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Website: http://www.seeingtheforest.com/archives/2005/04/this_i_believe.htm

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Bush Is Winning On Social Security III

by GaryBoatwright, Tue Apr 12, 2005 at 11:16:27 AM EST

We had a productive discussion yesterday about how Bush Is Winning On Social Security II. Karl Rove has called in his markers from the business community and they responded. Today one of the think tanks in the Right Wing Noise Machine weighs in, The Social Security Crisis Gets Personal, by Stuart Butler. Stuart Butler is vice president for domestic and economic policy studies at the Heritage Foundation.

The debate over Social Security reform so far has centered on the concern that, as the number of retirees balloons, the program won't be able to pay its promised benefits. That certainly is a crisis that must be addressed. But let's say, for argument's sake, that Social Security's finances were in great shape. Would reform still be necessary?

Translation: Let's just assume there is a Social Security crisis and ignore any real solutions to our overall trade, Medicare, economic and budget crisis. At the Heritage Foundation we like to pretend we're being reasonable. That way our deceitful propaganda is all the more persuasive to average, uninformed voters.

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The War Against Social Security II

by GaryBoatwright, Mon Apr 11, 2005 at 11:04:38 AM EST

A front page story in the L.A. Times, Trade Groups Join Bush on Social Security: Though individual firms are wary, nearly 100 associations answer a White House battle cry.

In February, Karl Rove put some heat on their corporate allies to back Bush's stealth plan to dismantle Social Security:

Polls showed the public wary, Republicans were balking on Capitol Hill, and businesses that had agreed to lend support were dropping out under pressure from labor unions.

The White House had summoned dozens of the nation's most influential business lobbyists so Rove could personally deliver the message that Social Security was the president's No. 1 domestic priority -- and introduce the committee charged with building support for it.

Even in a business community still divided on the issue, the private talking-to penetrated deeply.

Compass is the name of the committee charged with building support for Bush's stealth plan to dismantle Social Security.

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