Way back in January, in the first weeks of the Social Security debate, the Bush administration tried to force its rhetoric down the press’ throat. Most notable was its attempt to get reporters to refer to its proposed private investment accounts as “personal accounts,” because polls showed the public more receptive to that phrasing.
Now the investment accounts have become part of a large vision to “strengthen Social Security” — a carefully constructed slogan that owns a corner of the White House Web site. As an attempt to shield President Bush from the charge that he is trying to “phase out” Social Security by moving the system away from guaranteed benefits, “strengthen Social Security” is an inspired formulation.
And, sure enough, today the House Committee on Ways and Means began hearings on Social Security, and guess what the first meeting is called? “Hearing on Alternatives to Strengthen Social Security.” Even though it seems unlikely that the committee will emerge with a consensus plan that looks like the president’s, the press bit hook, line, and sinker on the slogan.
Check out this sound bite from CNN’s “Headline News” this morning:
At this hour, the House Ways and Means Committee hearing focuses on alternatives in strengthening Social Security. Lawmakers are not just considering President Bush’s private investment accounts. They are looking at issues, like chronic illness and long-term care, that affect retirement.
The way that reads, it sounds to us as if “Headline News” has just endorsed the president’s private investment accounts as a plan that will “strengthen Social Security.”
Now check out “Fox News Live”‘s report, which aired just a few minutes later:
The debate broadens on Social Security reform. The House Ways and Means committee opened a hearing on ways to shore up the program’s finances and improve chronic and long-term care. The former chairman of the president’s Council of Economic Advisors [told] a panel lawmakers should encourage broad national savings such as a money-matching system similar to company 401-k programs, but a former Social Security commissioner voiced opposition to private accounts that have been proposed by President Bush.
That’s a little better, in that it gives the merits or demerits of private accounts the standard “he said/she said” treatment. But it still suggests that the hearings are aimed at creating legislation to improve Social Security’s finances. That’s an event that might happen — but it might not. And it’s the press’ job to prepare the public for that possibility. A more accurate — and less value-laden — description of the Ways and Means Committee hearings would describe them as intent on “overhauling” Social Security — for better or for worse. After all, as Peter Wehner, a Karl Rove deputy, made clear earlier this year in a White House memo, the push for changes to Social Security is not about “strengthening” the program’s finances. Wehner was quite clear about what the real goal is:
“At the end of the day, we want to promote both an ownership society and advance the idea of limited government. It seems to me our plan will do so; the plan of some others won’t. Let me add one other important point: we consider our Social Security reform not simply an economic challenge, but a moral goal and a moral good.”
–Thomas Lang
Thomas Lang was a writer at CJR Daily.