Category Archives: Social Security

The Brave World of Boehner/Obama Bipartisanship

Posted on 07/15/2011 by Peter Hart

Media love the "middle" in politics–where leaders of the two major parties come together to find common ground, renew the national spirit and/or live up to the ideals of the Founders. Time magazine (7/14/11) has a soppy piece about Barack … Continue reading →

Posted in Barack Obama, Budget, Social Security, Time | Tagged , , , | 15 Comments

NYT Quotes a Social Security Defender, Only Bashes Him Indirectly

Posted on 06/17/2011 by Jim Naureckas

A New York Times piece (6/17/11) on Social Security actually quotes a defender of Social Security–but as that source notes, "the context looks designed to refute me." In a story about the AARP suggesting that maybe Social Security benefits will … Continue reading →

Posted in New York Times, Social Security | Tagged , | 9 Comments

WaPo Invents Dems' Social Security Split

Posted on 03/25/2011 by Peter Hart

The Washington Post's Lori Montgomery has what sounds like a pretty important story in today's paper (3/25/11). Theheadline: Democrats Splinter Over Strategy for Reducing Deficit Battle Lines Drawn as More Are Willing to Put Entitlements on Table The piece leads … Continue reading →

Posted in Social Security, Washington Post | Tagged , | 24 Comments

Chris Christie's Not Telling the Truth–Ugly or Otherwise

Posted on 02/18/2011 by Peter Hart

New Jersey Republican Gov. Chris Christie is the object of intense devotion among some on the right (Glenn Beck in particular). No surprise, then, that he'd get a lot of attention for going to Washington and delivering a stern lecture … Continue reading →

Posted in Social Security, Washington Post | Tagged , , , | 40 Comments

USA Today's 'Nonpartisan Experts' Agree: Obama Not Tough Enough on Elderly, Poor

Posted on 02/14/2011 by Jim Naureckas

The subhead sums up the point of USA Today's lead story today (2/14/11) about Barack Obama's budget proposal: Obama Proposes Cuts to Trim Deficit; GOP, Others Want More The piece by Richard Wolf and Mimi Hall begins, "President Obama will … Continue reading →

Posted in Barack Obama, Economy, Social Security, USA Today | Tagged , , , , , , , | 16 Comments

David Gregory's Social Security Challenge

Posted on 02/14/2011 by Peter Hart

From his Meetthe Press interview withHouse Speaker John Boehner (2/13/11): On entitlements, like Social Security, you said the retirement age should be raised, but you said you don't want to get into negotiating how that happens just now until the … Continue reading →

Posted in NBC, Social Security | Tagged , | 8 Comments

Bob Herbert Slams Social Security Dishonesty; Times Reporters, on the Other Hand…

Posted on 01/25/2011 by Peter Hart

Bob Herbert, today in the New York Times (1/25/11): There has always been feverish opposition on the right to Social Security. What is happening now, in a period of deficit hysteria, is that this crucial retirement program is being dishonestly … Continue reading →

Posted in New York Times, Social Security | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

NYT Disappears Public Support for Military Spending Cuts

Posted on 01/24/2011 by Peter Hart

Today the New York Times reports on the debate over spending, deficits and the State of the Union (1/24/11): The public itself seems split, or perhaps confused. Americans overwhelmingly say that in general, they prefer cutting government spending to paying … Continue reading →

Posted in New York Times, Polling, Social Security | Tagged , , | 4 Comments

NYT Hits Deficit Panic Button (Again)

Posted on 01/21/2011 by Peter Hart

Big news in the New York Times today (1/21/11): According to their new poll, Americans overwhelmingly support slashing military spending. Wait–that's not the news. According to the story by Jackie Calmes and Dalia Sussman (headlined "Poll Finds Willingness to Cut … Continue reading →

Posted in New York Times, Polling, Social Security, Taxes | Tagged , | 13 Comments

Douthat's Tales of the Shocking Parallel Universe Pelosi Calls Home

Posted on 11/15/2010 by Jim Naureckas

The New York Times' Ross Douthat (11/15/10) warns us about the nightmare world that "Nancy Pelosi and her compatriots" live in: It's a world where the Social Security retirement age never budges, no matter how high average life expectancy climbs. … Continue reading →

Posted in New York Times, Social Security | Tagged , | 18 Comments

NBC's Sunday Morning Austerity Program

Posted on 11/15/2010 by Peter Hart

You got a sense from some of the coverage of the Simpson/Bowles deficit commission report that their right-leaning prescription was exactly the kind of solution the corporatemedia could get behind. Charlie Rose could apparently only find two panelists who wished … Continue reading →

Posted in Economy, Media Criticism, NBC, Social Security | Tagged , , , , | 17 Comments

Charlie Rose's Debt Commission Non-Debate

Posted on 11/12/2010 by Peter Hart

As you may have gathered by now, the deficit reduction plan offered by debt commission chairs Alan Simpson and Erskine Bowles is pretty unpopular, particularly on the left. But one place it was well-received: The Charlie Rose Show, a comfortable … Continue reading →

Posted in Economy, PBS, Social Security | Tagged , , | 19 Comments

Hey, NYT: What Exactly Is 'Centrism'?

Posted on 11/12/2010 by Peter Hart

Reportingontheproposalfrom debt commission chairs Alan Simpson and Erskine Bowles, a New York Times article (11/11/10) by Jackie Calmes framed the discussion this way: Mr. Obama created the commission last February in the hope it would provide political cover for bold … Continue reading →

Posted in New York Times, Social Security, Taxes | Tagged , , | 19 Comments

Can They Pull David Brooks' Pundit License?

Posted on 11/05/2010 by Peter Hart

New York Times columnist David Brooks is a regular on TV talk shows–including his weekly appearance on the PBS NewsHour (allowing the public to hear regularly from a widely syndicated columnist and commercial TV pundit, just aspublic TV was intended … Continue reading →

Posted in Media Criticism, PBS, Social Security | Tagged , | 18 Comments

NYT Back on the Deficit Train

Posted on 10/26/2010 by Peter Hart

On today's front page, under the headline "Deficit Divisions Likely to Grow After Election," New York Times reporter Jackie Calmes writes this lead: WASHINGTON — A midterm campaign that has turned heavily on the issue of the mounting federal debt … Continue reading →

Posted in Election, New York Times, Social Security | Tagged | 11 Comments