Battle brewing over Social Security

WASHINGTON — America, enjoy this moment of calm while you can. Soon, the celebrity TV ads, prerecorded telephone calls, blast e-mails and mailbox stuffers will be back.

This time, the battle will be over how to reform Social Security. The conflict divides clearly into two camps, and each is mapping plans for a complex and exhaustive air and ground war.

"Nothing trumps Social Security," said Derrick Max, executive director of the Alliance for Worker Retirement and Security.

"It affects everybody. If you're not paying it, you're getting it," said Max, whose group represents the National Association of Manufacturers and other pro-business interests.

Two years ago, Max and his business partners spent millions on a major publicity effort aimed at educating Americans about the virtues of changing Social Security to allow workers to keep some of their payroll taxes in privately held personal retirement accounts.

The group's message was broadcast in 19 markets, numerous town hall meetings, direct mail and phone calls.

They're getting ready to do it again.

"I would think the effort we would do (in 2005) would be similar, if not larger," Max said.

The Club for Growth, another conservative advocacy organization, plans to spend $10 million pushing Social Security private accounts next year. The campaign is designed to bolster efforts by the White House and Republican leaders in Congress to pass legislation creating private Social Security retirement accounts.

"We view this as the single most important economic issue confronting the nation," said Steve Moore, president of the Club for Growth, whose business supporters stand to gain if privately held Social Security accounts become reality.

Interest groups on the other side of the Social Security war are shouting just as loudly. Those groups also boast nationwide memberships and deep pockets.

"This is the final showdown," said Roger Hickey, co-director of Campaign for America's Future, backed by the AFL-CIO and other organizations opposed to private Social Security savings accounts.

Just this week, Hickey's group sent e-mails to hundreds of thousands of individuals asking them to pressure their representatives in Congress to oppose the accounts.

"We're urging them to just swamp the Congress with messages that let members know that their constituents oppose privatization," Hickey said.