frankenlies.com
Addendum E: Bogus Brit Hume Outrage
Here is yet another example that illustrates why every clear-thinking person needs to constantly question claims and statements made by Al Franken.
Around February 9, 2005, Al Franken made a brouhaha in the media when he called on Fox News Channel anchor Brit Hume to resign over something that the host said on his Special Report With Brit Hume show on the Fox News Channel.
What did Hume say that so rattled Franken? On his radio show and the show's blog [link], Franken asserted,
"[Hume claimed] that FDR [Franklin Delano Roosevelt] wanted to replace Social Security with private accounts. Hume is lying." (please note my emphasis)
The truth? Here is what Hume actually said, according to the actual transcript [as of this writing, the link has video available as well].
Senate Democrats gathered at the Franklin Roosevelt Memorial today to invoke the image of FDR in calling on President Bush to remove private accounts from his Social Security proposal. But it turns out that FDR himself planned to include private investment accounts in the Social Security program when he proposed it.
In a written statement to Congress in 1935, Roosevelt said that any Social Security plans should include, "Voluntary contributory annuities, by which individual initiative can increase the annual amounts received in old age," adding that government funding, "ought to ultimately be supplanted by self-supporting annuity plans." (emphasis added)
As anyone with even an elementary knowledge of English knows, there is a monumental difference between "replace" and "include." Hume never said "replace," as Franken claims.
Who's the one lying? Here's a hint: Not Brit Hume.
Here's another question: Was Franken's deception intentional? If not, why, on the day he asked Hume to resign, did Franken not provide a link to the actual transcript of Hume's remarks?
[NOTE: For more on this, visit Villainous Company, who did an excellent job on this.]