What is a "benefit" and what are earned payments?

According to Rush, reading from an article in the Wall Street Journal.

No wonder we're going bankrupt.

48% of Americans Get Some Sort of Government Assistance
RUSH: Here's news from the Wall Street Journal. No surprise here: 48.6% of US lived in households are receiving some type of government benefits in the second quarter of 2010, Census Bureau numbers. "Some 48.6% of the population lived in a household receiving some type of government benefit." Nearly half of America lives in a household receiving government benefits. Nearly half. (interruption) You're not surprised, are you? You are surprised? You're surprised at that? Well, what's the difference in that and 47% aren't paying any income tax? Don't the two kind of go together?

"The pool of Americans relying on government benefits rose to record highs last year as an increasing share of families tapped aid in a weak economy. Some 48.6% of the population lived in a household receiving some type of government benefit in the second quarter of 2010, up a notch from 48.5%." So it's up one-tenth of 1% in the first quarter. So we are immersed here in looksism and class envy. Forty-eight-point-six percent receiving some type of government benefit. That can only help Obama. That can only help the Democrats. That's what they're doing.