Utah Sen. Bob Bennett is going to introduce some sort of a social security bill without private accounts:
Mr. Bennett said that during a luncheon with other Republican senators at the White House, he told the president of his plans to introduce the bill as early as next week.
“He indicated that I should go forward and do that,” Mr. Bennett said. “And I’m grateful to have him do that even though his own preference would be to have personal accounts included.”
Since the beginning of his second term, Mr. Bush has been pushing to allow younger workers to create voluntary personal accounts funded out of their Social Security payroll taxes. Democrats accuse the White House of seeking to privatize the Depression-era program and have been unified in opposition to the idea.
“I’ve decided that the Democrats have made it clear that they will not back personal accounts,” Mr. Bennett said outside the White House. “And in response to the president’s position that let’s try to get something done, I will be proposing a bill that does not include personal accounts.”
This compromise is necessary because the Democrats are not a serious political party, even if they do throw a great pretend tea party in the basement of the House.