Look, we've had so many things that were supposed to be fatal for Bush (Richard Clarke, Abu Ghraib, pretzels, you name it), but I think the lastest one will do it: Bush's
"January Suprise" plan to privatize Social Security. You can tell the Kerry people are chomping at the bit on this--two blog entries already,
an instant ad, and a conference call with Shrum. And, just in time for early voting in FL!
All of this from ABC's Noted Now
SOCIAL SECURITY FIGHT OVER RON SUSKIND NYT MAG PIECE:
SUSKIND ARTICLE: "According to notes provided to me, and according to several guests at the lunch who agreed to speak about what they heard ... Bush kept coming back to the thing most on his mind: his second term. 'I'm going to come out strong after my swearing in,' Bush said, 'with fundamental tax reform, tort reform, privatizing of Social Security.'"
KERRY "JANUARY SURPRISE" AD: Narrator: "George Bush has finally admitted that he intends to privatize Social Security in a second term ... Bush has a plan that cuts Social Security benefits by 30 to 45%."
BUSH CAMP REAX: "The President has never used the word privatization. The Kerry campaign is taking third-hand made up quotes from avowed Bush antagonist Ron Suskind to scare seniors. The fact is that John Kerry's plan of ignoring the demographic realities of Social Security would cost $10 trillion," writes Bush campaign spokesperson Steve Schmidt in an e-mail to reporters.
KERRY IN COLUMBUS, OH: "The Congressional Budget Office came out and said that this reckless plan of the President's will force benefit cuts for seniors between 25 percent and 45 percent. That's up to $500 a month less for food, clothing, for the occasional gift for grandchild."
EDWARDS IN GAINESVILLE, FL: "Let me say this very simply and very clearly: John Kerry and I will strengthen Social Security. We will save Social Security and we will never privatize Social Security."
SHRUM CONFERENCE CALL: Kerry advisor Bob Shrum tells reporters on conference call that Bush campaign manager is only disputing whether Bush used the word privatize ... not whether Bush is proposiing personal accounts that will cost $2 trillion in transition costs.