1999-04-23 Statement by the President on Social Security

Max Sawicky sawicky at epinet.org
Sun Apr 25 12:18:39 PDT 1999



>
> [So the Reps, having read the polls, decide to give up on Social Security
> "reform," and Clinton complains about it! Triangulating bastard.]

I'm not sure triangulation is the right word. For the Clintonistas, "reform" has always meant increasing national saving by reducing public debt. This is more a mopping operation by Clinton, after the GOP failure to galvanize support for privatization. Clinton's political victory has been made possible by the inherent difficulty of coalescing support behind a specific privatization plan, and by the introduction of distractions like the Balkans. The GOP retreat means the debt paydown can proceed. The White House was never excited about the stock market or tax credit components of its own plan -- they were designed more to counter the GOP alternatives. Clinton has outmaneuvered the GOP on this question, and next year nothing at all will happen. The program is safe for another two years.

All the more reason for the left to get off their roll-over re: the Clinton plan. That includes probably half the economists on this list, incidentally.

mbs



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