Social insecurity and the Obama administration

http://progressive.org/social-insecurity-obama-administration

President Obama is betraying his own promises and his Democratic base by agreeing to cut Social Security.

In 2007 and 2008, while running for president, candidate Barack Obama said, “I believe that cutting benefits is not the right answer.”

On another occasion, he said that his opponent Sen. John McCain had suggested “that the best answer for growing pressures on Social Security might be to cut cost of living adjustments or raise the retirement age. I will not do either.”

In his 2012 race, Obama called Social Security an unshakeable bedrock commitment.

These were unambiguous statements that reflected an empathy with the challenging economic circumstances that many seniors face.

Unfortunately, this sensitivity appears to have vanished in thin air. In the budget he submitted to Congress, Obama proposed an accounting technique aimed at Social Security and Medicare known as “chained CPI.” This would reduce the cost-of-living-increases to the Social Security program over time, cutting the income of seniors and people with disabilities.

Even some Republicans are tagging Obama for attacking seniors.

And his most faithful constituents are bailing on this one. From Congress to the streets, the backlash has been severe.