Social Security Phase Out: Round Two

Having lost round one in his plan to gut Social Security, Dubya is trying to sneak his phase out program into the budget. Bush's budget calls for elimination of a $255 lump-sum death payment that has been part of Social Security for more than 50 years. He also wants Congress to cut off monthly survivor benefits to 16- and 17-year-old high school dropouts. So the Bush plan is to eliminate a very small, but possibly helpful death payment, and tie survivor benefits to school enrollment. Lazy bastards don't deserve those benefits! But wait! There's more! The Washington Post's Alan Sloan has discovered Bush's entire Social Security elimination plan in the budget.