Daniel Moynihan: “Washington is a place that pays a lot of attention to polls. And not every poll is of great interest. But I might say…”

“Washington is a place that pays a lot of attention to polls. And not every poll is of great interest. But I might say that as I was speaking earlier, and as Senator Packwood was speaking, I noted that the very able young professional persons who are here in the Senate as Senate staff employees were listening in a manner that they do not always listen. Maybe because the hour is early enough for them to be attentive, but I think the subject is of interest. So I just took an unscientific, informal poll of five persons, each of whom has graduated from college, I do not doubt; most of whom have law degrees; they are parliamentarians; they are people we depend absolutely on for the working of this institution. If they did not get things right, we would not have any record about what we had done. I can report the results of my survey. Of the five samples, I asked, 'Do you think you will get your Social Security? Two said no; two said not all of it; and one trusting young citizen said yes. But that is not reassuring.”