Friday, May 20, 2005

When an Ugly Government Lies, Smoke Gets in Your Eyes

Maybe the reason no one recognizes a smoking gun anymore (and the secret Downing Street memo has to be the .44 magnum of smoking guns) is that the Republicans have so filed the air with smoke and mirrors that it's impossible to notice when a new puff goes up.

Today the Los Angeles Times writes an article about an e-mail memo that "illustrates the way the White House is selectively casting members of the under-30 set to promote its Social Security plan." The article goes to say:

White House spokesman Trent Duffy declined to discuss the group's e-mail to prospective participants in the Rochester forum, an event that the White House has not announced.

Duffy said it was not unusual for the White House to work with such groups to identify people who could help Bush make the case for restructuring.

"Yes, the president is promoting his agenda," Duffy said. "Every president that preceded this one has used the bully pulpit to talk about their agenda. This president is doing the same."


Exucse me for pointing this out, but if Bush has someone else makes his points for him, he isn't using his bully pulpit, he's either using metonymy, which is probably too complex a word for him to understand, or misusing Americans as ventriloquists dummies.

At least, at last, the MSM is truly being objective and pointing out the ridiculousness of this Social Security scam-a-thon. Today the Washington Post writes, in an article, not an op-ed:

On the 78th day of a 60-day roadshow, the president's nationwide Social Security tour, even to some of his own aides, has the feel of a past-its-prime Broadway production that has been held over while other, newer shows steal the spotlight.

True, it's telling the paragraph hints at the problem news agencies have, for they will ever hanker after the latest shiny bauble, particularly if the bauble is tawdry or fondled by Michael Jackson. But it's a start. Not enough of one for our president to understand, however, for he still is quoted as saying, "I'm just beginning this debate. I'm going to spend whatever time it takes to continue traveling this country and make it absolutely clear to the people, we've got a problem."

Debate?

I guess no one ever told W. that to have a debate you have to invite, well, at the least, allow into the venue, some people who might disagree with you. Of course, maybe that's why all the polling shows the longer he's been on tour trying to sic Soc Sec, the less support his plan has. It's hard to convince people when you only talk to the ones that don't need any convincing.

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