[StethyEntinic]

GOP faces tough vote on Bush's war plan - Yahoo! News

Bush has been trying to sell his revised war plan to the public in a series of television interviews. He told PBS's Jim Lehrer in an interview broadcast Tuesday that keeping his old policies in place would lead to "a slow failure," but withdrawing from Iraq, as some Democrats and other critics suggest, would result in an "expedited failure."

"I am frustrated with the progress," Bush said. "A year ago, I felt pretty good about the situation. I felt like we were achieving our objective, which is a country that can govern, sustain and defend itself. No question, 2006 was a lousy year for Iraq."

Bush also said that the unruly execution of Saddam Hussein "looked like it was kind of a revenge killing," making it harder to persuade a skeptical U.S. public that Iraq's government will keep promises central to Bush's plan for a troop increase.

In his toughest assessment yet, Bush criticized the circumstances of Saddam's hanging last month, as well as Monday's execution of two top aides, including Saddam's half brother.

"I was disappointed and felt like they fumbled the — particularly the Saddam Hussein execution," the president said.

In spite of Bush's efforts to gain support, several GOP members are offering only tepid endorsements of his plan, as well as a wait-and-see approach to the Democratic resolution.

Well, he tried stealing your Grandma and Grandpa's Social Security, defiling FDR's Social Security Act of 1935, he's privatized education with his "No Child Left" bullshit, now he is still insistent on sending our nation's children to the Iraq Slaughter House. How much can this guy get away with? Let's hope he is put to a stop and both parties join together for once and agree that this troop surge is disaster upon disaster. I'm keeping my fingers crossed...

[Aleksis]

Well, he tried stealing your Grandma and Grandpa's Social Security, defiling FDR's Social Security Act of 1935, he's privatized education with his "No Child Left" bullshit, now he is still insistent on sending our nation's children to the Iraq Slaughter House. How much can this guy get away with? Let's hope he is put to a stop and both parties join together for once and agree that this troop surge is disaster upon disaster. I'm keeping my fingers crossed...

Call your Senators and ask them to support Senator Kennedy's bill against troop escalation in Iraq. I called Senator Feinstein and Senator Boxer today.

[StethyEntinic]

I agree with your sentiments ... I just wonder if this Iraq mess that Bush's created by going to war will be resolved any time soon, even by the Dems ...

Bush has ended up opening a Pandora's Box which won't close anytime soon, the way things are going.

Yeah, it's like he made his bed, but we have to lie in it.

[SergeyMaikov]

Well, he tried stealing your Grandma and Grandpa's Social Security, defiling FDR's Social Security Act of 1935 Social security should be abolished, not just privatized as Bush wanted.

he's privatized education with his "No Child Left" bullshit Education should be privatized.

now he is still insistent on sending our nation's children to the Iraq Slaughter House. Hopefully it will work out and we can achieve some sort of stability in Iraq, though I am still somewhat on the fence about this.

[StethyEntinic]

Social security should be abolished, not just privatized as Bush wanted. Oh dear me. And when you retire, what if you didn't have social security to fall back on?

Education should be privatized. That would mean the privaledged can only afford it. That is a really odd idea.

[Eromereorybig]

Social security should be abolished, not just privatized as Bush wanted.

Great idea, lots of old men and old ladies to fill up the homeless shelters.

Education should be privatized.

So only the rich can go to school?

Hopefully it will work out and we can achieve some sort of stability in Iraq, though I am still somewhat on the fence about this.

Hopefully it will work out.....but it sure looks like we are heading in the wrong direction, more deaths, more cost to the US tax payer, more destruction as time goes on. Still no electricity or security for the Iraqis.

[Amerworma]

Insanity would be one

[LesLattis]

Oh dear me. And when you retire, what if you didn't have social security to fall back on?



That would mean the privaledged can only afford it. That is a really odd idea.

WoW! I honestly feel sympathy if you're expecting the govn to adequately care for you in your old age. There's a reason people set up 401k's and other retirement plans.

Varus

[ClorrerVeks]

Oh dear me. And when you retire, what if you didn't have social security to fall back on?



That would mean the privaledged can only afford it. That is a really odd idea.

Of course I won't have social security to fall back on, I still have 30+ years until retirement, it will have long since failed by then.

Thats why there are things such as Pensions, 401K, IRA, savings, investments... I don't see why someone should be legally required to participate in a retirement program.


As for education I believe in the voucher system, which creates compitition between schools, but provides each student with an equal monetary value to the schools.

[StethyEntinic]

You do realize that a lot of people that are retirement age didn't have the advantages of 401K do you? Also, lots of people don't have the funds to invest. What if something like Enron happened? Social Security is meant for those who become disabled and can no longer work as well, you know.

