It’s time for Democrats to declare what kind of Social Security reform they favor. Even former President Bill Clinton thinks so. Yet the Democrats persist in attacking President Bush’s ideas — often misleadingly.
Clinton told ABC’s “Good Morning America” — in an exchange curiously not broadcast — “I think Democrats should say what they are for on Social Security in the next couple weeks. … Democrats should have a plan and they should talk to the president and Congressional Republicans about it.”
kAmp44@C5:?8 E@ pqr’D A@=:E:42= 3=@8[ “%96 }@E6[” r=:?E@? D2:5 96 5:5?’E E9:?< s6>@4C2ED 56D6CG65 4C:E:4:D> 7@C ?@E AC@5F4:?8 2 A=2? J6E 2?5 E92E E96J DE:== 925 E:>6 E@ AC@5F46 @?6] qFE 96 25565[ “x E9:?< E96J ?665 E@ 4@>6 FA H:E9 2 A=2? @7 E96:C @H?]”k^Am
kAms6>@4C2ED 925 2 8@@5 @AA@CEF?:EJ H96? E96 (2JD 2?5 |62?D r@>>:EE66 =2F?4965 $@4:2= $64FC:EJ 962C:?8D] qFE E96J 3=6H :E]k^Am
kAmpD :? E96 A2DE[ 2== s6>@4C2ED 5:5 H2D 2EE24< qFD9’D A=2?[ 56>2?5 E92E 96 E2<6 :E “@77 E96 E23=6” 367@C6 2?J 32C82:?:?8 368:?D 2?5 BF6DE:@? E96 3@?2 7:56D @7 2 s6>@4C2E:4 6IA6CE[ #@36CE !@K6?[ H9@D6 “AC@8C6DD:G6 :?56I:?8” AC@A@D2= E96 (9:E6 w@FD6 92D 6?5@CD65]k^Am
kAm#6A] r92C=:6 #2?86=[ s\}]*][ E96 C2?<:?8 >6>36C @? (2JD 2?5 |62?D[ 24EF2==J D2:5 96 5:5?’E 42C6 H92E E96 DF3DE2?46 @7 !@K6?’D A=2? H2D] xE H2D DF77:4:6?E E@ 5:DBF2=:7J !@K6? E92E 96’D 2? :?G6DE>6?E 32?<6C]k^Am
kAm~?6 s6>@4C2E 27E6C 2?@E96C 25@AE65 E96 =:?6 E92E qFD9 A=2?D “566A 4FED” :? $@4:2= $64FC:EJ 36?67:ED “E@ A2J 7@C AC:G2E6 244@F?ED” 2?5 E92E AC24E:42==J 6G6CJ C6E:C66 H:== DF776C =@DD6D E9C@F89 E96 4@>3:?2E:@?]k^Am
kAmqFE E96 “566A 4FED” ?@E:@? :8?@C6D E92E 724E E92E[ F?56C 4FCC6?E =2H[ 36?67:ED H:== 2FE@>2E:42==J 36 D=2D965 3J 2E =62DE af A6C46?E 7@C 6G6CJ@?6 :? a_c`[ H96? E96 $@4:2= $64FC:EJ DJDE6> :D 6IA64E65 E@ 8@ 32?<CFAE]k^Am
kAmqFD9’D A=2? H:== D=@H E96 C2E6 @7 :?4C62D6D :? 36?67:ED 7@C >2?J C6E:C66D E@ <66A E96 DJDE6> D@=G6?E[ 2?5 H:== 2==@H J@F?86C H@C<6CD E96 492?46 E@ :?G6DE A2CE @7 E96:C $@4:2= $64FC:EJ E2I6D :? AC:G2E6 >2C<6ED E@ =6DD6? E96 =@DD6D]k^Am
kAms6>@4C2ED D2J[ 4@?D:DE6?E=J[ E92E qFD9 H2?ED E@ “AC:G2E:K6” $@4:2= $64FC:EJ[ 2D E9@F89 2== `a]e A6C46?E @7 2? :?5:G:5F2=’D A2JC@== E2I6D H@F=5 36 :?G6DE65 :? E96 DE@4< >2C<6E] x? 724E[ 96’D 4C62E:?8 2? @AA@CEF?:EJ 7@C c A6C46?E @7 :E E@ 36 :?G6DE65] pE H@CDE[ E92E’D “A2CE:2= AC:G2E:K2E:@?]” p?5[ :E’D G@=F?E2CJ] }@ @?6 H@F=5 36 C6BF:C65 E@ E2<6 A2CE]k^Am
kAm|@C6@G6C[ E96 $@4:2= $64FC:EJ DJDE6>’D 24EF2C:6D[ H9@> 6G6CJ@?6 C6=:6D @? 7@C 244FC2E6 2?2=JD6D @7 G2C:@FD A=2?D[ 4@?7:C> E92E F?56C E96 qFD9\!@K6? A=2? ?@ @?6 H@F=5 6G6C C646:G6 2 D>2==6C 36?67:E E92? 4FCC6?E C6E:C66D 5@]k^Am
kAms6>@4C2E:4 492C86D @7 “4FED” C676C E@ C65F4E:@?D 36=@H AC@>:D65 36?67:ED H9:49 2C6 F?DFDE2:?23=6 H:E9@FE D:8?:7:42?E E2I :?4C62D6D 2?5 H9:49 2C6 D4965F=65 E@ 36 C65F465 F?56C 4FCC6?E =2H]k^Am
