Bush's Social Security plan faced scepticism

US President &to=http:// english.pravda.ru/mailbox/22/101/399/14556_ballots.html' target=_blank>George W. Bush faced stiff opposition Thursday to his two ambitious second-term goals: spreading democracy in the &to=http:// english.pravda.ru/columnists/2002/04/05/27369.html' target=_blank>Middle East and overhauling the politically sensitive Social Security retirement program.

A day after he used his annual State of the Union address to make those initiatives the centerpieces of his agenda for the next four years, Bush wasted no time in taking his case to some of the biggest skeptics.

The president left &to=http:// english.pravda.ru/main/2003/01/23/42471.html' target=_blank>Washington early for a two-day, five-state trip to convince a divided US public and a polarized Congress to embrace his call for partially privatizing state-run Social Security, wrote the Turkish Press.