Snow: Bush Has No Intention of Presenting a Plan

Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Wednesday March 23, 2005 · 6:32 PM PST

2005/03/23 · 18:32

Or--Bush Addresses National Deficit by "Reforming" Social Security.
Or--Snow Contradicts Self on Economy Issues
Or--Snow "Makes a Practice of not Commenting"

Take your choice. According to Treasury Secretary John Snow,
1.Inflation is not a concern.
2.Increasing energy costs are no big deal. (He was contradictory on this one, also asserting that higher energy cost hurt the economy and employment, but expects costs to decrease).
3.Fall of the dollar should encourage the US's trading partners to buy more American products, but probably won't because those countries have a slower growth rate than the US, thus less disposable income, hence less incentive to buy American.
4.The deficit is a huge problem which Bush is addressing by pushing to "reform" Social Security, and later, other "entitlement" programs like Medicare, etc.

Questioned about Bush's plan for Social Security, Snow implied that Bush really has no intention of ever bringing out a plan, expecting instead proposals from legislators.

And I think the American people look to the leaders to lead. They look to the leaders to take on the big problems. And the president deserves a lot of credit for doing that.

He's trying to create a climate of ideas where in a bipartisan basis in both Houses, members of Congress will reach across the aisles and try and come up with good ideas. It's happening right now. We've seen proposals from Senator Bennett, from Senator Hagel, from Sen. Lindsay Graham of South Carolina.

Most disconcerting is Snow's no-comment policy:

I never comment on the Fed's actions [regarding setting rates].

...snip...

I make a practice of not commenting on the role of the relative exchange value of our currency.

I really wish Snow would comment. Please read the interview for yourself. It is riddled with contradictions.

In coverage of an educational forum explaining the effects of reindexing to young workers, only one out of maybe the thirty in attendance favored dropping current wage indexing for price indexing. Interestingly, the story highlighted the "wisdom" of that lone minority.

Meanwhile, Bush's cross-country campaign is proving to be a monumental waste of taxpayer money. Jane Healy of the Orlando Sentinel in Florida believes Bush is campaigning more for the reelection of 2006 Republican candidates. Bob Ewegen of the Denver Post sees no problem with Social Security, while Bob Kittle of the San Diego Union-Tribune believes ignoring the "problem" to be "unconscionable." Frances Coleman of the Mobile Register in Alabama, the Bush visit was "not a big deal."

This content was created by a Daily Kos Community member.

Make YOUR voice heard!

Comments are closed on this story.