Jumping To Conclusions

From an article in the New York Times purporting to fact-check the presidential campaigns:

In his critique of Mr. Kerry's record, Mr. Bush has often left out facts that might make some of the Democrat's positions look different.

In one speech, Mr. Bush said in quick succession that Mr. Kerry had voted for higher taxes on Social Security benefits and voted for a formula that "helped cause the increase in Medicare premiums."

Mr. Bush's statements were technically correct. But the tax on Social Security benefits, adopted in 1993 over Republican opposition, helps to pay for Medicare, and without it the government would have to raise other taxes or add to the budget deficit. In voting for the Medicare formula in 1997, Mr. Kerry was joined by 43 Republicans.

"Without it the government would have to raise other taxes or add to the budget deficit?" Are those really the only two options? Leaving aside the possibility of cutting Medicare, the thought of cutting other programs doesn't even occur to Adam Nagourney or Richard Stevenson, the Times reporters who wrote the story?