White House official pushes back that it won’t be making a “grand offer” on Social Security.

*** The White House pushes back: But a top White House official pushes back that it won’t be making a “grand offer” on Social Security.

The official explains that the president has always been open to “reasonable changes” to the entitlement programs as a way to strengthen them.

Indeed, as Obama said in his fiscal-policy speech back in April, “{B}oth parties should work together now to strengthen Social Security for future generations. But we have to do it without putting at risk current retirees, or the most vulnerable, or people with disabilities; without slashing benefits for future generations; and without subjecting Americans’ guaranteed retirement income to the whims of the stock market.”

Do Republicans want Social Security as part of the deal? Yes, the White House official responds. Is the White House taking it off the table? No, but it wouldn’t consider changes that are unbalanced and include slashing benefits.

More:
http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2011/07/07/7033381-first-thoughts-going-big?ocid=twitter

feed off it.

While simultaneously heaping largesse upon millionaires and billionaires.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/08/us/politics/08impact.html

Although the $120 billion payroll tax reduction offers nearly twice the tax savings of the credit it replaces, it will nonetheless lead to higher tax bills for individuals with incomes below $20,000 and families that make less than $40,000. That is because their payroll tax savings are less than the $400 or $800 they will lose from the Making Work Pay credit.

“It will come to a few dollars a week,” said Roberton Williams, an analyst at the nonpartisan Tax Policy Center, “but it is an increase.”

glad i saw this,tho. thanks

there's always http://www.whitehouse.gov/contact

Enough of the guessing games.

I know nothing's written in stone but no one can tell me there isn't a list of changes lying on someone's desk top.

Let's hear it. What's so secret? The public would like to know and should know.

he's done some SS cutting/Medicare cutting backroom deal with Boner before we raise Hell? I'd take nothing for granted at this point. It's not as if he's never caved in on vital Democratic issues before.

Obama Aide On Social Security Cut Story: It 'Overshoots The Runway'

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/07/07/social-security-cuts-debt_n_892070.html

or the whole statement is without meaning.