Actually, the administration's lack of detail about its proposal makes it easy to respond. Just launch attacks against the worst version of the plan that you can think of. After all, it works for the GOP, every time!
The White House strategy is to emphasize the financial problems posed to the system by the baby boom generation retirement before laying down the details of his plan.
Opponents argue the administration's lack of detail about its proposal makes it hard for them to respond. Despite the lack of specifics, opponents say the proposal means deep cuts in guaranteed retirement benefits and that it will add to already bloated deficits.
And take heart: the AARP is against the Bush Social Security plan, which if my reading of it is correct involves razing senior citizen homes to the ground and forcing the newly homeless residents to live with their sons-in-law.
[UPDATE 12-17-04] by nadezhda
Somebody's figured out how to play hardball!
The AFL-CIO is warning the financial-services sector that its support for diverting some portion of payroll taxes into investment accounts smacks of a conflict of interests. The sector stands to gain an estimated $280 billion to $940 billion in fees from such a change.Gets their attention and concentrates their minds wonderfully, it seems.
Unions, which control billions of dollars in pensions, have suggested that pension fund trustees stop doing business with investment firms that advocate individual retirement accounts for Social Security. In 2001, the AFL-CIO targeted State Street Corp., a financial-services firm that had been leading the drive for individual retirement accounts. Within months, State Street reversed its position.
In a letter to 46 financial firms this week, AFL-CIO President John Sweeney leveled a veiled threat: "I encourage your firm to follow State Street's example," he wrote.
The first afoe European weblog awards