Bush Aide Prods Democrats

WASHINGTON —  President Bush’s chief of staff appealed on Sunday for congressional Democrats to work with the administration and Republicans rather than complain and stall action on Capitol Hill.

Andrew H. Card Jr., appearing on three talk shows, also reaffirmed the president’s support for House Majority Leader Tom DeLay, the Texas Republican whose ties to lobbyists have raised ethics questions, and John R. Bolton, the beleaguered nominee to be U.S. ambassador to the United Nations.

“We’d like to see more cooperation from the Democrats,” Card said on “Fox News Sunday.” “We have some serious problems in this country that must be addressed. We’d like to see the Democrats be part of the solution rather than just carp about the problem.”

Democrats deny they are holding up progress. Rather, they criticize the president for what they say is his unwillingness to reach compromises with the minority party and his insistence on his own proposals.

Bush’s plan to overhaul Social Security has been met with much skepticism in Congress. Senate Democrats have threatened to filibuster some of his judicial nominees, prompting GOP leaders to consider banning that traditional tactic.

Also, Democrats on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee have succeeded in postponing until May 12 a vote on Bolton’s nomination by raising allegations that he has had a pattern of professional misbehavior.

Card said congressional Democrats had failed to provide their own plan for fixing Social Security. “It’s time for them to acknowledge the problem and offer to do something about it. Because the status quo is not acceptable,” he said on NBC’s “Meet the Press.”

Sen. Patrick J. Leahy (D-Vt.) hit back. “You know, I’d like to see the president being willing to really engage in a bipartisan debate. He has said, basically: ‘This is my plan, take it or leave it,’ ” Leahy said. “My idea is that we sit down and have a true bipartisan negotiation. The president seems unwilling to do that.”