Only LA Times notes the fiscal lies in yesterday's Bush speech.

[papau]

Of course the "savings" the Senate has with the $4 B cut in defense to be followed by a special new bill's $4 B for extra "Iraq War" defense spending, and the pushing of the monthly Supplemental Security Income payment from the last few days of fiscal 2006 to the beginning of 2007, a saving $3 billion in 2006, are not much more real that those in the president's speech. All GOPers seem to think alike.






http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-bush5oct05,1,2655152.story?coll=la-headlines-nation&ctrack=1&cset=true

THE NATION
Bush Says Social Security Overhaul Is Stalled
He cites a lack of public support for his plan. More pressing now is the hurricane recovery.

By Edwin Chen and Joel Havemann, Times Staff Writers


WASHINGTON — <snip> Bush said he had already asked Congress for $187 billion in cuts over 10 years from federal benefit programs, and $20 billion in the next fiscal year alone from non-defense programs whose annual spending levels were set by Congress in appropriations bills.

Bush's $187-billion figure put the best face on his budget posture. Three factors, interpreted differently, could turn the apparent cuts into an increase in spending:

• Omitted from the $187 billion in proposed cuts were an accompanying $49 billion in proposed increases. Including these would reduce the net cuts to $138 billion.

• The Congressional Budget Office, making different estimates of the rate of federal spending, estimates that the net cuts would total $103 billion.

• The White House excluded the effect of some of its tax proposals that would result in payments to taxpayers whose child-care tax credit and other credits exceeded the income taxes they owed. Including these, said the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, would leave a net spending increase of $16 billion.

Separately, Bush said he had asked Congress to trim its annual appropriations by $20 billion by eliminating 99 programs and slashing spending for 55 others. As with federal benefit programs, the president excluded $3 billion in proposed increases for programs in this category. Including them would reduce savings to $17 billion.
<snip>

[texpatriot2004]

1. I like the LA Times.

A sad commentary on our media and newspapers.