Bush hits the road

Washington, D.C.

President Bush this week began a 60-stop, two-month campaign to rally support for his besieged proposal to reform the Social Security system. The administration has set up a war room in the Treasury Department to push Bush’s plan to let young workers divert some of their payroll deductions into private investment accounts. Democrats are aggressively fighting to kill the proposal. Sen. Harry Reid, the Democratic leader, said it “adds trillions in debt and does nothing to strengthen the program.” With even many Republicans skeptical, Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist said there was little chance Bush’s plan would pass this year, then quickly backpedaled and vowed to push it through soon.