Let’s see, it’s the president’s inauguration week and he continues to talk about the biggest domestic policy initiative of his second term, privatizing Social Security. How’s the momentum looking?<\/p>\n
* A new Washington Post\/ABC News poll showed Americans strongly prefer Dems’ approach<\/a> to Social Security to Bush’s, 50% to 37%.<\/p>\n * A new LA Times poll shows overwhelming opposition<\/a> among all age groups for a plan that included reductions in the guaranteed benefits retirees received from Social Security — 23% of those polled said they would support private accounts under those circumstances, while 69% would oppose it. Benefit reductions will reportedly be integral to Bush’s plan<\/a>.<\/p>\n * A highly influential House Republican, who’s supposed to lead the charge for privatization, has already indicated that he’s planning to ignore<\/a> the White House’s stated parameters for “reform.”<\/p>\n The new Republican point man on Social Security in the House of Representatives said Tuesday that he doesn’t rule out higher taxes and reductions in future benefit growth as part of a bill that would create personal retirement accounts.<\/p>\n Rep. Jim McCrery, R-La., also said President Bush will have to offer a more detailed proposal for Social Security than he has thus far if an overhaul of the program is to pass Congress by the end of the year…. [McCrery’s] subcommittee will be charged with writing a Social Security bill that Bush calls his top domestic priority. Bush’s proposal will be a starting point, but Congress is likely to make changes, McCrery said.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n