Dark Bilious Vapors

Brad DeLong has this about Bush and Social Security and how it is now being played (Spun) by Karl Rove as disapproval over lack of movement Towards the President’s proposed Soc. Sec. changes, not disapproval of the changes themselves. How delusional do these folk have to be???

”Even Karl Rove, who's insight and political proficiencies are supposed to be legendary, seems to be completely confused about the reaction to Bush's scheme.

"We've been probably to some degree too successful" in selling private — or personal — accounts, White House Deputy Chief of Staff Karl Rove said yesterday.

There was a recent poll he had seen that found that about 40 percent of those who disapprove of Bush's performance on this issue actually want private accounts, explained Rove, who stopped by The Washington Post yesterday for lunch. (This is not to say the White House ever, ever looks at polls, though Rove cited several more in the next few minutes.)

"I think their attitude," he said, "is: 'I disapprove of the president's performance on Social Security because he hasn't gotten it done. Hasn't he been talking about this for six months and shouldn't he have gotten it done?' "

But that's completely wrong. Americans overwhelmingly disapprove of Bush's handling of Social Security, but they also reject privatization and benefit cuts, which are central to Bush's plan approach. In fact, all available data shows that the public dislikes Bush's idea more as they learn more about it. The White House hasn't been "too successful"; it's been too incompetent.

Do you suppose these guys are just out of touch with the real world or are they in deep, deep denial? “

Karen on 07.06.05 @ 01:48 PM CST