A brief discussion

Stephen Moore and I(in italics):

...[C]onservatives should not despair. This fight has only further reinforced the notion that Republicans are the reform party in America and that today's Washington Democrats are reactionary obstructionists who are completely devoid of any ideas of their own. (When asked whom they trust more to handle Social Security, 48 percent of respondents said Democrats and 36 percent said Republicans. The president still faces strong opposition to his approach to Social Security, with 60 percent of those surveyed saying they disapprove. Even some who back his approach express doubts.)The only "solution" that Democrats have offered to deal with the multi-trillion-dollar Social Security crisis is to raise tax rates on the rich. Raise payroll taxes, income taxes, estate taxes and dividend taxes. And by the way, if you earn more than $90,000 a year, congratulations, the Democrats think you're rich. (And if you earn more than $20,000, Republicans seem to think you are one of the "better off.")

Bush deserves praise for being the first president in modern history to have the political courage to try to avert a tsunami of red ink in Social Security over the next 50 years.(Reagan and Clinton must be part of ancient history, then.) That is what the voters will ultimately remember about this political tug of war. The president and reform-minded Republicans may not win this first battle, but they are winning the war.(In early January, Americans divided evenly when asked whether Social Security needs major changes in the next year or two. Now 59% say it doesn't need to be changed right away. (snip)The poll showed higher public approval for AARP, the 35-million-member retiree organization that is leading the opposition to Bush's plan, than for the president. Bush's favorable rating was 56%, compared with 75% for AARP. And 47% of Americans said they trust the Democrats more to deal with the issue of Social Security, a 10-point advantage over Republicans.)