The Headline is a Lie
The New York Times today headlines its story on the Bush speech by saying the "President seeks cuts in taxes and spending." The Bush budget proposal will increases federal government spending by 4 percent.
Let's go to the text:
We must work together to fund only our most important priorities. I will send you a budget that increases discretionary spending by 4 percent next year, about as much as the average family's income is expected to grow. And that is a good benchmark for us: Federal spending should not rise any faster than the paychecks of American families.
The NYT story starts this way:
President Bush vowed tonight that he would not burden future generations with the nation's pressing domestic problems: growing budget deficits, a lagging economy and a crisis in health care. He offered few new specifics on how he would solve those problems, and Democrats asserted that some of his proposals could actually worsen them. But Mr. Bush, addressing one of the core critiques of his administration, argued that he "will not pass along our problems to other Congresses, other presidents and other generations."
I heard the speech. The president's promise to "not pass along our problems to other Congresses, other presidents and other generations" was NOT a reference merely to deficits, the economy and "a crisis in health care," as the NYT spins it. The vow covered everything in the speech, from Medicare reform to dealing with terrorism and Iraq. And Bush offered specifics on each item. You can verify that by reading it yourself.
More lies: NYT columnist Maureen Dowd says Bush "tried to sell skittish Americans on a war with Iraq by alluding to the possibility of a link between Saddam and Al Qaeda."
Bush didn't allude to a possible link. He said we had evidence of a link. When in doubt, go to the text:
Evidence from intelligence sources, secret communications and statements by people now in custody reveal that Saddam Hussein aids and protects terrorists, including members of Al Qaida.
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