Christian Science Monitor

01/12/05

The coming Washington struggle over President Bush's plan to partially privatize Social Security promises to be particularly intense, because it revolves around a core issue of politics: the values the federal government should espouse. The economics of retirement security will be a major factor in the debate, of course, as will the usual Democratic-Republican partisan divide. The overall outlook for the federal budget (lots of red ink) could prove crucial in lawmakers' consideration. But opponents of private retirement accounts generally see them as a threat to the collective protection offered by a big government program. Proponents judge them as an encouragement to individualism, and a reduction in Washington's power.

That's why full-page ads hitting the plan are already running in big newspapers, and why Mr. Bush is promoting the idea around the country before legislation hits the House or Senate floor...

http://www.csmonitor.com/2005/0112/p01s03-uspo.html


Informant: Thomas L. Knapp