The Hyde Park Declaration

In 2000, the Democrat Leadership Council (DLC) met and signed the Hyde Park Declaration, which identified the following Social Security and Medicare "Goals for 2010":

• Create Retirement Savings Accounts to enable low-income Americans to save for their own retirement. (Democratic Leadership Council, "The Hyde Park Declaration: A Statement Of Principles And A Policy Agenda For The 21st Century," http://www.ndol.org/print.cfm?contentid=1926, 8/1/00)
• Honor our committment to seniors by ensuring the future solvency of Social Security and Medicare. (Democratic Leadership Council, "The Hyde Park Declaration: A Statement Of Principles And A Policy Agenda For The 21st Century," http://www.ndol.org/print.cfm?contentid=1926, 8/1/00)
• Make structural reforms in Social Security and Medicare that slow their future cost growth, modernize benefits (including a prescription drug benefit for Medicare), and give beneficiaries more choice over their retirement and health security. (Democratic Leadership Council, "The Hyde Park Declaration: A Statement Of Principles And A Policy Agenda For The 21st Century," http://www.ndol.org/print.cfm?contentid=1926, 8/1/00)

.
Guess what the signatories to the Hyde Park Declaration are saying now?! (You might want to snag another cup of coffee first... the flip-flops are going to carry on for a while).
.

Gov. Tom Vilsack (D-IA), Chairman Of Democratic Leadership Council:

"[I]t's Not Enough To Simply Talk About Social Security Because, Frankly, There Are Many More Problems With Healthcare Security At This Point In Time." (Tim Grieve, "Life Of The Party," Salon.com, 5/18/05)

"You Can Add A Few Bucks To My Social Security Check And I'll Be Pleased As Punch ... But If I Can't Afford Health Care, What Good Is It Going To Do?" (Robert Tanner, "U.S. Governors Consider Medicaid Reform," The Associated Press, 4/25/05)

Sen. John Kerry (D-MA):

Kerry Called For The President To Stop "Pushing The Privatization And Admit It's Not Going To Pass And It's A Failure ..." (CNN's "Inside Politics," 3/15/05)

"Private Accounts Won't Work For Social Security, And They Won't Work For Small Businesses ..." (Kent Hoover, "Democrats: Social Security Reform Would Hurt Small Business Owners," San Francisco Business Journal, 6/27/05)

"We've Been Wasting These Months, Frankly, Over This Issue Of The Private Accounts Without Any Real Discussion Of Solvency." (Fox News' "Special Report," 4/26/05)

Sen. Mary Landrieu (D-LA):

"[The President's Plan] Will Only Lead To Reduced Benefits For Everyone, Increased Risk, And Would Serve To Undermine The Current System." (Bill Walsh, "Bush Touts Investment Accounts In Shreveport," [New Orleans, LA] Times-Picayune, 3/12/05)

"[The President's] Proposal Reflected More Of The Same Risky Approaches To Retirement Security He's Been Touting For The Last Several Months." (Bill Walsh, "GOP Pushes Forward To Act On Social Security," [New Orleans, LA] Times-Picayune, 4/30/05)

Sen. Joe Lieberman (D-CT):

"President Bush's Plan To Privatize The Program Would Do Nothing To Save Social Security -- In Fact, It Would Hasten Its Day Of Reckoning" (Peter Urban, "Democrats Hold Social Security Unity Rally," Connecticut Post, 4/27/05)

Sen. Blanche Lincoln (D-AR):

"[Lincoln] Said She Hoped Senate Democrats Would Act In Unison To Prevent The Diversion Of Social Security Taxes To Private Investment Accounts. 'It's Critical For What We Stand For,' Lincoln Said." (Warren Vieth and Richard Simon, "Democrats Vow To Block Bush On Social Security," Los Angeles Times, 2/2/05)

"I Do Not Support Individual Investment Accounts ..." ("On The Issues: Social Security Proposals Divide Federal Candidates," Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, /20/04)

Rep. Jim Davis (D-FL):

"Social Security Has A Cold, Which Must Be Monitored And Carefully Treated Before It Becomes A Serious Illness." (Jim Davis, Op-Ed, "Private Accounts Would Worsen Social Security Problems," The Tallahassee Democrat, 3/3/05)

"[E]ven If The Cost Of The President's Plan Was Magically Covered, Retirees May Gain Nothing From Private Accounts." (Jim Davis, Op-Ed, "Private Accounts Would Worsen Social Security
Problems," The Tallahassee Democrat, 3/3/05)

Rep. James Moran (D-VA):

"The President Continues To Travel Around The Country Pushing His Scheme To Privatize Social Security ... Virginians Are Not So Easily Convinced By This Road Show, Though." (Jeffrey Kelley, "Bush's Visit Draws Praise And Protest," Richmond Times-Dispatch, 4/30/05)

"This Is A Manufactured Crisis." (CNN's "Crossfire", 1/26/05)

Rep. Allyson Schwartz (D-PA):

Schwartz Said The President's Social Security Plan Would "'Really Dismantle Social Security As You Know It' For Children And Grandchildren, And Would Lead To Great Inequities Among The Generations." (Robin Toner, "Appeal To Young On Pension Plan Draws The Attention Of Their Elders," The New York Times, 2/23/05)

Rep. Ellen O. Tauscher (D-CA):

"We Don't Have To Come Up With A Plan Until We Defeat Theirs ... [The President] Doesn't Have A Plan, Either." (Marie Cocco, "Half Credit," The American Prospect, 5/05)

"[Tauscher Said] That Democrats Have 'Lots Of Good Ideas' On [Social Security], But That They Are Keeping Them Quiet Because They Want Bush To Settle On A Plan So That He Can't 'Steal' Their Good Ideas And 'Get All The Credit." (Dan Hatfield, "Childish Partisanship Hijacks Social Security Discussion," Contra Costa Times, 3/20/05)

.

Anyone want to take a swipe at 'why the flip-flops'?!

.