President Bush's bid to add individual accounts to Social Security faces such formidable opposition in the Senate that its supporters may be unable to bring it to a vote, according to a Washington Post survey of senators.

An overwhelming majority of Democratic senators said they will oppose, under any circumstances, Bush's plan to allow younger workers to divert a portion of their Social Security payroll taxes into individual investment accounts that would follow them into retirement. A few others said they will not support such accounts if they require substantial government borrowing. Even many Republicans say that is inevitable because the alternative involves unacceptably large cuts in benefits and/or tax increases to replace the diverted taxes.

Combined, these Democrats form a coalition large enough -- more than 41 members -- to use delaying tactics to keep the proposal from reaching a vote in the 100-member chamber. The Post survey of the Senate's 44 Democrats and one Democratic-leaning independent indicates there are at least 42 -- and perhaps 44 -- who firmly oppose personal investment accounts, particularly if they are financed with borrowed money.

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Vice President Cheney has said the Bush accounts would cost "trillions of dollars." Democrats put the price tag at $5 trillion over 20 years.

In the clearest sign yet that Bush's efforts to win bipartisan support are flagging, several Democrats that the White House has been courting said they will not support the accounts at all. They include Sens. Thomas R. Carper (Del.) and Mary Landrieu (La.). Three other Bush targets -- Sens. Kent Conrad (N.D.), Joseph I. Lieberman (Conn.) and Mark Pryor (Ark.) -- said they will not support individual accounts financed by heavy borrowing.

‘Let's work together’
Bush, who has needed the support of some moderate and conservative Democrats to push through his major initiatives, yesterday appealed to all Democrats to cut a compromise. "If you see a problem, members of Congress, regardless of your party, you have an obligation to come to the table," he said in a speech in Louisville. "Let's work together to solve it. All ideas are on the table." Once the public realizes the seriousness of Social Security's long-term problems, Bush said, "I pity the politicians who stands in the way of a solution."

Told of The Post's survey, White House spokesman Trent Duffy said, "We feel very good about where we are with the Congress. A growing number of members from both sides of the aisle acknowledge there is a serious problem and are talking about possible solutions."

In the Post survey of the one independent and 44 Democratic senators, only two -- Ben Nelson (Neb.) and Robert C. Byrd (W.Va.) -- did not criticize Bush's plan and said they will consider it once he provides more details. Two other Democrats -- Paul S. Sarbanes of Maryland and Daniel K. Inouye of Hawaii -- did not close the door to considering individual accounts, with Sarbanes saying he objects to such surveys. However, Sarbanes and Inouye cited a March 3 letter to Bush as representing their feelings about his plan.

The letter, signed by 41 Democrats and independent Sen. James M. Jeffords (Vt.), said the Bush plan is "unacceptable." It called on the president to "unambiguously announce that you reject privatized accounts funded with Social Security dollars. . . ."

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