Reply #81: I just got an e-mail invitation from Grayson to pose a

[DirkGently]

question to the President, who apparently will be visiting the area. Here's what I suggested:

The National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform has been dubbed the "Catfood Commission" because its goal appears to be cutting benefits so drastically that retirees will only be able to afford pet food. The administration has recently taken a stand against privatization of Social Security, but has not commented on whether it would support other types of across-the-board cuts, such as raising the retirement age. I won't be collecting Social Security for some time yet, but I'm concerned that the conversation has suddenly focused on privatization, which seems an unlikely possibility in any case, rather than on cuts, which seems to be the main focus of Congressional "deficit hawks." Will the administration stand firm against ANY cuts to Social Security benefits, particularly as the nation continues to spend hundreds of billions on the war in Afghanistan? Thank you.

A bit klunky, perhaps, but to the point. I was under pressure to answer Grayson's e-mail. Don't want him to think I don't care. :)