Friday, April 08, 2005

Worse: Media Distortions on Social Security

Media bias is the most insidious when it is subtle. If I say George W. Bush, our idiot president, that is much less harmful than if I George W. Bush, whose policies the bipartisan AARP has deemed harmful to poor seniors. The first is a personal slur that anyone would notice. The second would be noticed only by those who realize there is little "bipartisan" sentiment in the liberal AARP organization.
More insidious is the bias shown in an AP article printed in the Courier Journal this morning that states, without attribution, that President Bush offered a plan to Congress that would lower the Social Security payments for everyone under 55.

From the Article:------------------------------
Bush urged Congress in January to approve legislation that would create permanent financial solvency for Social Security, and include an option for younger workers to set aside a portion of their payroll taxes for personal investment. In exchange, all workers under 55 would receive lower benefits than they are now guaranteed under the law.
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What the reporter is referring to is a technical change to benefits that would cause them to not rise as fast over time as they do now. President Bush has not made this, or any other, proposal and to suggest that he did would be, sad to say, a lie.