On Friday, Ramesh recalled that President Bush (43) tried to reform Social Security, and spent political capital in the effort. This awakened several memories in me.

In 2000, Bush campaigned on Social Security reform, which was thought either gutsy or foolhardy — maybe both. Many Bush advisers warned against it. But he would say, “I’m runnin’ for a reason” — publicly, I mean. I must have heard him say that 100 times. And when he said it, he usually meant Social Security. He did not want to be elected president merely to mark time. He wanted to accomplish something, or try to.

Social Security was known as “the third rail of American politics”: Touch it, and you would fry. Joe Andrew, the chairman of the Democratic National Committee, was quite explicit about this. He promised that Democrats would indeed fry Governor Bush on this rail.

And they almost did. A lot of people think Florida was as close as it was because Democrats had succeeded in scaring people — seniors in particular — about Social Security reform.

Bush did not act in his first term — not on this. But he ran again on Social Security reform in 2004, and again won. Immediately after, he started campaigning for this reform. He held event after event, virtually barnstorming around the country. I covered one of these events, near Annapolis, Md. The president’s heart and mind were 100 percent in it.

And he was very, very open about what he was doing. He said, “I’m spending my political capital.” He was reelected, and this is how he was choosing to spend his capital.

He had very little support. No Democratic support, of course. And just about no Republican support, because they were all hanging back, waiting to see what would happen.

I don’t believe that we’ll get Social Security reform until there is a crisis. People don’t repair the roof while the sun is shining; it has to rain and storm before they’ll scamper up there. This will happen one day, with Social Security. As Phil Gramm and others like to say, there will be a reckoning. It is unavoidable. And I think that George Bush will look prophetic and brave — ahead of his time. How you like them apples?

I never thought Bush got enough credit, or any credit, really, for his gutsiness on Social Security. I mean from Republicans and conservatives — the only ones from whom such credit would be forthcoming. If you’re looking for another presidential candidate to run on Social Security reform — well, don’t.