The Return of FactCheck.Org: Social Security Reform

After a loooooooong hiatus after the election, FactCheck.Org is back with its bipartisan bashing of Republican and Democratic fact-mangling. First up is an analysis of a MoveOn.Org ad. (And I have to ask, am I the only one who finds it funny that MOVEON.org can not get over the reelection of GWB?

In fact, Bush has said over and over he won't cut benefits for anybody currently getting them, or near retirement. By using images of over-65 workers and using the words "before long," the ad creates the false impression that Bush's "cuts" would apply to them, and soon...Furthermore, Bush hasn't proposed anything specific, yet.

Then they go on to analyze some Social Security portions of the State of the Union Address

In his State of the Union Address, President Bush said again that the Social Security system is headed for "bankruptcy," a term that could give the wrong idea. Actually, even if it goes "bankrupt" a few decades from now, the system would still be able to pay about three-quarters of the benefits now promised...Bush also made his proposed private Social Security accounts sound like a sure thing, which they are not. He said they "will" grow fast enough to provide a better return than the present system. History suggests that will be so, but nobody can predict what stock and bond markets will do in the future.

It is good to have FactCheck.Org back. I don't always agree with their analyses, but they are equal-opportinity bashers of both sides, and we need more of those in the current hyper-polarized political environment.