The Dems and Their Ponzi Scheme

Mort Kondracke is one of the most respected journalists around. Unlike most of them, he actually does call it like he sees it. And I'm praising Kondrack even though he's a man who's quite clearly to the left of center -- but he's also actually capable of demonstrating reason and objectivity. His column on the Democrats' decision to play like two year-olds on the Social Security issue -- since all they can say is "No!" -- is a terrific piece of advice...

It's time for Democrats to declare what kind of Social Security reform they favor. Even former President Bill Clinton thinks so. Yet the Democrats persist in attacking President Bush's ideas - often misleadingly.

Clinton told ABC's "Good Morning America" - in an exchange curiously not broadcast - "I think Democrats should say what they are for on Social Security in the next couple weeks. ... Democrats should have a plan and they should talk to the president and Congressional Republicans about it."

According to ABC's political blog, The Note, Clinton said he didn't think Democrats deserved criticism for not producing a plan yet and that they still had time to produce one. But he added, "I think they need to come up with a plan of their own."

Democrats had a good opportunity when the Ways and Means Committee launched Social Security hearings. But they blew it.

As in the past, all Democrats did was attack Bush's plan, demand that he take it "off the table" before any bargaining begins and question the bona fides of a Democratic expert, Robert Pozen, whose "progressive indexing" proposal the White House has endorsed.

Rep. Charlie Rangel (D-N.Y.), the ranking member on Ways and Means, actually said he didn't care what the substance of Pozen's plan was. It was sufficient to disqualify Pozen that he's an investment banker.

Read the whole thing. Don't hold your breath waiting for the party of Pelosi to follow the advice. They think this 1930's Ponzi scheme is still a good idea. If they keep acting like this, it's pretty easy to see why they keep losing elections.