BUSH USES KATRINA AS EXCUSE TO ATTACK SOCIAL SECURITY

KEITH KOFFLER, NATIONAL JOURNAL - Top Republicans Monday indicated that a key rationale for continuing to press for items such as overhauling Social Security and making tax cuts passed during Bush's first administration permanent is that these initiatives are good for the economy, and that what is good for the national economy is also good for New Orleans. "A large part of the response to the hurricane's impact is to jump-start the region's economy, which requires a vibrant national economy," said White House Deputy Press Secretary Trent Duffy. Duffy asserted that the vast spending that would be required to address the hurricane's impact adds to the need to change Social Security, which threatens to strain the budget in coming years.