Kid, You're Gonna be a Star

It looks like Andrew Biggs, Social Security cog and familiar BushCo straight man, will be promoted from the travelling company to the big stage.  From the Americans United press release:

“It appears that when it comes to Social Security, President Bush learned nothing from last week’s election or from the ‘thumping’ his privatization plan took in 2005,” said Americans United’ Brad Woodhouse.   “Andrew Biggs has staked his career and reputation on privatizing Social Security, and by nominating him to a six year term as Deputy Commissioner of Social Security, President Bush is signaling his intention, as he did in the days leading up to the election, to renew his partisan and ideologically divisive effort to privatize Social Security.   Biggs is a privatizer of the highest order – like President Bush, an ideologue whose zeal to undermine Social Security with a risky private investment scheme will not be tempered by reality or the outcome of the most recent election.  The President’s nomination of Biggs to be the Deputy Commissioner of Social Security is a big mistake.”

Currently, Biggs is the Associate Commissioner for Retirement Policy at the Social Security Administration.  Previously, Biggs served as Assistant Director of the Cato Institute's Project on Social Security Choice – which for decades has advocated for dismantling Social Security and going to a system of risky, private accounts.

Faithful readers of this blog and fans of BushCo's Drive to Destroy Social Security Roadshow will remember the handsome Mr. Biggs from his appearances as Dear Leader's comic foil:

Andrew Biggs. We are here with one Andrew Biggs, a fine lad, as you can see. (Laughter.) What do you do? Work for me, of course. (Laughter.) Tell them what you do, Andrew, please -- Andrew and I have done this before, see, so I'm used to needling him. (Laughter.)

DR. BIGGS: My name is Andrew Biggs, and I'm Associate Commissioner for Retirement Policy at the Social Security Administration, which in short language means I think about Social Security reform quite a bit. The good news on Social Security, even it seems very complex --

THE PRESIDENT: Andrew has a PhD, by the way. (Laughter.) Which -- it's an interesting lesson for those of you who are worried about your college career. Andrew has a PhD, and I got a C. (Laughter and applause.) And look who's working for who. Anyway -- (laughter.)

And again.  He was a star, baby.   And now he's been promoted.  Add him to the list of bi-partisan moves BushCo has made since the country voted against his extremist agenda.  And don't buy it when you hear people, like Max Baucus, say that the plan to destroy Social Security is off the table.  It will never be off the table.

 

Comments

[Gort]

There going to keep trying. And we have to stay viligent. I know it's poison to the other side but if you eliminate the cap it adds enough revenue to the system to keep it solvent for a long time.

[eRobin]

I'm with the "there's no crisis" crowd.