Reid: * is "turning the SSA into a White House PR firm"

[NVMojo]

For Immediate Release
January 15, 2005

Senator Harry Reid (D-NV) released the following statement today on reports that the Bush administration is using the Social Security Administration to promote his reckless plan to cut benefits:

"The idea that George W. Bush would instruct the Social Security Administration to spend valuable dollars to promote his privatization plan is shocking.

"When it comes to promoting its own political agenda, it's clear this White House knows no bounds. It has paid journalists to bias their coverage and is now turning the Social Security Administration into a White House PR firm. The United States government is not a Republican propaganda machine, and I call on President Bush to immediately investigate and put an end to these actions.

"We will have a debate about the best way to strengthen Social Security, and the American people will decide for themselves if they support the President's plan to cut benefits in half and drive up the debt. In the meantime, for Republicans to try and use taxpayers' dollars and resources to build support for this plan is simply unconscionable."

[tjdee]

1. Anyone going to actually say or do something about this in the party?

Anyone but Reid going to say anything?

They going to just talk while the media doesn't cover this, and just throw their hands up in the air because the media, it just doesn't cover them?

Oh, good.

[senseandsensibility]

20. uh...

Rahm could have mentioned this on MTP this morning. But that would mean that there was some kind of co-ordinated effort to fight the repukes. Heaven forbid. x(

[proudbluestater]

2. I love the recent press releases by the DEMS, but will the MSM

cover them? Maybe a brief mention, then back on board to shill for the regime.

[Dr Fate]

14. Which interviewer is turning down Reid appearances???

Or is Reid and other top household name Democrats just not demanding live interviews?

[NVMojo]

16. I wondered about that too, Dr Fate ...but this is coming out of the War

Room for communications that Reid set up. What I saw out of his PR statement with Kennedy and Lautenberg on the Williams crap was a sentence or two in the mainstream media, if he was lucky.

[Dr Fate]

18. Yeah-its a great start, dont get me wrong...

but we need to stop balming the media- and ACCEPT the fact that they are biased against us.

Their bias does not stop top DEMs from going on their shows and stirring things up putting out talking points.

[NVMojo]

17. I get these releases through a small rural radio provider ...

so does our local newspaper and they aren't using any of Reid's stuff unless it is included in some mainstream AP feed.

[GetTheRightVote]

3. Go Harry, go Harry, get the repubs for their lying souls

and hope to destory the legacy of SSN and its secure base.
Shame on the repubs for their actions over the last 4 and half years.
Shame on their greedy souls.

:kick:

[skylarmae]

4. one can only hope that these words are sufficient to

shut this project of georgie porgie's down. Somehow, however, I hardly think it will.

[madrchsod]

5. rush on friday blamed the democrats

for not coming up with a plan to fix ss. ok let`s fix something that isn`t broke.

[Tigress DEM]

9. It seems to me...

It's been mentioned to move the ?cap on payroll taxes up.

At this point if you make over $80,000 then you get the discount rate <g> If they made it more even for people making say up to 3 million to pay their fair share then we'd be all set.

[NVMojo]

6. that's ticking me off too, he's released three of these in the past 2

weeks and the MSM barely pays attention. It is sickening how they basically function as a collective marketing and cover up machine for the shrubbutt.

This type of thing from Reid must be part of his "war room." I hope he doesn't stop ....

[Dr Fate]

13. I doubt Brit Hume, Wolf Blitzer, Matthews etc would turn down an interview

If Harry wanted to go on TV, in person and say these things, he could.

I doubt very seriously that Judy Woodruff, Mathews, Hannity & Colmes, etc would turn him down.

We need to stop "releasing" shit and start SAYING it to Republicans faces.

[KittyWampus]

24. You Doubt? LOL! What Do You Know About The Media? Do You Work

in the media? I am genuinely curious.

Please tell me, give me the entire scenario where Reid calls up demanding equal time...

[Dr Fate]

26. Has Reid, Hillary, Kerry, Obama requested an interview?

Before we decide that they will be turned down, show me some examples of a network refusing to interview top name Democratic politicans.

Here's the scenario: "Mr/Mrs (insert top interviewr here.) I'd like to come on your show and be interviewed about (insert issue here).

[autorank]

7. Reid is firing up.l He'll release stuff like this over and over until

he gets the press he wants. He'll play the very upset nice guy who tried to cooperate. It's a smart ploy to go for middle America on our key issue, Social Security. Hell, Reid looks like a lot of people who will be on Social Security in a few years.

Then he'll be outraged: "I tried to work with the President, then I found out he was..." whatever fits. And on and on. He'll dig as deep a hole as he can for * and then pile it on.

This is a strategy that will roll out over months. It's clear that Reid has to be the national spokesman for Congressional Democrats. Pelosi doesn't have the fire (she's got the arguments, though). Kerry is too busy with his useless tour and revealing and offensive social life (what does he care about people on Social Security it seems).

