He damn well better if he wants any chance... clo
Obama to shield Social Security in deficit-reduction
By CARRIE BUDOFF BROWN | 9/15/11 9:36 AM EDT
President Barack Obama will shield Social Security from cuts in his new deficit-reduction plan, the White House said Thursday, pulling back on a key concession from his failed “grand bargain” negotiations with House Speaker John Boehner.
“The president’s recommendation for deficit reduction will not include any changes to Social Security because, as the president has consistently said, he does not believe that Social Security is a driver of our near and medium term deficits,” White House spokeswoman Amy Brundage said in a statement. “He believes that both parties need to work together on a parallel track to strengthen Social Security for future generations rather than taking a piecemeal approach as part of a deficit reduction plan.”
Obama’s decision means changes to the inflation calculator for Social Security will not be in the package, according to the White House.
It also will allow him to avoid a clash with his Democratic base over the popular retirement program at a time when he needs their support more than ever, both to push for his $447 billion jobs program and to buck up his lagging poll numbers.
Medicare could be a different story, though, as the White House revisits some unpopular ideas from the talks with Boehner (R-Ohio).
Read much more: http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0911/63589.html#ixzz1Y3Ms60Tm
| 
