Will Social Security Be on Bush's List Next Year?

December 20, 2002

Writing in Insight Magazine, Hans Nichols asks a holiday season question of president George W. Bush: "He's making a list and checking it twice. He already knows who's naughty and nice. So what's on Santa's list this year for the good little boys and girls of the GOP?"

Regarding Social Security, there does not seem to be a firm answer thus far. "The president's approach to Social Security reform remains the big question mark, agree lobbyists and elected officials alike. Will he press aggressively for some sort of privatization plan, especially for younger workers? Will he appoint yet another bipartisan commission and adopt its recommendations? As Hess notes, 'If he's serious about Social Security reform, he'll have to do it now, because nothing is going to happen next year with the Democrats picking their presidential candidate.' Capitol Hill is well aware of this circumstance. 'We really only have one legislative year,' says a Republican leadership aide."

"That may be the case" Nichols claims, "but advocates of reform like to point out that Social Security no longer is the 'third rail' of American politics. They note that all of the Republican candidates who took strong positions on reforming the system, including advocacy of partial privatization, won their Senate contests. John Sununu in New Hampshire, Saxby Chambliss in Georgia, Elizabeth Dole in North Carolina and Norm Coleman in Minnesota all advocated reform of Social Security and won closely fought elections. As a prominent Republican operative tells Insight, 'We've had everyone poll on this, from Kelly Anne Fitzpatrick to Bill McInturf, and it always comes up a winner. It's only a matter of time before the establishment wakes up and realizes this.'"

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