Deseret News (Salt Lake City): Demo leaders call Bush proposals risky and dangerous

WASHINGTON -- Democratic congressional leaders Wednesday night accused President Bush of pursuing dangerous international and domestic policies, calling his plans for Social Security a risky gamble that threatens to balloon the national debt.

In a 14-minute response to the president's State of the Union address, Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., predicted the Bush Social Security plan would result in benefit cuts of 40 percent or more and put the nation an additional $2 trillion in debt. Reid called it "Social Security roulette," adding that he should know: "That's coming from a senator who represents Las Vegas."

House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., critiqued the president's national security record, saying that the administration has fallen short when it comes to securing the nation's borders and preparing Iraq for independence.

She pressed Bush for "a credible plan to bring our troops home and stabilize Iraq."

Long portrayed by Republicans as the "tax and spend" party, the Democratic leaders accused the president of burdening the next generation with a debt that amounts to "a 'birth tax' of $36,000 on every child that is born," Reid said.

The Democratic leaders focused on areas where their party seemed vulnerable in the November elections: national security and moral values.

In his TV address, Reid emphasized his own humble beginnings. "My dad was a hard rock miner; my mom took in wash," Reid said. "I grew up around people of strong values -- even if they rarely talked about them."

He argued that the Democrats' positions on Social Security, education funding and economic priorities "are about old-fashioned moral values," like providing for society's youngest, oldest and most needy. "Good, new jobs. World-class education. Affordable health care. These things matter," Reid said.

Pelosi, a San Francisco liberal who has been considerably more outspoken in her criticism of the Iraq war than some members of her caucus, spoke of her "respect for our men and women in uniform" and said that members of her party are determined "to build a future worthy of their sacrifice."

The Democrats called for huge investments in infrastructure and in education. They said both are necessary to keep the USA competitive.

"We need to build the next economy and we need to build it now," Reid said.

Pelosi called for a "G.I. Bill of Rights for the 21st century" to increase pay and benefits for members of the armed forces, including the National Guard and Reserves.