Bush to Shift His Social Security Focus to Solutions [View All]

[Rose Siding]

After spending months seeking to convince the nation that Social Security faces serious problems that demand immediate action, President Bush will pivot to a new message next month, working in coordination with Congressional leaders to begin setting out the menu of potentially painful solutions, White House officials said.

Despite polls showing growing resistance to the centerpiece of Mr. Bush's approach to overhauling Social Security, his call for investment accounts, administration officials said they were succeeding in their first goal, which is establishing that Congress needs to act now to deal with the financial strains that the aging population will put on the system in coming decades.

"Phase 1 is heighten the sense that this is a big issue worthy of immediate consideration by Congress," said Karl Rove, the deputy White House chief of staff for policy and Mr. Bush's political strategist. "We have some ways to go in the calendar on that, but the movement on that has been very good."

Mr. Bush continues to face remarkably united Democratic opposition to any plan that involves investment accounts financed by part of the Social Security payroll tax, as well as fissures within his own party. On Friday, Mr. Bush told reporters aboard Air Force One that members of Congress who stood in the way of a solution to the retirement system's long-term problems would pay a political price.

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/04/10/national/nationalspecial/10social.html