A group of powerful Dems have joined Sen. Harry Reid against assistant Senate majority leader and Obama ally Sen. Dick Durbin, who is part of the bipartisan Gang of Six "working on imaginary legislation" to implement the catfood commission.
They include Sen. Chuck Schumer, Rep. Chris Van Hollen, and minority leader Nancy Pelosi. They're using the right messaging, too.
Sen. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) and Rep. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) both used the Sunday talk-show circuit to reiterate their support for the popular seniors benefit, arguing that it has no effect on the immediate deficit problems facing the country.
"Social Security … does not contribute one penny to the deficit, and won't until 2037," Schumer said on CNN's "State of the Union." "By including it in these specific negotiations it makes it harder to deal with what is the immediate and dangerous problem, which is our immediate deficit over this year and the next several years."
"Because Social Security doesn't' contribute to the debt," he added, "it makes sense to separate the two."
Van Hollen echoed that message on CBS' "Face the Nation."
"Social Security is not a driver of these deficits and debt," Van Hollen said, "and we're not going to balance the budget on the backs of Social Security beneficiaries.
"It is solvent – 100 percent – until the year 2037," he said....
Last week, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) vowed that any Social Security reforms would focus on ensuring the long-term solvency of the program.
“Whatever we do for Social Security is not about reducing the deficit, it is about strengthening Social Security – the solvency of Social Security," she said. "Those are two separate, different questions."
Once again, the message that Social Security does not contribute to the deficit was heard loud and clear on the Sunday shows. Of course, what's depressing as hell in all of this is the capitulation to the austerity crowd--deficits aren't the nation's primary problem right now. It's jobs, jobs, jobs. But it's good to hear they've at least the Social Security/deficit bit worked out.