Claim: E-mail presents muddled comments by President Bush regarding proposed changes to Medicare/Social Security.
Status: True.
Example: [Collected on the Internet, 2006]
Bush Explains Medicare Drug Bill — Verbatim Quote Submitted on 2005-12-13 WOMAN IN AUDIENCE: 'I don't really understand. How is it the new plan going to fix the problem?' Verbatim response: PRESIDENT BUSH: 'Because the — all which is on the table begins to address the big cost drivers. For example, how benefits are calculated, for example, is on the table. Whether or not benefits rise based upon wage increases or price increases There's a series of parts of the formula that are being considered. And when you couple that, those different cost drivers, affecting those |
Origins: President George W. Bush is not possessed of strong public speaking skills, a fact that becomes especially noticeable when he is attempting to communicate complex information in his own
words.
The comments quoted above come from remarks made by President Bush at the Tampa Convention Center in Tampa, Florida, on
The President gave his muddled explanation after he had completed delivering prepared remarks and was taking questions from the floor, his response prompted by an unnamed woman's query about the efficacy of proposed changes to the Social Security system.
The President's mish-mashed response appears approximately three-quarters of the way through the White House transcript of that meeting:
Does that make any sense to you? It's kind of muddled. Look, there's a series of things that cause the Okay, better? I'll keep working on it. (Laughter.)
Because the — all which is on the table begins to address the big cost drivers. For example, how benefits are calculate, for example, is on the table; whether or not benefits rise based upon wage increases or price increases. There's a series of parts of the formula that are being considered. And when you couple that, those different cost drivers, affecting those
Barbara "misspokes in the weal" Mikkelson
Last updated: 20 January 2006
Sources: