SIDELINE THIS….The Washington Post today has one of the more uplifting articles I’ve read all week. It looks like seniors aren’t willing to sit on the sidelines in the Social Security debate, where, you know, George Will thinks they belong:
By and large, the elderly do understand the president has promised not to touch their Social Security checks, according to polling. But that is not relevant to their political opposition, Smorodin said, noting that older people also worry that pension benefit cuts will hurt their children and grandchildren.
At 69, Gene Wallace knows the White House’s proposal would have no impact on his Social Security check, but if Bush believes that will silence the Republican mayor of Coldwater, Mich., Wallace grumbled, “he’s all wet.”
“I’m a parent as well as a grandparent. Somewhere along the line, they are going to be eligible for retirement assistance,” he said, with all the energy he could muster three weeks after open-heart surgery. “It’s everybody’s concern what happens to this country.”
Jon Chait has more: “[T]he main reason [privatization has flopped] is that the public is not quite as selfish as the conservatives thought.”
