CHAIRMAN: EXAMINE RACE, GENDER FOR SOCIAL SECURITY CHANGES
Mon Jan 24 2005 10:20:45 ET

House Ways and Means chairman Rep. Bill Thomas [R-CA] on Sunday claimed
Congress should consider looking at Social Security reforms that would
payout future benefits -- on such factors as race and gender!

Depressed and determined Dems are ready to rip hard, top party sources tell
the DRUDGE REPORT.

"Bush's Republican Party is full of ill-conceived, dangerous ideas about the
future of Social Security. But no idea seems more dangerous or patently
unfair than linking Social Security benefits to a person's race and gender,"
blasted one well-placed Dem.

The Kern County congressman explained to NBCNEWS Tim Russert on Sunday:

"We also need to examine, frankly, ... the question of race, in terms of how
many years of retirement do you get based upon your race. And you ought not
to just leave gender off the table, because that would be a factor."

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MR. RUSSERT: Do you think Congress, Mr. Chairman, would accept any formula
that said that people would be treated differently because of their gender
or their race?

REP. THOMAS: If we discuss it and the will is not to do it, fine. At least
we discussed it. To simply raise the age and find out that you've got
gender, race and occupational problems later, I would not be doing the kind
of service that I think I have to do. You and I have been around quite a
while. We went through the '80s. We went into the '90s. And now we're in the
21st century. We saw the choices that were made in the past. We went to the
well over and over again with the same old solutions which really aren't
solutions. We've reached the point where we have to fundamentally examine it
in my opinion. The president has given us that opportunity. We ought to take
it.

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Thomas hit controversy last summer after he instructed Capitol Police to
remove Democrat committee members from a room on the Hill.

Choking back tears at times, Thomas stood on the floor of the U.S. House of
Representatives and acknowledged using "poor judgment" during the episode.
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When Californians see goofballs like this as their "Republican"
representatives, it makes Democrats like Gary Condit seem like an
improvement. Of course, I don't know how anybody with a brain could vote
for Boxer. SpongeBob would be a better Senator...even if he *is* gay.