Slanty McSlant
Michelle Malkin has a quick roundup of the big mainstream media outlets and their reporting of President Bush's news conference this week. Basically, they read as if Bush proposed lowering benefits below today's levels for upper-income seniors. Of course, he did no such thing:
Yes, Bush's indexing plan is "cutting benefits" in the sense that upper-income beneficiaries would get less money than under the status quo. But no retiree is going to see his or her standard of living decline relative to where it stands now.While I waited for 90 minutes in my car in a line for the DMV yesterday, I listened on CSPAN radio to Bush's press conference and the big Democrat anti-social security reform rally held next to the Capitol on Tuesday. The President offered good ideas on how to fix and improve Social Security. The Democrats offered non-stop partisan rhetoric without a single substantial idea profferred.
Those who oppose Bush's indexing plan are arguing, in essence, that Social Security benefits to upper-income beneficiaries should continue to grow faster than the rate of inflation. That's reckless given the program's long-term fiscal problems.
Bush's indexing plan is moderate and reasonable. Unfortunately, the combination of Democrats' demagoguery and the MSM's relentlessly negative coverage may bring the plan down before it even gets off the ground.
Don't believe me? Watch the rally for yourself. Then compre it to the President's press conference for yourself. You tell me who sounded like a partisan hack interested only in defeating the other party at the cost of risking the public's future and who sounded like a concerned leader who wants to give more freedom to the people while safeguarding their retirements.
For that matter, I thought the President was outstanding on all the topics he discussed, not just Social Security. He was good on energy, Bolton, faith, Iraq, partisanship -- whatever he was asked, he answered with aplomb. No circular logic. No malaprops. He answered the questions with detail and insight. As far as I'm concerned, I've never heard him speak off the cuff so well. A most impressive performance.
posted by Q at 5/01/2005 11:40:00 AM
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