kAm!@K6?’D “AC@8C6DD:G6 :?56I:?8” A=2? :D 56D:8?65 E@ 6?DFC6 E92E =@H6C\:?4@>6 H@C<6CD 2C6 7F==J AC@E64E65 282:?DE 2?J “4FE” :? 36?67:ED]k^Am
kAmp44@C5:?8 E@ E96 24EF2C:6D[ :? a_d_[ 2 =@H\:?4@>6 C6E:C66 WH9@D6 2G6C286 62C?:?8D H6C6 :? E96 =@H6DE a_ A6C46?EX H@F=5 36 6?E:E=65 E@ Sgee A6C >@?E9 :7 4FCC6?E=J AC@>:D65 W3FE F?DFDE2:?23=6X 36?67:ED 2C6 A2:5]k^Am
kAmx7 ?@ C67@C>D 2C6 F?56CE2<6? 2?5 2FE@>2E:4 4FED 8@ :?E@ 67764E[ E96 36?67:E H@F=5 36 D=2D965 E@ Sedb A6C >@?E9] &?56C E96 !@K6? A=2?[ H9:49 :?56I6D 36?67:ED 7@C =@H6C\:?4@>6 A6CD@?D E@ 2G6C286 H286D[ C64:A:6?ED H@F=5 86E `__ A6C46?E @7 E96 AC@>:D65 36?67:E[ Sgee]k^Am
kAm!6@A=6 :? E96 >:55=6 a_ A6C46?E @7 H286\62C?6CD 2C6 36:?8 AC@>:D65 S`[ef_ 2 >@?E9[ 3FE H:== 86E @?=J S`[a_g :7 2FE@>2E:4 4FED 8@ :?E@ 67764E]k^Am
kAm&?56C !@K6?’D A=2?[ E9:D 8C@FA’D 36?67:ED H@F=5 36 :?56I65 92=7 E@ AC:46D WH9:49 C:D6 >@C6 D=@H=J E92? H286DX 2?5 92=7 E@ H286D[ H:E9 E96 36?67:E H@CE9 S`[bg_ 2 >@?E9 :? a_d_]k^Am
kAm%9@D6 :? E96 9:896DE a_ A6C46?E @7 H286D 2C6 36:?8 AC@>:D65 Sa[`af 2 >@?E9 :? a_d_[ 3FE H@F=5 86E S`[daf :7 2FE@>2E:4 4FED 8@ :?E@ 67764E] (:E9 E96:C 36?67:ED A68865 E@ AC:46D[ E96J’5 86E S`[eae F?56C E96 !@K6? A=2?]k^Am
kAm%96 A6@A=6 H9@ 6G6?EF2==J H@F=5 86E =6DD E92? E96 36?67:ED 2G2:=23=6 27E6C 2FE@>2E:4 4FED 2C6 E92E D2>6 4@9@CE @7 9:89\62C?6CD — E96 9:896DE a_ A6C46?E[ 3FE E96:C 4FE @?=J <:4<D :? DE2CE:?8 :? a_fd] %96J H@F=5 86E `_ A6C46?E =6DD]k^Am
kAmtG6? E9@F89 s6>@4C2ED A@CEC2J E96>D6=G6D 2D AC@E64E@CD @7 E96 A@@C 2?5 >:55=6 4=2DD[ E96J’G6 DE2CE65 2EE24<:?8 !@K6? 2?5 qFD9 7@C “>62?D E6DE:?8” $@4:2= $64FC:EJ 2?5 E96C63J E9C62E6?:?8 E@ EFC? :E :?E@ 2 “H6=72C6” AC@8C2>[ F?56C>:?:?8 :ED “F?:G6CD2= DFAA@CE]”k^Am
kAmqFE 2D E96 ?F>36CD 23@G6 :?5:42E6[ $@4:2= $64FC:EJ 36?67:ED 2=C625J 2C6 E:65 E@ 2G6C286 :?4@>6D] |@C6@G6C[ 6G6? E9@F89 9:896C\:?4@>6 62C?6CD 86E >@C6 36?67:ED E92? =@H6C\:?4@>6 H@C<6CD[ 4FCC6?E =2H W2?5 E96 !@K6? A=2?X 8:G6D E96 A@@C 2 9:896C A6C46?E286 @7 E96:C 2G6C286 A2J] p=D@[ $@4:2= $64FC:EJ 36?67:ED 2C6 E2I65 2E AC@8C6DD:G6 C2E6D]k^Am
kAm$@ “>62?D E6DE:?8” 2=C625J 6I:DED] !C:G2E6 244@F?ED H@F=5 8:G6 =@H6C\:?4@>6 H@C<6CD[ :7 E96J 49@@D6[ 2? @AA@CEF?:EJ E@ @H? 2 A:646 @7 E96 64@?@>J[ 2D >:55=6\ 2?5 9:896C\:?4@>6 A6@A=6 5@ E9C@F89 c_`W<X 244@F?ED 2?5 x#pD]k^Am
kAmqJ @AA@D:?8 3@E9 AC:G2E6 244@F?ED 2?5 36?67:E C65F4E:@?D[ s6>@4C2ED 92G6 =67E 2D E96 @?=J =@8:42= 2=E6C?2E:G6D 2 E2I :?4C62D6 2?5^@C E96 6IE6?D:@? @7 E96 C6E:C6>6?E 286] q@E9 @7 E9@D6 56D6CG6 E@ 36 4@?D:56C65 — 2?5 D@ 5@6D E96 AC@A@D2= 3J #6A] }2?4J y@9?D@?[ #\r@??][ E92E 9@>6>2<6CD 36 4C65:E65 H:E9 62C?:?8D 7@C 36?67:E AFCA@D6D]k^Am
kAm%96C6 :D 46CE2:?=J C@@> 7@C :>AC@G:?8 @? qFD9’D AC@A@D2=D] qFE 7@C E92E E@ 92AA6?[ s6>@4C2ED 92G6 E@ AFE 7@CH2C5 D@>6 :562D]k^Am