Reid's a tough guy who likes to fight. Watch him work. It's going to please a lot of us.

[NVMojo]

10. Reid boxed at one time ...I do believe he will come out punching

over and over. And the more he does it, the more it will reveal what the MSM is actually doing ...slurping down the shit poured out by the */Rove team.

[autorank]

11. Like that, Reid vs. the CM (corporate media). Kick ass Harry!

[fnottr]

29. and in boxing you don't want to come out swinging too hard in the 1st

round, you'll wear yourself out. As long as this is only the first phase of the stratagy, I think it's a good one. I think he's playing smart by putting these releases out for now, there's time a bit later to start rattling the cage.

[Dr Fate]

15. Encouraging- I hope its true.

I need to look into this guy and learn more about him...

[Tigress DEM]

8. If you cut off a Spendaholic by cutting up their credit cards...

how do you stop a Republican from buying a Yacht when people are losing their jobs - forget about SSA - whose going to make it until then if he tanks the economy?

[newyawker99]

25. Hi Tigress DEM!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

[Dr Fate]

12. He "released" these points, or did he SAY IT on TV???

I understand he was on TV this morning- did he say these things or did he "release" them?- what-ever that means....

DEMS need to be saying that "It has paid journalists to bias their coverage..." type talking points a lot- good stuff... Even swing voters understand this kind of stuff.

This is a great start, but DEMS need to all be on TV saying these talking points over & over to make it stick...

[Geek_Girl]

19. Right Now There are Ads in My town being run

on TV to support Bush's proposal to privatize social security. Maybe the democrats need to run counter adds. Maybe from Moveon or the DNC.

In the advertisement they ask viewers to call there representatives to and ask them to support Bush's initiative to strengthen social security. The add is very slick. At the beginning it shows FDR signing the social security legislation and the narrator says something like "It took leadership to pass social security." then there's a shot of Bush sitting behind his desk and the narrator says, "It will take leadership to strengthen social security."

I know many will fall for it because unfortunately they just don't know any better.

[NVMojo]

21. those must be the ads that FDR's relatives are pissed off about ...

I can see why....

[JaneQPublic]

22. Bush is also turning the CIA into a "White House PR firm"...

...according to those recent Porter Goss memos.

[John_H]

23. Anyone see him on TV? Did he say anything? Or just grab his ankles?

[LittleClarkie]

27. Considering how much some folks weren't enthused by Reid

when he became Minority Leader, is anyone else just loving this guy.

What a bulldog. Give em hell, Harry!

[Califooyah Operative]

28. Move on.org letter on this....

Dear MoveOn member,

"Over the objections of many of its own employees, the Social Security Administration is gearing up for a major effort to publicize the financial problems of Social Security and to convince the public that accounts are needed as part of any solution." (The New York Times, 1/16/2005)

More than 300,000 of us have now signed MoveOn's petition to Congress to save Social Security. But the White House is upping its efforts -- the New York Times disclosed on Sunday that it is using the Social Security Administration to mislead the American public and sell Social Security privatization. Documents obtained by The New York Times show that Bush's plan is to insert "propaganda" into Social Security publications -- using the apparatus of this huge government agency -- and the trust millions place in it -- to sell their privatization scheme that would cut Social Security benefits.

We need your help to make it clear that the Social Security Administration is not another propaganda tool of the White House. Please take one minute to send a message. Call the Social Security Administration at the number below. Tell them you oppose Social Security privatization and you expect them to deliver straight facts -- not White House spin -- to the American people.

Call: 1-800-772-1213

After the greeting, dial 1 for English or 2 for Spanish.
Then press 3.
Then press 0 to speak to a representative.

After you make your call click on the link below to let us know.

http://www.moveon.org/socialsecurity/call/?id= 5059-5206531-N2o81UyYWtIZjahJiMRxBg

This isn't the first time government agencies have been used to deceive like this. The Times notes that, "The Bush administration ran afoul of a ban on 'covert propaganda' when it used tax money to promote the new Medicare drug benefit and to publicize the dangers of drug abuse by young people. The administration acknowledged paying a conservative commentator, Armstrong Williams, to promote its No Child Left Behind education policy. But on Social Security, unlike those issues, the government has not concealed its role."

We need your voice on this issue. We can't let them get away with this.

Thanks for all you do.

--Tom Matzzie
MoveOn.org
January 18th, 2005

P.S. Please make your call and then ask your friends, family and colleagues to get involved. The best way they can help right away is to sign our Petition to Save Social Security at the link below.

http://www.moveon.org/socialsecurity/

P.P.S. Here are some links to useful resources

Social Security Administration is Enlisted to Push Its Own Revision (The New York Times, January 16, 2005)
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/01/16/politics/16benefit.html (Registration Required)

Social Security: Playing Politics (Center for American Progress, January 18, 2005)
http://www.americanprogressaction.org/site/pp.asp?c=klLWJcP7H&b=294332

Campaign for America's Future
http://www.ourfuture.org/