Countdown on Obama's Social Security cuts (Bonus: Is Jonathan Alter a covert administration spokesman?)

We know that Obama, in his wisdom, is considering driving a second nail into the heart of Social Security during the State of the Union address. (The first nail was the so-called payroll tax holiday, whereby the government's general fund would pick up part of the tab for the program, thus making Social Security part of the federal budget for the first time in history — another Obama special, I might add; Alice Rivlin fronted the deal.)

The public hates the idea of reducing Social Security, but the crack political team that's steering the Democratic bus has a problem — Do they go with the public on this, or go with the only people who can fund the $1 billion needed to put Obama on his hind legs in 2012, the very very rich?

If money is speech, $1 billion puts a lot of little voices in your head.

But how do you sell the sell-out of Social Security to the program-loving public? Hmm; it is a puzzlement.

Enter Jonathan Alter on the final episode of Keith Olbermann's Countdown, talking about this issue and Obama coming speech. Watch as Keith starts with the poll numbers supporting Social Security, then interviews the administration's fierce defender:



Olbermann: "[R]espondents would rather cut military spending, and by a huge number, than either social program, and by a margin of almost two to one. Americans are also strictly opposed to the retirement age." Note that at 1:15, candidate Obama is also clearly opposed to what the current president is contemplating; good for you, former candidate.

Alter: "He is going to speak out strongly for Social Security" BUT "you can't get from here to there in terms of our fiscal future without dealing with entitlements."

Really, Jon? (I call him "Jon" because Keith called him "Jon" and I stand with Keith.)

Social security is not part of the budget. None of these arguments make any sense at all, as this discussion by James Galbraith easily shows. Keith at 4:40 kills off the retirement-age red herring, and Alter, acting just like an Obama-court courtier would act, still presses Obama's case.

(Note the coming ad campaign's bottom line, and out of Alter's mouth: Obama; at least he's won't privatize like Bush.)

Careful, Jon; if you don't step lightly, you could lose your "fearless reporter" cred and end up on a list with Matt Bai.

And careful, progressives; if you don't treat Obama exactly like Bush on this subject, you're going to lose. Time to put (Dem) partisanship aside and be your own fierce advocate. Time to win one.

The state of the union, part of the ongoing daytime drama: Can this administration be saved, from itself? Stay tuned.

GP