He shoulda stuck with music

Rethuglicans tried to "distance themselves" from Rethuglican Alan Greenspan's remarks to the House Budget Committee on Wednesday, but it seems to me he gave a very good summary of the GOP economic plan.

Washington (AP, February 25) - Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan, stepping into the politically charged debate over Social Security, said Wednesday the country can't afford the benefits currently promised to the baby boom generation. ...

The central bank chairman also repeated his view that Bush's tax cuts should be made permanent to bolster economic growth. He said the estimated $1 trillion cost should be paid for, preferably, with spending cuts so the deficit would not be worsened.

Greenspan proposed changing the method of calculating inflation to one that gives a lower figure and continuing to raise the retirement age.

So let's see. Cut Social Security benefits and raise the retirement age as a means of controlling the deficit while simultaneously increasing the deficit by $1 trillion by making tax cuts that favor the rich permanent, to be paid for by further reductions in government spending. I dunno, just add the caveat that spending on the military and "homeland security" have to go up because we are, after all, in a war don't you realize, so those cuts will have to come from domestic programs, and I don't see from what the White House feels the need to "distance" itself.

Oh, wait, it turns out this is the "distancing":

President Bush said he did not believe current retirees' benefits should be cut, but restated his support for allowing younger workers to invest a portion of their Social Security taxes in private accounts.

Oh, yeah, I can see how that is really majorly-type different. Especially since Greenspan also said benefits for current retirees should not be cut. Huge difference.

Footnote: If you went into a store that was having a sale good though the weekend, would you feel justified in storming out, denouncing the place for its intention to "raise prices" come Monday? No? Then why is the end of what was specifically labeled a temporary tax cut being called a "tax increase?"