Memo to Congressional Leaders

Social Security is a tough political issue. All working Americans have a direct, vested interest in the program. Virtually all seniors receive a direct check each month and, in many cases, this is their only source of income. To gain political capital, the Do-Nothing Democrats plan on using scare tactics, demagoguery, half-truths, and distortions in a multi-million dollar mail and TV ad blitz this fall aimed directly at seniors who vote.

Republicans have every right to be nervous about Social Security. Faced with years of data showing the rapidly approaching insolvency of the program, Republican leaders have proposed that something be done to fix the system. And for that act of responsibility and courage, Republican leaders know they are going to get hammered by those Democrats who have done the least to address, or even acknowledge the mounting financial crisis.

But there is no easy way out of this tricky political situation. Democrats are going to do what they’re going to do. Republican leaders need to face the facts: They can’t take a vote on a meaningless resolution and expect their problems to go away. All they can do is aggressively educate key segments of the population about the facts. All you can do is tell the people in plain English what you believe.

For at least twenty years, conservative thinkers have proposed a straightforward idea to make Social Security solvent and provide a better return for workers. The idea is to allow workers to decide, within strict guidelines, where a portion of their payroll tax goes. They can keep it in the current system, or place some of it in a mutual fund account or a mixed equity/bond fund. That’s the plan – and it has been associated with the Republican Party for a long time. President Bush campaigned on it and has a commission report outlining in much greater detail how it should work.

Democrats (and others) call that privatization. Republicans can’t vote on a resolution that says “we’re against privatization,” and expect Democrats to stop saying Republicans have a secret plan to privatize Social Security.

But what Republican leaders can do and should do is very aggressively take the fight right to the Democrats. It is time to take the gloves off and go negative on the Do-Nothing Democrats.

First, ask Dick Gephardt to name one Republican Member of the House who in the last twenty years has ever voted to cut Social Security benefits. If it has never happened before, why should anyone expect it to happen after this election? Next, name the existing Democrat members of the House – including Democrat leadership – who voted to raise taxes on Social Security benefits – thereby cutting benefits. It happened as part of the 1993 Clinton tax increase that not one Republican voted to support. One party has a record of cutting benefits and the other party has stood up for seniors. The American people deserve to know the facts.

I don’t think it is too early, or the least bit unfair, to raise the possibility of a secret Gephardt plan to cut Social Security benefits. Surely, with bankruptcy looming, Democrats have some plan to shore up the system. If it doesn’t include personal retirement accounts, it has to include tax increases, benefit cuts, or both. Which is it? Why would Gephardt want a vote on the outlines of the President’s commission report, but not want a vote on his own plan? Why won’t the Democrat leaders level with the American people?

If you believe in personal retirement accounts as the solution to the biggest financial crisis looming over the federal treasury, then tell the American people exactly that. We will never get Social Security reform if the political party that believes in reform isn’t willing to fight like hell for it.

A strategy that tries to blur the differences between Republicans and Democrats on Social Security might seem appealing, but it won’t work. There are real differences between party philosophies on this issue. It is a matter of public record and Democrats intend to point that out. But the Democrats are vulnerable to the contrast as well. Make them defend their own territory, because they stand on very shaky ground.