Sound the death knell

Social Security reform is pretty much dead:

House leaders said yesterday that they can't take up a Social Security bill before this fall, dealing a serious blow to any hope that Congress might enact an overhaul of the nation's retirement system this year.

The Senate is no closer to action than the House of Representatives.

That means the legislation, if it's ever taken up, is likely to be pushed into 2006, where election-year politics could make it virtually impossible to tackle the type of controversial changes that President Bush envisions.

All this should be seen as a big victory for Democrats, of course, who stood strong and united to protect the Republican raiders. And if they can't parlay this battle into wins in 2006, then this will prove to be a won battle in a lost war rather than actual victory.