[ClorrerVeks]

Well personally I dont support the abolition of social security - I dont see any point in it and social security does help a lot of people that really need it. I disagree with the arguments some people make that social security makes people lazy and dependent on handouts.

Privatizing education? I haven't thougt much about it, but it would seem that education would then get more expensive, and only available to a select group of people who could afford it, as you and Samantha have stated. Not an expert on this, but thats what I think ...

But, I'm still curious to see what his reasons are ...

If a group of people wish to participate in Social Security they should be fre to participate in it, if however someone chooses to opt out of social security and use that money to privately invest I think they should be allowed to do that also. As far as return on investment goes social security is probably one of the biggest loosers of all time. I could make a better return on the money I invest into social security by taking that same amount of money rolling it up into a little ball and shoving it up my ass. Then when I reach retirement I pull that ball of money I invested into my ass out and it will be worth more then the retirment I would recieve from government run social security.

[StethyEntinic]

As for education I believe in the voucher system, which creates compitition between schools, but provides each student with an equal monetary value to the schools. You believe in the voucher system because you could afford it. The voucher is just for a certain amount of time and then the public school system that the child went to is to pay for it. That cuts teachers pay AND jobs. Not good. When the school cannot pay, the child is then back to the public school. This is competetion bewteen for-profit schools that hurts the free education that this country NEEDS.

[ClorrerVeks]

You do realize that a lot of people that are retirement age didn't have the advantages of 401K do you? Also, lots of people don't have the funds to invest. What if something like Enron happened? Social Security is meant for those who become disabled and can no longer work as well, you know.

If you didn't have to pay into social security you would have the funds to invest for a retirement package.

Enron was a single company, the reason if hurt some peoples retirement is because they invested their retirement package into a single company, all you have to do is diversify your retirement (mutual funds are a good way) then you don't have to worry about the failure of a single company.

[SergeyMaikov]

You believe in the voucher system because you could afford it. The voucher is just for a certain amount of time and then the public school system that the child went to is to pay for it. That cuts teachers pay AND jobs. Not good. When the school cannot pay, the child is then back to the public school. This is competetion bewteen for-profit schools that hurts the free education that this country NEEDS.

Compitition between schools will force each school to produce results. Right now there is no inherint motivation for a school to show positive educational results. Each public school gets paid the same from the government no matter if your child is a success or a failure.

If each child is given a voucher to pay for their education (provided by the government) then the student (ie parents) can choose to leave a failing school and place their student (and money) in a better functioning school. It would motivate schools. It would also increase the pay for quality teachers as they come more in demand since every school is going to want to employ teachers that are able to produce educational results.

[StethyEntinic]

Competition is generally something that keeps prices lower HOWEVER education should not be entirely privatized. If in this nation, you need an edcation in order to work, then education should be free because all people should be entitled and NEED to work in order to survive. I would love if we had a free college education like in England. I kinda prefer the Parliament way of things.

[ClorrerVeks]

So then, your argument is not that social security should be ABOLISHED, but that people should have the CHOICE between paying social security tax (as part of their regular taxes to the government) or using that amount of money for whatever purpose they see fit. Am I right?

(If I'm wrong on the taxes part of it, please correct me - it's been a while since I worked in the US).

And why privatize all education? If thats done, won't it become too expensive for the general majority?

You are correct, I would prepose the abolition of mandatory participation in social security.

[Amerworma]

If each child is given a voucher to pay for their education (provided by the government) then the student (ie parents) can choose to leave a failing school and place their student (and money) in a better functioning school. It would motivate schools. It would also increase the pay for quality teachers as they come more in demand since every school is going to want to employ teachers that are able to produce educational results. And those very funds are coming from public school's pockets. OR would you prefer the government to take it out of yours?

[ClorrerVeks]

Competition is generally something that keeps prices lower HOWEVER education should not be entirely privatized. If in this nation, you need an edcation in order to work, then education should be free because all people should be entitled and NEED to work in order to survive. I would love if we had a free college education like in England. I kinda prefer the Parliament way of things.

The vouchers would be provided by the government as the tax payer does have an interest in providing basic education to children.

[SergeyMaikov]

And those very funds are coming from public school's pockets. OR would you prefer the government to take it out of yours?

If a complete voucher system were instituted the only funds that would exist would be the money attached to each student. I'm already paying for public education. The voucher system simply gives every student a chance to choose the best producing schools. Their will be no difference in cost to the tax payer as we are already paying.

[Amerworma]

You do realze that this will rise taxes? Besides, in Bush's No Child policy, the public schools are paying for the vouchers.