Obama Faces Heat From The Left Over Social Security - LATimes

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Obama faces heat from the left over Social Security
By Michael A. Memoli
July 7, 2011, 11:26 a.m.

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The political left is steaming amid reports that President Obama is offering changes to Social Security and Medicare as part of a grand compromise to raise the nation's debt ceiling. A series of statements from liberal groups Thursday came as the president acknowledged that "there is going to be pain involved politically on all sides" as negotiators try to hammer out a deal by Aug. 2.

Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont, an independent who caucuses with Democrats, said in a statement that he was "disturbed that the president is considering cuts in Social Security." He quoted Obama from the 2008 campaign, when he said that John McCain's campaign suggested cutting cost-of-living adjustments or raising the retirement age and then proclaimed that he "will not do either."

"The American people expect the president to keep his word," Sanders said.

Moveon.org released a survey of its members that found that 76% would be less likely to donate or volunteer for Obama's reelection effort if he cut Social Security. "MoveOn members, who worked tirelessly to elect the president, could not be more clear: Balancing the budget by cutting Social Security or Medicare benefits is just plain wrong," Justin Ruben, executive director of MoveOn.org, said.

"Cutting Social Security to reduce the national debt is like attacking Iraq to get Osama Bin Laden -- the two things are not related," said Jim Dean, chair of Democracy for America, a group founded by former Democratic National Committee chairman Howard Dean.

White House Press Secretary Jay Carney sought to quell the revolt among Obama's base, dismissing reports that he was open to reforming Social Security as old news.

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More: http://www.latimes.com/news/politics/la-pn-obama-social-security-20110707,0,3755223.story?track=rss

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