WASHINGTON -- U.S. Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson conceded on Friday that chances were slim for agreeing on a way to reform Social Security financing but said he would keep trying to find bipartisan support for it. "There's not a high degree of likelihood. I'm not naive, given how politically contentious this is, that we'll get this done," Paulson said in an interview on CNBC Television.

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Paulson said it was important to try to "get people together and come to the table without preconditions" but, if it doesn't work, at least he will "move the ball downfield" and get in position for reform in the future.

The U.S. Treasury chief has been meeting Democrats privately on Capitol Hill to try to find grounds for agreement on a method for reforming Social Security before the retirement system comes under severe pressure as more "baby boomers" retire.

Democrats, however, are suspicious that the Bush administration wants to revive its proposal to make private accounts part of Social Security as it unsuccessfully sought to do in 2005.

Paulson's comments on Friday implied he did not think the chances were high for finding a bipartisan solution.

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"If we don't, I still see it as a win-win situation because it's my job to block for the President as we move the ball downfield and, to me, if we move it 10 or 20, or 30 yards it's going to be a positive," said Paulson, using football terminology that reached back to his own varsity playing days.

"Maybe we'll score a touchdown. Maybe we'll bring people together," he said. "But if we don't, we want to get the ball in scoring position for the next president."

Paulson, a former Goldman Sachs executive whose personal wealth is estimated in the hundreds of millions of dollars, was asked whether he would like to see fat pay packages for corporate chieftains trimmed back.

"I understand why there is resentment when you see some of these high pay packages and there's concern that people are being paid for failure," Paulson said.

But he indicated that it was up to boards of directors to regulate pay and said he agreed with U.S. President George W. Bush's comments earlier in the week that boards should ensure pay was tied more closely to company performance.

"No one begrudges people doing well when they're successful. I believe the system will work and I think the President was saying the right thing when he was encouraging boards of directors to do their thing," Paulson said.

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