCASM OFF
That's not even funny!! You know it's a larger suit and the angle of the sun is hiding her caboose.
It appears to me that there's really not many people there. This a publicity stunt aimed for the mainstream media.
Office staff and family members and the OLD MEDIA "reports" it as if it's news.
Probably creative, digital photography and a couple of sunglassed goons in the room, when the final photos were "approved" for release.
She can lose weight, but the evil runs to the bone.
Alan Alda in drag.
It's the usual "rent-a-mob" losers that go to all of these rallies. They had to get back to their "Free Mumia" marches right afterwards.
ol' hoghead
Interesting that the reporter didn't mention labor union one damned time in the story, when it was obvious that virtually all of the attendees belonged to unions.
Had he asked around, he might have found that they were being paid to attend.
Mid century????? Social Security will not be able to pay full benefits beginning in about 2017 without a massive infusion of tax dollars or borrowing from the public. Remember the non-existent "Trust Fund"? It's empty.
And for anyone who thinks that raising taxes or raising caps on income subject to FICA, they would only pour more money into the "Trust Fund" to be borrowed and spent and then repaid one more time by the taxpayers.
Yeah! Now that you mention it, there's a picture of Ted Kennedy! Where is the obligatory picture of an oldsmoblie or Mary Jo's forever young photo?
Didn't Hitler have a nice brown leather coat like that for touring in his car? ;p
You young whippersnapper! I'll punch you in the nose and take 12.4% of your wallet.
No more intergenerational Ponzi schemes, thank you very much.
Good L-rd. She really is wearing the Chairman Mao suit.
Not so much a loss of weight, perhaps more of a shift of weight from "gut to butt".
Oh look, Hillary in her favorite chairman Mao coat. How quaint.
(arf)
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