With the economic downturn putting pressure on individual stock portfolios, the reliability of a Social Security check is becoming ever more important to the more than 500,000 retired Kentucky residents who depend on it to pay for rent, food and medical care. In 2003, the average Kentucky retiree received $10,441 a year, or $870 a month, in Social Security benefits – a significant amount that in many cases makes up the totality of his or her income. [1]

Bennett Roth of the Houston Chronicle has your answer.

"It just seems like you think they are going to do something and then they don't do it," Gordal, 79, said as she finished an early dinner at the High Street Diner in Pottstown, an hour outside of Philadelphia.

All's Clear on the FEC Front?

The Federal Elections Commission plans to release the report of an audit that was done on Tom DeLay's political action committee ARMPAC, according to Philip Shenon of The New York Times. The audit looked into allegations of "illegal contributions" received in 2001 and 2002.

...his constituents in TX-22 are raising their voices:

May 12, 2005

Representative Tom DeLay
242 Cannon House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515

Dear Rep. DeLay,

As constituents of yours in the 22nd Congressional District of Texas, we write to share our on-going frustration with your out-of-touch service in Congress.

Tom DeLay Joins Bush in Social Security Push

To show his support, President Bush is going to give Tom DeLay a ride on Air Force One today from Washington to Galveston after they both attend an event on Bush's social security plan, reports the Los Angeles Times. This time it's all of us taxpayers who are footing the bill for Tom DeLay's travel.

The Day of New London, CT covers Rep. Rob Simmons statements to a ocal Chamber of Commerce regarding the Base Realignment and Closure commission (BRAC), the independent group that identifies military bases to be shut down and offers the list to Congress as an up-or-down vote. The hope is that the politics is, as much as possible, taken out of the decisions regarding the country's military bases.

Why is Tom DeLay stepping out in front on Social Security privatization?

For one reason, follow the money.

$315,984 from the securities and investment industries

This is pathetic. DeLay is going after AARP, just a year after the 35 million member organization gave the GOP a big endorsement on Bush's Medicare plan. I'm sure this is going down real well with those GOP members representing "marginal" districts that could go Democratic next time.

The Raw Story reported two stories on DeLay, the first using info from National Journal story over the weekend by Peter Stone and the second linking DeLay to a supposedly nonpartisan outfit sending scare mail on Social Security.