Will media cave? - Bush demands use of new phrase for "private accounts"

[papau]

http://www.workingforchange.com/article.cfm?itemid=18449

the accounts formerly known as private-Bush demands new words in SS debate

Molly Ivins: Team Bush flip-flops on Social Security linguistics


I wouldn't say it's the most earth-shaking issue around, but I'm fascinated by this fight the administration is picking with the media over "private accounts" versus "personal accounts."

Here's the state of play: Everybody went along in cheerful harmony describing the president's Social Security plan as "partial privatization," since it would allow younger workers to put a third or more of their payroll taxes into private accounts. President Bush called them "private accounts," everyone in the administration called them "private accounts," and Republicans, Democrats and the media all called them "private accounts."

Then, one day, some focus group showed that people, particularly older people, react negatively to any connection between Social Security and the word private. For some reason, people like the sound of "personal accounts" better than they do "private accounts."

<snip>

You won't catch me on the wrong side of this argument. I know they're making a list and checking it twice. If I'm not with them, I'm against them. Taking inspiration from Prince, I shall refer to them as "the accounts formerly known as private."

<snip>

[Richardo]

1. I noticed NPR still uses 'private'...

...as do most people. Sorry, Karl you're too good at the sloganeering.

[flamin lib]

2. "partial privatization" . . .

Is that like Partial Birth Abortion?

[Mojambo]

3. Oooh good one.

When they say partial we know exactly what they mean.

[louis-t]

4. pe-rs-on-al ac-co-un-ts

I hear, and I obey......:crazy:

[Botany]

5. Fine, but only if the media calls bush .....

...... An unelected fucking idiot.

:bounce:

[paineinthearse]

6. Corresponding Freepress.org article

PARSING TERMS, PICKING SIDES

"So the Republicans, with their fabulous ability to march in lockstep, all about-faced and started referring to the privatization of Social Security as 'personal accounts.' The Republicans in Congress, the president, the administration and all its media supporters, both paid and unpaid, now insist on referring to the partial privatization plan as 'setting up personal accounts.' This is the new political correctness."

(FreePress.org)
http://www.freepress.org/columns/display/1/2005/1052

[papau]

7. all its media supporters -seems this is a valid way to identify GOP dollar

takers - who knew that media whore was such an appropiate term.

Of course the US Gov contracts will be replaced with speaking fees and write up something payments.

[Lydia Leftcoast]

8. Well, the media didn't cave when the Reaganites and their silly

Committee on the Present Danger demanded that Star Wars be referred to as The High Frontier. :shrug: