Content by pollyusa
Posted at 12:03am on Sep. 16, 2005 Social Security Reform
By pollyusa
There were a couple of stories in the news today regarding the future of Social Security reform.
Roll Call (Subscripion only)
Fearful that tackling Social Security reform could cripple his party in the 2006 elections, National Republican Congressional Committee Chairman Tom Reynolds (N.Y.) plans to recommend to his fellow leaders that they shelve the issue for the remainder of the 109th Congress.Reynolds told his fellow Ways and Means Committee GOP members as much during a panel luncheon Wednesday. After Chairman Bill Thomas (R-Calif.) expressed his determination to push forward on Social Security this year, Reynolds stood and said he would make the opposite argument to the leadership, according to two sources familiar with the exchange.
"Reynolds told Thomas that he would recommend to the leaders that we not proceed with Social Security this year because it did not appear there was any chance it would be passed into law by the Senate, and we'd be forcing our vulnerables to walk to the plank for nothing," said a source familiar with Reynolds' comments.
Reynolds strong desire to abandon Social Security reform is reflective of widespread nervousness among GOP campaign strategists about how the issue will play out next November. Republican sources said that the results of the party's internal polling and focus groups on Social Security have made the GOP's political operatives nervous about proceeding, especially since the party's approval ratings and generic ballot performance are already low.
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Posted at 6:09pm on May 27, 2005 "The Deal" behind "The Deal"
By pollyusa
FoxNews May 26,2005
The source is video, this is my partial transcription. The video includes clips with DeWine and Specter. There is a short commercial you must watch first.
Senior Republican sources tell Fox, Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist and The Bush Whitehouse were worried enough about possibly losing the vote to end judicial filibusters that they dispatched two conservatives, SC Lindsey Graham and Ohio's Mike DeWine to cut the best possible deal.
The principle source of anxiety was Judiciary Chairman Arlen Specter. Top GOP sources say it was unclear until the last minute how Specter would vote...
Dewine said uncertainty was very real.
DeWine:
"No one knows how the vote on the Constitutional Option would have come out. We might have won. We might jave lost. If we lost it would have been devistating to the president."Specter:
"I can do alot better with divergent interests if I maintain as close to a centrist position as possible and that means keeping quiet."
I also found this quote from Senator Specter
Tom Curry, MSNBC
May 24, 2005
Specter seemed to hint at that outcome as he told reporters that the separation of powers between the president and Congress "functions best when people are a little uncertain as to how it is going to work out."
In other words, if Bush knew his nominee needed 60, not merely 51, then he might choose a less conservative nominee.
The Senate and Bush "are now back to pre-1987 (before the defeat of conservative Supreme Court nominee Robert Bork). Everything is a little on tippy-toes as to how to proceed and that is the best way for our separation of powers," Specter said.
I knew there was something suspicious when I didn't see Specter in the compromise group. I posted this the other day.
Slightly off topic, I think the vote was hanging on Specter. Snowe, Cafee, Collins, McCain, and Warner were I think going with the D's. Specter was not one of the 14 who signed "The Deal". I called Specter's office today and the answer there was that Specter has not issued any statements about the deal or why he was not part of the 14. I thought he was part of the discussions at some point, anyone know what happened with Specter?
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Posted at 12:09pm on May 6, 2005 Catholic Leaders to Launch Immigration Reform Campaign
By pollyusa
United States Conference of Catholic Bishops
WASHINGTON (May 3, 2005) - Comprehensive immigration reform - including a broad legalization program - is the goal of a national campaign among Catholics in the United States to be launched Tuesday, May 10, in Washington, DC. Church leaders will announce a new effort to educate and galvanize Catholics of the need for "justice for immigrants," and to challenge President Bush and Congress to adopt reform measures built on principles issued by U.S. and Mexican bishops in 2003.
The four principles include: legalization for the undocumented; expanded opportunities for legal entry for work and family reunification; establishment of an appropriate and effective temporary workers program; and re-establishment of due process rights and other legal safeguards.