From the New York Times

A new poll has been released showing that not only has Bush's campaign to destroy Social Security not gained momentum, but more people than ever are against the idea. Good job W.

Some highlights:

• "51 percent said permitting individuals to invest part of their Social Security taxes in private accounts, the centerpiece of Mr. Bush's plan, was a bad idea, even as a majority said they agreed with Mr. Bush that the program would become insolvent near the middle of the century if nothing was done..."
  

In case the Bush regime is too clueless to figure out what this means, the American people would prefer to wait until a fiscally responsible government is in place to repair Social Security.

• "Notwithstanding Mr. Bush's argument that citizens should be given more control over their retirement savings, almost four out of five respondents said it was the government's responsibility to assure a decent standard of living for the elderly..."

It's interesting to note that the Republican ideology that the Bush regime is trying to slip past a largely uninterested nation is exactly about obviating governmental responsibility. This has been something that's given the Republicans wet dreams for 70 years: roll back the clock, put that pesky Democrat Franklin Roosevelt and his wacky, wasteful schemes in their place, and make the people once more accountable for the entirety of their standard of living. If that means increased poverty for the aged and infirm, Republicans are unconcerned. "Not our problem, folks."

• "there has been an increase in respondents who say that efforts to restore order in Iraq are going well, even as an overwhelming number of Americans say Mr. Bush has no clear plan for getting out of Iraq..."

Those unaware of history are doomed to repeat it, as the saying goes. Just because there was an "election" in Iraq does not mean democracy is on the march. South Vietnam held an "election" in 1967 and much good it did them. The recent election in Iraq is every bit as meaningless, but it has been seized upon and churned through the Rovinator to make it sound like, this time, the mission really is accomplished. It's not. And it's depressing to realize that the American public can't see that, but not surprising given the palabum they're forcefed by the media. We've passed the 1500 mark in the US military death count (a death count that is skewed wildly against the truth as it is), thousands upon thousands of Iraqis have been killed. More people die every day. Iraq is no more a democratic nation than the United States is.

• "Sixty percent of respondents - including 48 percent of self-described conservatives - said they disapproved of how Mr. Bush was managing the deficit. And 90 percent of respondents described the deficit as a very or somewhat serious problem..."

When the Bush budget fails to clear the Republican-controlled Congress (and it should fail as it's not just nonsensical but strikes savage blows at many of the programs that exist to help the needy (see Republican ideology above)), you just know the Democrats will be blamed for this. Personally, I hope the Dems stand firm. I'm tired of them enabling the insanities of the neocons because they don't want to be viewed as obstructionist. Here's a tip: worry less about how something looks, and worry more about doing the right thing for the American people.

This is a case in point.