Capping the end of a 60-day nationwide tour to promote changes to the Social Security (search) system, President Bush on Thursday night repeated many of the proposals he made on the road, emphasizing both personal investment accounts and gauging benefits to personal income.
In a prime-time address to the nation, Bush also chastised anyone in Congress who would try to cast the Social Security debate in a political light.
"I am willing to listen to any good idea from either party," Bush said, adding that if Congress can set aside politics then "Republicans and Democrats will be able to stand together and take credit for doing what is right for our children and grandchildren."
Also addressing a major concern to Americans — rising energy prices (search) — Bush said energy consumption is growing 40 times faster than domestic production, meaning that Americans are becoming more and more beholden to foreign producers.
President's pitch: fine or fuhgeddabowdit? Click here to vote!
A sample of your responses:
Forget about it! There are other ways to mend social security. Take for instance W's statement last night about how the government takes the excess paid into Social Security and pays other programs. How about keeping that excess in a special fund strictly for Social Security. How much would be saved by 2017? Then how long would it be before it got to the point of paying out more then paying in?
How about not giving all those tax breaks to the oil industry, making them clean up the MTBE mess at their own expense instead of ours, we could take all those billions and put it into the Social Security account!? Interest on that over the next 12 years?
Jeffrey P.
Atascadero, CA
I think the president’s ideas are a fine beginning. I also am disappointed that Nancy Pelosi continues to be negative and unhelpful. Perhaps she should begin preparation to go the way of former Sen. Daschle.
Paul S.
Bismarck, ND
Not for nothing, but this guy is the worst public speaker ever. I can't believe he wasted a solid Thursday night of excellent tv shows to studder for an hour. I mean, take 5 minutes and read the speech before presenting it to the world, stop wasting my time.
Warren P.
Chatham, NJ
I am disappointed in our president — we need some new directions in the energy issue. Getting oil producers to produce more and drilling ANWR all are pie-in-the-sky and tired attempts. They ain't gonna solve the problem. We need renewable energy sources (wind, solar, even nuclear) and urgently. To dawdle with tired old ideas that have made the Oil Barons rich is not the solution today... On Social Security: if we don't solve the energy problem, and soon, we are going to have a confrontation with China and possibly India and sociall security will be a very small issue.
Ken
FL
Why would a wealthy president from Texas who will never have to utilize Social Security care about what happens to others that will have to? Simple, he cares. He doesn't have to say that he cares about the common man as the Democrats claim they do, he shows it.
Chris M.
Afton, MI
Actually the president said nothing. I ask: so many billions at this time — trillions for the war — and not one dollar can be used to help Social Security. Why is that Mr. President?
Xiomara S.
What good is a Social Security fix if "aliens" continue streaming across the border?
Jim W.
Redwood, MS
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