Wednesday, March 02, 2005
AARP Watch: House Leadership Offensive
Not half as good as that ad with the guys kissing
It keeps getting better doesn't it, and this is only the beginning! Coming off a week of getting bashed back in the districts on the President's 'vague' plan to 'save' social security, House leaders Hastert and Delay take shots at the AARP.
Now there's talk of pushing back any substantive legislation until 2006. As mentioned in an earlier posting, such a complex and contentious debate will take time to find a consensus (a consensus among Republican's that is....). But the danger exists that having this debate in an election year could undermine the GOP's majority as Seniors (one of the most regular group of voters) will hit them hard. . .
Hey, the debate is needed and welcome. However, I think the salesmanship of the GOP has been sorely lacking on this and the program, as discussed, seems rather complicated and bureaucratic (Big Government Conservatism at its best). So, we shall see if they retool the plan, clarify the message or simply just bash their opponents. If they default to the 'bashing' then they're toast.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A830-2005Mar2.html
It keeps getting better doesn't it, and this is only the beginning! Coming off a week of getting bashed back in the districts on the President's 'vague' plan to 'save' social security, House leaders Hastert and Delay take shots at the AARP.
The AARP, which claims 35 million members age 50 and over, is "against a solution that hasn't been written yet," said House Majority Leader Tom DeLay after a closed-door meeting with the GOP rank and file.
Hastert and DeLay talked with reporters after meeting with lawmakers just back from a week spent sampling public opinion on Social Security. DeLay said the session produced "not one negative comment by the members."
Now there's talk of pushing back any substantive legislation until 2006. As mentioned in an earlier posting, such a complex and contentious debate will take time to find a consensus (a consensus among Republican's that is....). But the danger exists that having this debate in an election year could undermine the GOP's majority as Seniors (one of the most regular group of voters) will hit them hard. . .
Hey, the debate is needed and welcome. However, I think the salesmanship of the GOP has been sorely lacking on this and the program, as discussed, seems rather complicated and bureaucratic (Big Government Conservatism at its best). So, we shall see if they retool the plan, clarify the message or simply just bash their opponents. If they default to the 'bashing' then they're toast.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A830-2005Mar2.html
