Daily Briefing: Social Security Plan? What Social Security Plan? Editon
•White House issues six-week target to turnaround public opinion of Social Security plan; Treasury Department creates "war room" for message control.Devenish: "We'll stay focused on making sure that people understand the challenges facing the system before we move on to discussing possible solutions." [ WP ]
•Approval of Social Security plan drops to 35% in USAT/CNN/Gallup Poll; 59% say immediate change not necessary;Bush's approval rating is 56%, compared to 75% for the AARP, and Democrats are more trusted on issue.Duffy: "More and more people are coming around to [the president's] point of view." [ USAT ]
• Grassleysays perception must warm to Social Security plan soon: "If we don't see some grass-roots organizing and change of public opinion after 90 days, it's going to discourage people in Congress from moving ahead." [ NYT , LAT ]
•Republican Senators push for industry-influenced rewrite of personal bankruptcy rules. [ WSJ ]
• Gov. Warnerthinks Democrats can leverage message of fiscal responsibility for political gain and "build the case that the country's in need of a serious dose of reality." [ WSJ ]
• Bushpromises to cooperate with governors on Medicaid. [ WP , NYT , USAT ]
•On Iran,Bushis in "listening" and discussion phase. [ WT ]
•Democrats complain Social Security Administration promotesBushpolicies.Waxman: "While estimates of Social Security's long-term solvency have improved over the past four years, the Social Security Administration's rhetoric has moved in the opposite direction." [ USAT ]
• Gonzalesoutlines priorities: deporting illegal immigrants; green-lighting judicial nominees; advocating renewal of Patriot Act. [ WP , NYT , WT ]
• Negropontemust first prove he holds sway. [ WP ]
• Clintonaide callsPataki's presidential chances "laughable." [ NYT ]
•At the White House, new Montana Governor compares Social Security plan to a sour livestock auction. [ LAT ]
•Key African-American organizations oppose Social Security overhaul. [ USAT ]
• FleischertoldBushwar on terrorism is more complicated than "good versus evil." President's response: "If this isn't good versus evil, what is?"Fleischer: "I could have made a lot more money if I'd decided to write about clashes, or criticize the president, or even criticize the press more, but I chose not to." [ WP ]
• New York TimesreviewsAri Fleischer's "tedious and tendentious" book, which is released today: "It's an extended exercise inMr. Fleischer's spinning his own earlier spin. . . that feels insular, defensive and wholly predictable." [ NYT ]