Daily Howler - May 4, 2005

HOW TO SUCCEED AT SEMANTICS! “Which word is right,” Brooks Jackson asks. But that’s not the way to approach this

HOW TO SUCCEED AT SEMANTICS: Yes, a semantic war has broken out about Bush’s proposal for Social Security. At FactCheck.org, former CNN ace Brooks Jackson has already noted the problem:

JACKSON (4/29/05): Sometimes it seems as though Democrats and Republicans are living in parallel universes. Consider these two duelling quotes from April 29, regarding the President's announcement that he is supporting "progressive indexing" of Social Security benefits for future retirees:

President Bush: I propose that future generations receive benefits equal to or greater than the benefits today's seniors get.

Senator Harry Reid: This plan will provide deep benefit cuts for middle-class seniors.

So which is it—steady benefits or reduced benefits?