Quote of the day

Here’s a pretty accurate description of one facet of the White House’s ineffective Social Security privatization pitch. Take a guess as to who said it.

[This lawmaker] criticized the White House for “tactical mistakes” in not taking time to enlist Democratic support, dating back to the president’s first term and his 2001 Commission to Strengthen Social Security. “They chose to run the thing up the flagpole and then to stuff it down the throats of the Democrats,” he said.

That would be Republican Sen. Judd Gregg of New Hampshire — chairman of the Senate Budget Committee and one of Congress’ earliest proponents of privatization.

Something to keep in mind the next time White House officials try and blame Dems for not being more open to negotiation.