Exit Strategy

You have to admit it — Bush has been a real trooper on Social Security. He has criss-crossed the country for months, doing the same show in front of look-alike audiences and sound-alike guests, all to push an ill-defined and ill-conceived "plan" to phase out Social Security. Frankly, I've wondered how long he could keep going.

The question arises because, to be honest, his road trips aren't doing anything but increasingly turn public opinion against a phase-out. And while Bush is a stubborn sort, he has the luxury of not having to stand before the voters again. Meanwhile, there are a couple hundred Republicans in Congress that aren't quite as anxious to go along for a ride that seems to be headed off the edge of a cliff.

So no surprise, then, to see this story in today's Washington Post:

With the Senate Finance Committee at an impasse on Social Security and House leaders anxious about moving forward, Republican congressional leaders have told the White House in recent days that it is time to look for an escape route.

Senate GOP leaders, in discussions with White House Deputy Chief of Staff Karl Rove and political officials, have made it clear they are stuck in a deep rut and suggested it is time for an exit strategy, according to a senior Senate Republican official and Finance Committee aides.

Will Bush listen to his Congressional leaders? From the standpoint of preserving Social Security, I'm not sure it really matters. From the start, Bush has laid responsibility for coming up with a plan at the feet of Congress, and now they're getting ready to walk away. And if Bush gets into a dust-up with the GOP House and Senate leadership over his signature issue, all the better.