Because of Katrina, Bush Wants to Privatize Social Security

From the Mother Jones blog:

It’s an old business myth that the Chinese character for “crisis” combines the characters for “danger” and “opportunity.” It doesn’t. But I’m not sure anyone’s told the Bush administration, judging from this little tidbit in CongressDaily today: “[White House spokesman Trent] Duffy asserted that the vast spending that would be required to address the hurricane’s impact adds to the need to change Social Security, which threatens to strain the budget in coming years.” Ah yes, despite the fact that privatization that would add trillions to the deficit in the short term, at a time when Katrina will already add $100 billion or more to the deficit this year, the time for privatization is now, obviously, in the wake of disaster. Um, no.

Jefferson Parish President Aaron Broussard said:

“Whoever is at the top of this totem pole, that totem pole needs to be chainsawed off and we’ve got to start with some new leadership. It’s not just Katrina that caused all these deaths in New Orleans here. Bureaucracy has committed murder here in the greater New Orleans area and bureaucracy has to stand trial before Congress now.”

I think the White House doesn’t realize it’s at the top of the totem pole — the part we’ll be cutting off.

Continue ReadingBecause of Katrina, Bush Wants to Privatize Social Security

New Bush Social Security Strategy: Attack the AARP

By now you probably know that the hugely powerful, hugely popular, non-partisan senior organization, the AARP, has done the math on the Social Security “Crisis” and realized that Bush’s plan will cost individuals huge money, while making a bundle for big businesses. So they are lobbying against Bush’s plan.

Here’s how Bush’s man Karl Rove is setting up the attack on the AARP: by creating a right-wing group called USANext, similar to the Swift Boat Veterans group, that will try to demonize the AARP as a “liberal” organization. Their opening salvo is ads placed on right wing websites like the American Spectator (see it in place in the right column, second position) — here’s the ad they created:

Bush Gay Marriage Attack Ad on AARP
Bush Gay Marriage Attack Ad on AARP

(source: original link, no longer active – http://www.talkingpointsmemo.com/archives/week_2005_02_20.php#004857)

Now what this ad has to do with Social Security or the AARP is anyone’s guess, but this is what your pal George Bush is doing.

Considering that my grandparents are a part of the AARP, (and honestly, I think my dad might be, too) I’m guessing that this is one strategy that’s going to blow up in Karl Rove’s face.

UPDATE: They pulled the ad because of the controversy, but never fear, Josh Marshall has images of it in its original placement on the USANext website to prove it existed.

(source: original link, no longer active – http://www.talkingpointsmemo.com/archives/week_2005_02_20.php#004865)

Continue ReadingNew Bush Social Security Strategy: Attack the AARP