Baiting Cut

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Baiting Cut

By Eric Umansky
Posted Friday, April 29, 2005, at 1:48 AM PT

The Los Angeles Times, New York Times, Wall Street Journal world-wide newsbox, and USA Today all lead with President Bush's press conference, during which he tried to drum up support for his flailing Social Security plan by, for the first time, supporting a specific plan to cut planned benefits. The Washington Post leads locally but off-leads the president's pitch......



Rather than acknowledge what amounts to future cuts, the president suggested something of the opposite, saying "As a matter of fairness, I propose that future generations receive benefits equal to or greater than the benefits today's seniors get."

The rhetoric left papers in a tight spot, forced to contradict the president if they were going to give readers a clear and honest account. The NYT and both Post deliver, the latter headlining: "BUSH SOCIAL SECURITY PLAN WOULD CUT FUTURE BENEFITS." The LAT? Not so much: "BUSH RECASTS HIS MESSAGE ON SOCIAL SECURITY." (Of course, the headline is accurate. It just doesn't tell readers squat.)

The only other newsworthy bits from the press conference: The president distanced himself from social conservatives who've argued that Democrats are discriminating against judicial nominees for their religious views. "I think people are opposing my judicial nominees because they don't like the judicial philosophy of the people I've nominated," said Bush, who also strongly endorsed John Bolton.......