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Social security has nothing to do with the deficit, republicans just want to destroy it out of spite. Go over the cliff, let the stock market temporarily tank, and throw the republicans under the bus until they agree to serious negotiations, including the elimination of the debt ceiling. If they try another hijacking, mint the trillion dollar coins and disregard the debt ceiling.

Get off the Social Security bandwagon, McConnell! It's NOT the problem and the elderly who receive the lowest amounts cannot even afford any reduction of the benefit. Social security DID NOT cause the debt to go up. Just another way to tap into SS benefits.

Any mention of the payroll tax holiday on SS contributions? Anyone making up to $110,000 will see a tax increase of 2% on January 1, on top of any cuts the Republicans want out of SS. Ya see, there's that big pile of non-money sitting right there in the SS Trust Fund that the middle class paid into their whole lives. Let's go after that! Never mind that Military spend is about the same, not paid for out of a dedicated tax and has doubled in 10 years. Can't touch that. Unh unh!

Obama has shown no leadership whatsoever on this issue! If he was truly serious about getting a deal done it would have happened weeks ago. But he's been 100% opposed to doing anything to rein in our runaway deficit spending, and wants the government to keep borrowing the money that it doesn't have. At least if we do go off the cliff the deficit will be addressed somewhat, through a combination of mandatory across-the-board spending reductions and tax increases that will affect everybody, putting tax rates back to the same levels that they were during the Clinton presidency. You didn't hear any talk about going off the cliff back then! Maybe I'm missing something, but I don't look at the situation as the doomsday scenario that the press is making it out to be.

Why are we still give trillions of dollars to other countries? The US has experienced the largest loss of wealth in its history. Why do we still have to be the world's babysitter? The last thing on earth we need now is a hit on the middle class.

Obama was very clear about his priorities during the election. The American people voted for him and his priorities. Republicans should quit obstructing and let the will of the American people be done. Obama clearly is working in the best interest of the American people. Republicans care nothing for the American people, they just want to defeat anything Obama proposes, no matter the consequences to the country. Their patriotic talk is hypocritical.

jerea, the mighty Obama thought it would be good to rob from SS that 2% which amounted to 80 bucks a month, wow that really pulled us out of the recession. Let the payroll tax holiday expire, no unemployment extension, no increasing the debt limit, let the Bush tax cuts expire and lets start to address the deficit,off the cliff we go. That gets added revenue and cuts military spending.

Harry Reid is just not up for the job. McConnell has to reach out to the VP to try and get the Senate to do it's job? What a joke.

Social Security is not the problem? How short sighted are you all? Are country is on the precipice of bankruptcy and SS will drag us down even further if we don't have leaders with the intestinal fortitude to address the elephant in the room. Obviously it isn't Harry Reid or Nancy Pelosi.

Anyone who gets a paystub and looks at the % which comes out of each one can only conclude -we simply do not get our money's worth from our elected officals. Due to items 1 & 2 of the rules to comment on articles ... I will end mine here.