Social Security Shocker!

My word, Senate Majority Leader Bill “Kitty Cutter” Frist is saying that Bush’s Social Security reform might be delayed as much as a year.

Hmm. Wonder why that could be?



Oh right. Despite having sent every available GOP Senator and Rep, plus all their paid and unpaid shills, out to promote the president’s lunatic reform plan for Social Security to every speaking venue and media outlet that would have them, the administration is finding that the Democrats just aren’t caving on this one, and the American people aren’t proving to be as easily swayable as usual. Stubborn commoners!

Frist's comments came as lawmakers returned from a week-long break during which many held town meetings to discuss the president's Social Security plan. Some Republicans were shocked by the intensity of opposition expressed, while many Democrats seemed emboldened by the reaction.

[…]

Senate Minority Leader Harry M. Reid (D-Nev.) told reporters that the past week of public forums "has proven that the president's message is not selling."

I think the GOP is starting to discover some interesting things about their supporters. First they found out the churchly types in the red states actually are the religious nutjobs Bush & Co. only claim to be, so even though gay marriage might be little more than a wedge issue as far as Rove is concerned, Dobson and his minions aren’t about to be satisfied with mere lip service. (Wow—ever since Gannon, it really is impossible to talk about gay issues and the White House without everything becoming a double entendre.)

Now Bush discovers that lying to them about his reasons for killing some dirty Arabs isn’t the same as lying to them about their checks. Lying about the Iraq War, well shit—when the half-assed, badly concocted tale of national security using dubious intelligence was revealed as a fairy tale, sure red America shrugged. Such careful posturing had been an unnecessary political formality as far as they were concerned; they were quite happy to go along with bombing the ragheads for no reason at all. Lying about their checks, though—hold on a second now. They’re sitting up and paying attention on this one, and they don’t like what they’re hearing. Go figure. Each week, the figures look worse for the pres.

You can only sell someone a bill of goods if they’re willing to buy. Bush’s supporters gave him a pass on the war because they’re inveterate racists and warmongers. But they won’t let themselves be swindled, dammit!

(Kudos to the Dems for staying strong on this one, too. It’s nice to see a vaguely solid opposition again. As always, Joe Liebertwat can lick my clit.)