Think 2006!

It would appear that Social Security reform is about to become a dead issue, at least for the moment. There is just too much opposition, and rightly so. However, Democrats had better be on their toes else Bush maneuvers them into a losing situation. Even if Bush drops the private accounts desire, if the Democrats agree to some other kind of solution, Bush will still claim credit for fixing Social Security. Of course this will kill the Republican dream of doing away entirely with Social Security, but probably only for the immediate future. Probably the best strategy for Democrats is to insist that Medicare is a much more urgent issue, along with the deficit, and thus leave the Social Security issue for the moment. After all, there is no immediate crisis in spite of what Bush is trying to get everyone to believe. The only sensible approach to anything Bush suggests is to assume it is a monumental lie. It always has been.

Idaho is supposedly the most rock solid Republican state in the Union. It certainly is one of them if not the most. So let’s see how Idaho is going to respond to the Bush budget which is going to absolutely decimate necessary and important programs in Idaho more or less across the board. Big cuts everywhere as far as the eye can see. I can hardly wait to see our Republican dominated State Government respond. Oh, they won’t mind big cuts in education. They don’t think education is important. And they won’t mind cuts in environmental programs. They don’t think the environment is important. But wait until they get to cuts in agricultural programs or timber. You’ll hear their howls all the way to the moon. It’s going to be an interesting year or two, or three or four if Bush/Cheney make it that far. I sense doomsday for this Administration. But I am often wrong. Damn!

There is a lot of talk about 2008. Will it be Hilary? Kerry again? Gore? Biden? Who? I suggest we forget about 2008 and concentrate on 2006. Let’s take back the Senate and make big inroads into the House. I think it may well be possible, assuming, of course, that the Republicans don’t control the voting machines again. Let’s hear it for voting reform.