The aggressive campaign that Democrats will roll out next weekend shows how successfully Bush has dominated the nation's political conversation, forcing some Republican lawmakers into a pursuit that they do not relish and had resisted throughout his first term. But it also reflects the calculation by Democrats that the issue, if skillfully parried, could help them regain seats in Congress in 2006.
"I actually hope, politically," Holt said, "that Republicans can hold together long enough to really be held accountable for this horrendous mistake -- if they don't splinter sooner, and get off the hook."
Holt's district, spreading from Princeton to the Jersey Shore, is highly educated, relatively affluent and fairly Democratic. Most of the 100 people who showed up for the town meeting in response to e-mails and automated calls were Democrats. The only constituent who made the case for personal accounts was Tom O'Neill, 33, a telephone lineman, union member and father of two. He said afterward that individual investments seem like "a no-brainer" and that there is "too much demagoguery" by Democrats.
"The people in that room aren't going to be affected by this," he said as their complaints continued inside.
Most of the speakers gave Holt a launching pad for the Democratic case.
Delsie Butler, 60, a union official, said she doesn't need "Mr. Bush and company investing my money."
Holt said he thinks the only way a politically viable package will come together is with a bipartisan commission. He warned about the long-term costs and potential debate resulting from Bush's idea, saying it could be "not just spending the kids' inheritance, but putting them into debt."
Holt drew knowing chuckles from the aged crowd when he said, "At age 30, we're all smarter than the market."
