It seems so long ago that Bush and his people prattled about their "mandate", seemingly a club with which to beat their Democrat opponents into submission.
The effect on Democrats remains to be seen, but Republicans themselves don't seem to be too impressed. Given the amount of political capital Bush has invested in social security privatization, every indication is that it's DOA (though we can't let our guard down, of course). Sunday was particularly brutal to Bush's SS plans.
Key Republicans in Congress on Sunday questioned White House assertions that the Social Security system was in crisis, one of President Bush's justifications for acting now on private accounts, and said new taxes should be considered.
House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Bill Thomas said on NBC's "Meet the Press" that Congress should "look beyond" the payroll tax to fund the Social Security retirement system and consider a value-added tax and other changes.
Though Bush said he will oppose tax increases for Social Security, Sen. John McCain, an Arizona Republican, told CBS's "Face the Nation" that a hike in payroll taxes "has got to be on the table" along with other financing options.
Thomas called the retirement system's finances a "problem" rather than a crisis, distancing himself from the crisis terminology used by the White House in seeking public support for creating private accounts.
"I think 'problem' really is what we're dealing with," said Thomas, when asked if he thought it was a crisis.
In a separate interview, moderate Republican Sen. Olympia Snowe, of Maine, questioned the White House's proposals and strategy, a sign of trouble for Bush in the Senate.
Snowe said she does not object to personal savings accounts "per se," but told CNN: "I'm certainly not going to support diverting $2 trillion from Social Security into creating personal savings accounts."
Bush is off to a rocky second term. His signature domestic initiative is struggling at the starting line (they now claim they never used the word "crisis"). His people are lowering expectations for the Iraqi vote, while our troops continue to return home in body bags, missing limbs, or mentally damaged. We continue to
run out of troops while allies continue to
abandon us in Iraq.
The "Bush Doctrine" -- that rousing call to arms against the world's tyrannies -- fell flat. And then fell flatter when the administration admitted that American tyrannical allies like Saudi Arabia and Uzbekistan need not worry.
Bush's approval ratings are falling, which is cold comfort to us at this point. What is encouraging is the congressional GOP's stampede away from Bush, as they start looking out for their own hides in the coming 2006 elections. That many are running away from Bush is telling.
It's up to the Democrats' to press the advantage.