Their Real Agenda

"A group of Republicans chanting, "Hey, hey. Ho, ho. Social Security has got to go" ? It may be hard to believe, but that is exactly what they did. Outside Senator Rick Santorum's Social Security town hall meeting in Philadelphia. In the meeting, Santorum, the leading supporter of privatization in the Senate, declared that "it is time for a Republican solution to Social Security." But the Republicans gathered outside were more clear about where that plan ultimately leads. For Bush's conservative base, privatization of Social Security is just the first step toward getting rid of the program entirely.
These spontaneous chants say more about Republicans' true motives than anything George Bush has said to date.
Former U.S. House Majority Leader Dick Armey said Friday (Feb25,2005) that Social Security should be phased out rather than saved.
"I think if you leave people free to choose, it will be phased out by competition," the former Republican congressman from Lewisville told reporters before sharing a President's Day Dinner with the Smith County Republican Club.
According to Armey, George W. Bush is the first president with sufficient party backing in Congress to propose diverting a portion of Social Security taxes to personal investment accounts.
"Ronald Reagan would have probably had the courage to move on this change, but he lived with only a Democratic party in Congress," he said.
On the inside it was a different story for Santorum. Mr Santorum, who is the third-ranking Republican in the Senate leadership and chairman of the subcommittee on Social Security, was peppered with questions from retiree's, and heckled by college students (the very group the Bush administration is hoping will be attracted to an overhaul of Social Security). Santorum is scratching his head , trying to figure out why he was getting such hard questions. After all he was just at an event with Bush in Pennsylvania a couple weeks ago and everyone loved the President's plan. Maybe he forgot to insure that all those who allowed into his town hall meeting had signed a loyalty oath before being allowed to ask questions.
Mr Santorum was quoted as saying ""Clearly the other side is better organized. They got people to all these events. They had seniors lined up to ask questions, they had staff people running up passing them notes."
Imagine that, Rick Santorum. Your constituents are opposed to the plan to gut Social Security and they let you know. And you seem to be irritated about it. Well get used to it, because the other side is learning from your sides example. We're learning to get in there and fight, dirty if need be.
I think Twisted Sister said it so well....

Oh We're Not Gonna Take It
no, We Ain't Gonna Take It
oh We're Not Gonna Take It Anymore...

posted by wanda at 3:40 PM