Democrats, RIP INTO the Republicans on Social Security

The radical right is going to try it again if they win this year, folks. They're going to try to privatize Social Security, despite the overwhelming rejection of privatization by the American people in 2005. Bush's attempt to push this atrocious step was defeated overwhelmingly, and it set his administration on the path to ruin (along with his total incompetence in dealing with Iraq). But Democrats seem to have forgotten the positive energy of this victory. Josh Marshall reminds them of the importance of this crucial issue:

Social Security works for Democrats on two distinct levels. The first is on a simple level of values.

At least three full generations of Americans have lived under a system in which Social Security is fully woven into the fabric of American life. With deceptive polls, supporters of privatization managed to fool themselves into believing that the public supported replacing Social Security with private accounts, but they don’t. The spring of 2005 showed that quite clearly.

But that’s not the only way the Social Security issue works for Democrats. What last year’s Social Security privatization drive showed was that the vast majority of congressional Republicans weren’t willing to stand up to President Bush when he was pushing a policy their constituents opposed. They cheered the president’s efforts, praised his vision and in most cases were willing to sign on to his effort. On this key issue they put their political connections above the people who put them in office.

Some of those Republican members of Congress even resorted to ridiculous tactics to avoid coming out with a clear position on the issue and a clear choice between their constituents and the head of their party — stunts that should make them mockeries this year on the campaign trail.

Hear hear! Along with the massive confusion and anger surrounding the new Medicare "drug benefit", the Republican attack on Social Security is just the thing we need to win back the overwhelming majority of America's seniors--voters who deserted us in 2004. (Had seniors voted Democratic at the rate they did in 2000, Kerry would probably have been the clear winner.)

Democrats, don't let the voters forget who established America's most successful social program ever--and don't let them forget that the Republican radicals are attempting to ruin it.