Sunday on Meet The Press, Senator Harry Reid was asked if America should "fundamentally change" Social Security to deal with the national debt.
Many other Democrats have flubbed this question, but Reid hit it out of the ballpark. He said:
"One of the things that always troubles me is when we start talking about the debt, the first thing people do is run to Social Security. Social Security is a program that works...Stop picking on Social Security."
Please sign the thank you card to Reid (Click here). We'll deliver it to him personally.
During the Bush years, Dick Cheney famously said, "Deficits don't matter."
But now that Democrats are in charge, Republicans are using deficits and debt as an excuse to slash the most critical government programs.
As Reid said, Social Security is "not in crisis" -- it has a surplus. Cutting benefits and raising the retirement age "is something that's perpetuated by people who don't like government." He added, "There are a lot places we can go [to reduce the deficit]...Social Security is fine."
Americans agree. Our post-election poll asked voters how we should reduce the debt. 43% said tax the wealthy. 23% said cut wasteful military spending. Only 12% said touch Social Security.
As one DC news publication wrote about our poll, "Republicans, Democrats and independents agree that cutting Social Security is the least acceptable option."
