Bush hones his pitch on retirement

The lone heckler in the hall, who was removed, was not the only one not completely sold on Bush's plan - especially when it remains unclear how the government would fund the $1 trillion-plus transition costs and by how much the government will reduce guaranteed benefits to address the solvency issue.

Steven Oltmans, general manager of the Papio-Missouri River natural resources district and near retirement, thinks personal accounts could be an acceptable addition to the Social Security system, "on a very well-controlled basis."

He still clearly feels stung by the lurches in the stock market in recent years - "between 1998 and 2002, I made some not-good choices on stock." And he agrees with Bush that the government should steer investors to conservative options when it comes to the privatized portion of Social Security.

Mr. Oltmans's biggest concern over the president's plan is that the government not add to its debt to revamp Social Security. But even if he's holding back just a bit from a full-bore endorsement, he gave the president high marks for presentation and for being proactive.

"The biggest thing I saw was that he's got the gumption and courage and leadership to address the issue," says Oltmans. "Whether he succeeds is another matter."

Nebraska's political elite, nearly all Republicans and present in the arena, were also withholding a full-fledged endorsement of Bush's plan - not out of any disloyalty to the president but more likely out of a sense of caution natural to politicians. Public opinion toward partial privatization of Social Security is very much a mixed bag in opinion polls.

Indeed, surveys show that views are still fluid, and poll results often depend on how questions are asked. In a Newsweek survey taken in the two days after Bush's State of the Union speech, 56 percent of Americans said they are wary of putting retirement money into the stock market. In another poll, by CNN/USA Today/Gallup, 66 percent of people who watched Bush's speech said his Social Security proposals will move the country in the right direction. That was up from 51 percent of Americans surveyed before.

Sen. Chuck Hagel (R) of Nebraska is widely thought to be considering a presidential run in 2008, and while he supports personal retirement accounts, he appears unwilling to get out ahead of the public on the issue and isn't pushing for early consideration in Congress.

"There's no question this is a tough sell," said Senator Hagel, who is preparing to unveil his own plan for Social Security in the next few weeks. "Social Security has probably been the most successful, important program we've had in government. Everyone is touched; there should be questions." He expressed doubt over whether a bill could be passed this year. "Next year is OK," he said.

In a way, the more important US senator in the hall was Ben Nelson, a Nebraska Democrat who faces reelection in 2006. While most Senate Democrats have come out firmly against Bush's plan, Senator Nelson says he's still open to the idea. And for that, the man Bush calls "Benator" earned a limousine ride with the president to the airport on his way out of town.

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