Social Security Reform was dead before 2003. The quote was made right after the 2004 election.
Sorry, Dixie, he tried it twice. In the first term, he had Daniel Patrick Moynihan running the "regional meetings" to discuss Social Security -- all that effort ended after 9/11.
After 2004, he brought Social Security up as a priority for reform and it died. He couldn't get the Dems to discuss it. Pelosi freaked out when that goofy Dem from Florida made a frank proposal saying it would take HUGE tax increases and benefit cuts to cure Social Security. At least he was being honest. After he was spanked, the Dems refused to participate in a discussion and GOP Congressmen followed suit like the cowards they were/are.