WASHINGTON - President Bush's call for Social Security reform drew the only audible grumbling during his State of the Union address Wednesday -- grumbling that was echoed by members of Maryland's Democratic delegation.

The president's Social Security plan "just won't withstand analysis," said Sen. Paul Sarbanes, D-Md., after the speech. "This was a real sales job."

But Rep. Roscoe Bartlett, R-Frederick, said he was happy to see the president addressing the issue.

"It was a tough sell, but he did a good job selling it," Bartlett said.

The first State of the Union address of Bush's second term in office came just days after the elections in Iraq, but the president only touched on foreign policy. He dedicated most of the 53-minute speech to his domestic agenda.

The president called for health savings accounts for individuals, renewed funding for AIDS programs and plans to stem gang violence, among other initiatives.

But it was the president's call for Social Security reform that drew the biggest response.

Bush said Social Security is headed toward bankruptcy and he outlined his plan to turn that around, in part by allowing younger workers to divert some of their earnings toward personal savings accounts.

The president was interrupted 64 different times by applause, but his characterization of Social Security system as bankrupt drew some jeers from the House chamber.

Sen. Barbara Mikulski, D-Md., said the president's plan for privatization of Social Security was driven by a "phony crisis."

Mikulski called Bush's plan for Social Security a "flawed solution that is designed to send money to Wall Street." She said it would create millions of dollars in debt, and that Americans should have a guaranteed solution, not a "guaranteed gamble."

Rep. Steny Hoyer, D-Mechanicsville, challenged the suggestion that the system is heading to bankruptcy, and said the president's plan would "do absolutely nothing to solve Social Security's challenges."

And Sarbanes accused Bush of "trying to frighten . . . the American people" about the condition of the system.

"The fact of the matter is that the Social Security system can pay full benefits until 2055, and even after that the money coming in will pay 80 percent of benefits," Sarbanes said.

"Way out in the future there's a shortfall and it's reasonable to address that, but not to undertake an absolutely radical restructuring of the system." he said.

Mikulski and Sarbanes both noted that Social Security is not just a retirement account, but also provides disability payments to families.

Rep. Dutch Ruppersberger, D-Cockeysville, echoed that sentiment, saying Social Security is "not a hand out." He said he was concerned about the cost of the plan -- which the president did not mention but which Ruppersberger put at $2 trillion.

Rep. Benjamin Cardin, D-Baltimore, said he is worried about the fiscal 2006 budget, which is scheduled to be released Monday, adding that from what he heard Wednesday the budget could be difficult and "disappointing for our region."

He expressed concern over Bush's pledge to eliminate many government programs. "One of these is the Hubble (space telescope) program, which is deeply important to our region and our country," Cardin said.

But Rep. Wayne Gilchrest of Kennedyville, one of two Republicans in the state's congressional delegation, called the address "one of the best speeches President Bush has ever given."

"I was satisfied with the way he presented the Social Security issue because he didn't ring it up in a very narrow way, he expanded the options that we in Congress will consider," Gilchrest said.

He said the thought the president "set a very broad agenda, a challenging agenda, but a doable agenda."

Democratic Reps. Elijah Cummings of Baltimore, Chris Van Hollen of Kensington and Albert Wynn of Mitchellville all found something to like in the president's plan, such as his call for anti-gang programs and his push to renew AIDS funding under the Ryan White Act. But all said they split with Bush over Social Security.

"We will try to work with the president where we can, but Democrats will fight to preserve Social Security where we must," Cummings said.

Van Hollen said the president's plan would destroy Social Security, not fix it, while Wynn said he was "disappointed" in what he called the administration's "risky investment scheme" for the retirement system.

"There were some good ideas," Wynn said, but privatizing Social Security is "absolutely the wrong thing to do."

But Bartlett applauded the president for at least tackling the "third rail" of American politics.

"Now we're talking about it and we don't have to," he said.

-- CNS reporters I-Wei J. Chang, Megan McIlroy and Elizabeth A. Weiss contributed to this story.