U.S. Rep. Tim Murphy, R- Upper St. Clair, yesterday said he opposes a key portion of President Bush's proposed Social Security reform package, but offered an alternative he said would not weaken the government pension program's solvency.

Murphy, who is one of two local Republicans being targeted by the Democrats in next year's House elections, said Bush's proposal to allow employees to redirect part of their Social Security withholding into private savings accounts "will weaken Social Security" and result in a reduction in retiree benefits for those who rely on the program as a primary source of retirement income.

Murphy instead suggested an "add-on" option that would allow people to designate an additional amount of withholding for personal savings and investment accounts, similar to the program now available to federal employees. But, Murphy said, if workers are permitted to partially opt out of the system by redirecting a share of their current withholding away from the Social Security general fund, "somewhere along the way the government would have to reduce benefits."

Studies have suggested that Social Security could begin running out of money as early as 2017.

Murphy said he has discussed his position with President Bush. "I asked him if he was wedded to any specific plan and he said 'No.' " Murphy's position, which he said has been evolving since last year, elicited strongly partisan reactions from both Democrats and Republicans this week.

The Young Conservatives of Pennsylvania, in a news release Friday, denounced Murphy for "siding with MoveOn.org" and other liberal organizations and abandoning President Bush. They also attacked U.S. Rep. James Gerlach, R-Chester County, for also opposing the private savings account option.

Democrats were just as critical of Murphy.

Noting that Murphy had once sided with the private savings account option from current withholding, Rep. Rahm Emanuel, D-Ill., said that "when you have someone who says one thing and then another on Social Security, that's very important to people. It goes beyond the issue itself, it goes to character.''

The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, which is chaired by Emanuel, has targeted both Murphy and U.S. Rep. Melissa Hart, R-Bradford Woods, as Republicans they believe could be unseated next year.

U.S. Rep. Mike Doyle, D-Swissvale, this week said House Democrats are actively recruiting candidates to run against the pair and believes the party is prepared to commit significant money to winning back seats that had previously belonged to Democrats.