I got the following via e-mail from my friend Nancy - a keen Bush watcher. See here for more "clarification". I hope Letterman, Leno and Jon Stewart see this one soon.
Bush Explains revamping Social Security -- Verbatim Quote
WOMAN IN AUDIENCE: 'I don't really understand. How is the new plan going to fix the problem?'
PRESIDENT BUSH:
'Because the -- all which is on the table begins to address the big cost drivers. For example, how benefits are calculated, for example, is on the table. Whether or not benefits rise based upon wage increases or price increases. There's a series of parts of the formula that are being considered. And when you couple that, those different cost drivers, affecting those -- changing those with personal accounts, the idea is to get what has been promised more likely to be -- or closer delivered to that has been promised.
Does that make any sense to you? It's kind of muddled. Look, there's a series of things that cause the -- like, for example, benefits are calculated based upon the increase of wages, as opposed to the increase of prices. Some have suggested that we calculate -- the benefits will rise based upon inflation, supposed to wage increases. There is a reform that would help solve the red if that were put into effect. In other words, how fast benefits grow, how fast the promised benefits grow, if those -- if that growth is affected, it will help on the red.
Okay, better? I'll keep working on it.' (Laughter.)
Please forward this to others -- so they, too, can understand...
This quote is actually from Feb, 2005:
http://www.snopes.com/politics/bush/muddled.asp
Posted by: sammy | January 28, 2006 at 02:29 PM
You are right - I noticed that too when I linked to the White House.gov page. But I myself saw it for the first time only when my friend sent me the e-mail. The reason I proceeded to post it anyway, is that Bush has not offered us anything more coherent on domestic policy than this gobbledygook, since Feb 2005.
Posted by: Ruchira Paul | January 28, 2006 at 02:43 PM