Bush's media Puppet's on Social Security

[brettdale]

Very good link, it names what reporters said what On Bush's social security policies. Time for some emails i think.


http://mediamatters.org/items/200504300001

Television news coverage of President Bush's April 28 press conference offered several misleading claims about Bush's proposed Social Security benefit cuts. Cable and network anchors and correspondents: 1) falsely suggested that benefit cuts would affect only high-income workers; 2) mischaracterized cuts in promised benefits as "slower increase in benefits"; and 3) erroneously suggested that low-income workers will receive greater benefits under Bush's proposal than they are promised under the current system.

[brettdale]

1. Who said what

Pundits on all three cable news channels falsely suggested that low-income workers would receive greater Social Security benefits under Bush's proposal than they are promised under the current Social Security system. In fact, according to the CBPP report, under the plan developed by Robert C. Pozen, upon which the Bush proposal is reportedly based, "low-earners would continue to receive the Social Security benefits promised under current law, which are based on a formula that uses 'wage indexing.'"

MSNBC host Chris Matthews echoed Bush's false claim that his plan will provide "extra help to those most in need" by asserting that "the less wealthy people who retire would be able to get what he called extra benefits."

Fox News host Brit Hume claimed that under Bush's proposal for means testing, benefits would be "enhanced, perhaps ... for lower-income people."

CNN anchor Carol Costello reported that Bush "says benefits for lower-income people should grow at a faster rate," but failed to note that his proposal would not actually increase their benefits from what is currently promised.

CNN host Jack Cafferty asserted that Bush's plan involves "preserving the benefits or maybe even increasing them at a greater rate for the poor among us."