http://www.boston.com/news/politics/president/articles/2004/08/31/bush_expected_to_reintroduce_2000_proposal/NEW YORK -- After nearly four years of failing to fulfill his pledge to partially privatize Social Security, President Bush plans to revive and ''ride" the issue in his acceptance speech as part of a broad pitch for an ''ownership society," according to a senior White House official.
''We demonstrated in 2000 that you can touch the third rail," White House communications director Dan Bartlett said in an interview, referring to the expression that trying to transform Social Security is a political death wish. ''In 2004, we will ride that third rail.
is more than willing to talk about it, and he will talk about it at the convention."
It appeared to be the strongest statement yet by a member of the Bush administration that the president will once again seek to make overhauling the nation's government-run retirement system a centerpiece of his campaign. Bush has gone for weeks at a time without making much mention of the issue, despite emphasizing it in 2000. But in recent days he has started noting his concerns that the system won't be solvent for the post-baby boom generation of retirees.