Obama Administration Word Games: What's a 'slash' versus a 'cut' in Social Security?

[Better Believe It]

Briefing room word games: What's a 'slash' versus a 'cut' in Social Security?
In the White House briefing room, the meaning of words sometimes hangs on a hand gesture. As in the exchange Thursday with Jay Carney over what could happen to Social Security benefits.
By Linda Feldmann
July 7, 2011

.... there was this little issue of the Washington Post story posted Wednesday night that reported Obama was offering “for the first time ... to tackle the rising cost of Social Security.” This had set off alarm bells among Obama’s progressive base, and led Carney (White House press secretary Jay Carney) to put out a statement denying there was anything new in the White House’s position on Social Security.

The denials continued on Thursday. And that’s where the verbal dancing got particularly entertaining. Back in January, in his State of the Union address, the president “talked about his openness to doing things to strengthen Social Security, things that would not slash benefits,” Carney said.

Carney’s statement appeared, however, to leave open the possibility that the White House could accept some kind of benefit cut.

So, a reporter asked, what does “slash” mean?

http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Politics/The-Vote/2011/0707/Briefing-room-word-games-What-s-a-slash-versus-a-cut-in-Social-Security

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Q What does “slash” mean?

MR. CARNEY: Haven’t you got, like, a dictionary app on your iPhone?

Q Well, it’s a word that you use instead of “cut.”

MR. CARNEY: “Slash” is, I think, quite clear. It’s slash. It’s like that. (Laughter.) It’s a significant whack. (Laughter.)

Q So it means a significant --

MR. CARNEY: I’m not going to put a numerical figure on it.

Q So it means a significant cut.

MR. CARNEY: I think slashing is a pretty sharp, direct --

Q It’s not the same thing as cutting -- the point is, it’s not the same thing as “cut.”

MR. CARNEY: It’s slash. (Laughter.) And I don’t mean the guitarist. (Laughter.)

Q A pledge to not slash benefits is not the same thing as a pledge to not cut benefits.

MR. CARNEY: I’m not -- again, we’re talking about a policy enunciated by the President back in January, and that is --

Q This is a diction you guys have chosen.

MR. CARNEY: No, no, I get that, and we did choose it, and the President used it. But I’m not here to negotiate the semantics --

Q Just so everybody understands -- just so everybody understands, when you say “slash,” you don’t mean “cut.”

MR. CARNEY: We have said that to address the long-term solvency of the problem -- of the program, because this is not an issue that drives short- or medium-term deficits, that we would look -- the President is interested in looking at ways to strengthen the program and enhance its long-term solvency that protects the integrity of the program and doesn’t slash benefits.

Q Which is not the same thing as not cutting benefits.

http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2011/07/07/press-briefing-press-secretary-jay-carney-772011

[jtown1123]

1. I posted this earlier too. Must be seen by all. Kick.

[Name removed]

2. Deleted message

Sub-thread removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[DJ13]

3. If they werent being dishonest & hiding behind semantics

wouldnt it be better to just say "SS is not on the table"?

[jtown1123]

4. Yep. But, they didn't.

[Parker CA]

6. That'd be a much more simple and clear statement.

[FLAprogressive]

19. that's what you can do when you have a president who speaks well, sadly.

[ProfessionalLeftist]

5. BOTH are unacceptable when it comes to Soc. Sec. and Medicare. n/t

[Doctor_J]

7. Resembling the Bush admin more every day

Slimy hypocrites.

[bluethruandthru]

8. These word games seem to be a staple of this administration.

I guess it allows them to say "we said we wouldn't slash benefits and we didn't....we just cut them a bit".
Sheesh!

[Doctor_J]

9. It works too

Monday and Tuesday when word was leaked that cuts were coming, the apologists yelled "President said there wouldn't be any cuts!" and trotted out the "No slash" quote as proof. I wonder what they're thinking now that it's clear they were duped.

[bluethruandthru]

10. They won't acknowledge that they've been duped until the cuts actually go through.

Even then, they'll probably say he didn't have the votes to stop it from happening. :eyes:

[RaleighNCDUer]

14. Yep - it's all the fault of those mean old republicans - Obama is helpless before them.

He gets all the credit when things go well. None of the blame when they turn to shit.

In all those 'what has Obama done' threads, he gets credit for everything passed by congress; then he ALSO gets credit for proposing things that congress blocked (Gitmo, anyone?).

[chill_wind]

11. Classic strawman. We'll be saved from deep "slashes" like we were from "privatization"

A notion that will sell whatever creative name they settle on for "cuts" as an essential palatable part of the Grand Bargain.

Obama started out gesturing his intent on saving us from "privatization". The earlier admin tactic. Dean Baker and other economists and commentators called that out a long time ago, and it died the quick death in the discussion it deserved:

President Obama's comments on Social Security privatization in the last week sound like something that he stole from the playbook of the last Democrat in the White House. Just as President Clinton tried to tell us that the veracity of one of his statements on the Lewinski affair depended on "what your definition of 'is' is," President Obama is telling us that he will stand up against Republican plans to privatize Social Security.

That is nice to hear, but it really is beside the point. President Bush did try to privatize Social Security in 2005 and, no doubt, many Republicans would still like to do so today, but privatization is not currently on the agenda of their leadership. The immediate threat to Social Security is plans to cut benefits by either changing the benefit formula and/or raising the retirement age.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dean-baker/social-security-the-repub_b_691537.html


Obama: Social Security will not be privatized

http://www.smallgovtimes.com/2010/08/obama-social-security-will-not-be-privatized/

[yodermon]

12. Holy *SHIT* that was pathetic. I thought your thread title was an exaggeration.

yikes.

[jtown1123]

16. More people need to read this. It's an eye opener.

[defendandprotect]

13. kr

[Marr]

15. Anyone else being reminded of the public option "debate"?

It sounds to me like the Obama Administration has once again outflanked congressional Democrats and cut a right-wing deal with the Republicans. The weasels are just trying to keep everyone confused until the last possible moment.

[sudopod]

17. Dear sweet baby Jesus

I think I just saw parody become obsolete.

[jtown1123]

18. Oh there is a video component to this. It would make you cry if it didn't make you laugh

http://www.nationaljournal.com/whitehouse/slash-or-cut-carney-reporters-argue-semantics-on-social-security-20110707

[Doctor_J]

22. thank god that was only 2 minutes

Another 1/2 minute and my laptop would have been hurled out the window.

Seriously, this is damn near on the level of Smirk looking for the WMD under the desk then laughing about it.

[Ignis]

20. K&R.

If you parse words this very finely, you should expect to be asked questions on "semantics."

[Javaman]

21. Slash is when you are sliced and bleed to death at a much slower rate than a cut. nt

[democracy1st]

23. K & R

[Aerows]

24. I can't stand Dana Perino

But she would have chewed them up and spit them out. Robert Gibbs would have looked like a stand up comic in front of a heckler until they tamed their tongues.

Am I the only one that thinks this is one of the most incompetent spokesmen in memory?

[sudopod]

25. Listen to Guns and Roses twenty years ago.

Then listen to "Chinese Democracy."

That's the difference between Slash and No Slash.