Social Security, Iraq and Mr. Peabody

The Democrats have come up with an ingenious strategy to win the hearts and minds of the American voter - Following the example of their lapdog 2004 presidential candidate, their plan is to (a) not have a plan, and by (b) not having a plan, they are pretty much relegated to do nothing more than opposing all things Republican

Below are just a few excerpts from the post-State of the Union whining:

WASHINGTON (AP) - Congressional Democrats hit President Bush on Wednesday for his Iraq policies and planned Social Security overhaul, hoping a vigorous response to his State of the Union speech will fuel a turnabout from their election setbacks last fall.

Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid, who shared the response with Pelosi, said Bush's Social Security plans sound more like "Social Security roulette" than reform.

For those of you who missed his subtle joke, the good Senator Reid is from Las Vegas. Get it? Yeah, me neither.

Even so, Democrats were volunteering few detailed alternatives to Bush proposals. Reid told reporters that without a specific White House blueprint for overhauling Social Security, he saw no need for Democrats to offer "a counterplan to nothing."

Of course, some of Mr. Reid’s counterparts disagree:

Even stalwart Democrats agree that Social Security needs changes to be able to continue to provide for retirees in the middle of this century. However, all sides have different beliefs on what those changes should be.

"What we need to do is make sure there's enough money in the Social Security trust fund without increasing the risk to maintain the guaranteed benefits," Corzine told FOX News. "I believe in people investing. We have to increase investment in the United States. I just don't think we ought to be increasing risk in Social Security."

Apparantly what I need to do is make sure that I have absolutely no dependence on social Security or any government service when I retire.

The man whom Bush defeated last November, Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., took on the president as well. He said, "Every American deserves a real plan to improve retirement security - not weaken it," and said Bush must do more to unite Iraqis aand persuade other nations to help train an Iraqi security force.

But wait, I though Mr. Kerry had a secret plan to end the war… or wait, maybe that was Nixon. Sherman, set the way back machine to August 1st:

GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS: Let me give you a crack at this, but in a slightly different angle. Going forward, Senator Kerry said on Thursday night, I know what we need to do in Iraq, but there weren't a lot of specifics there. Specifically, be as specific as you can, what are the differences between your approach and President Bush in Iraq going forward?

SENATOR JOHN EDWARDS: Well, the first and I think probably the single most important is with a fresh president, with a new president, we have the credibility to go to friends around the world, potential friends, to NATO, for example, and get them involved in helping provide security.

STEPHANOPOULOS: NATO is involved now.

EDWARDS: [Gives the Senator in the headlights look]

STEPHANOPOULOS: But how do you do it?

EDWARDS: [Mumbling] Uh, oh! Fifteen minute to Wapner.

SENATOR JOHN F. KERRY: I agree with everything John just said, and I would add to it. I've been involved in this for a long time, longer than George Bush. I've spent 20 years negotiating, working, fighting for different kinds of treaties and different relationships around the world. I know that as president there's huge leverage that will be available to me, enormous cards to play, and I'm not going to play them in public, George. I'm not going to play them before I'm president.

STEPHANOPOULOS: So we're not going to see ...

KERRY: But I have the ability, I have the ability to sit down with leaders that I know. I know President Mubarak. I know Crown Prince Abdullah. I know King Abdullah, we’ve wind surfed together. I've been there to those regions, and I believe there are many cards we have available to us that haven't even been put on the table by this administration.

STEPHANOPOULOS: But, Senator, forgive me. That sounds like the famous old Nixon secret plan.

KERRY: I am not a crook... er, I mean I don't care what it sounds like. It's truth. I don't care what it sounds like. It’s the truth. I don’t care what it…

EDWARDS: [Takes Kerry aside and replaces his batteries]