Why would the president risk his political capital on a plan that appears doomed to failure? I think the answer lies well beyond the politics of any single reform plan. And the president may end up a winner if his call for personal accounts ultimately fails. After all, he has raised a serious issue that needs attention--the very solvency of Social Security--which Democrats have never touched. Huge majorities of voters understand that the current system is in trouble. He will, at the very least, get credit for trying to reform the program....This sounds awfully familiar. Wasn't there a First Lady not too long ago who tried to reform a system that was in trouble and heading for greater trouble? That being Hillary Clinton and the healthcare system. We now have a healthcare system out of control, escalating in costs and singularly serving as one of the main reasons employment has lagged. And yet do we ever hear or see any proof of Hillary getting credit for trying to reform this system? Me thinks not.
But no doubt, years from now we'll hear the right-wing zealots crow about how Bush could've saved Social Security -- similar to the same nutjobs who crow about how stupendously great Reagan was on nearly everything!
Zogby approaches this aspect of the issue as if all political types are the same -- they're not.
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