Grover Norquist's ideological reasons for Social Security 'reform' [View All]

I googled '"pension fund socialism" "social security" "defined benefit"' and found a 1998 gem from Grover Norquist, the number-one extreme-right ideologue for goofy White House economic ideas. Norquist's 1998 piece was written in advocacy of privatizing CALPERS, the California state employee pension fund, but applies almost verbatim to the current Social Security 'reform' thrust:

"The short-term benefit of debating pension reform is a great help to Republican candidates and incumbents. In the long-term, the effect of enacting such reform is fatal to the Democrat coalition....

A ... worker with a defined-contribution pension is a property owner. Every month he receives a letter letting him know how his investments have grown. Or not. He will watch the evening news to see the stock market rise or fall. He will care about cutting the capital gains tax. Government regulations, taxes and anti-growth politicians are the enemies and despoilers of his pension.... A ... worker dependent on politicians and union leaders for his pay and pension is a receptive listener to House Minority Leader Dick Gephardt's politics of hate and envy. But ... with $200,000 or $300,000 in his 40lK is likely to bristle at Gephardt's "soak the rich" rhetoric. This will greatly strengthen the campaign to abolish the inheritance tax and the capital gains tax.

SCIENTISTS PREDICT THAT WHEN THE 401K RISES ABOVE $225,000 THE TRUMAN DEMOCRAT BECOMES A REAGAN REPUBLICAN."

(From http://www.atr.org/opeds/tas/tas0398.html )