By Greg Sargent
In a letter delivered to the White House moments ago, top House liberals urged President Obama to use his State of the Union speech to draw a sharp line on the popular program for seniors that has helped define the Democratic Party for decades, by delivering Republicans a blunt message: "Hands off Social Security!"
The letter, which was sent over by a source, represents the clearest shot across the bow yet from House Dems on Social Security, and suggests that the left is gearing up for a big fight in the event that Obama signals openness to cuts to the program, as some expect him to do.
In the letter, Congressional Progressive Caucus co-chairs Raul Grijalva and Keith Ellison argue that Obama has a unique opportunity to frame the issue by positioning himself as the keeper of the "promise of Social Security." They ask him to place himself in opposition to "radical" Republicans who are hell-bent on dismantling the program, and request a meeting to discuss how Obama and Dems will handle the issue in the 112th Congress:
You have a unique opportunity to set forth a framework of democratic values and to call for protecting Social Security for generations to come. Social Security is a promise to every American: If you pay into the system, you earn the right to guaranteed benefits during your retirement. As members of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, we stand with you and urge you to reaffirm your support for guaranteed Social Security for America's seniors.
As you know, Congressional Republicans have long targeted Social Security for privatizatin. They have invented a Social Security "crisis" myth to promote their radical schemes to dismantle the cornerstone of retirement security for millions of Americans...
The promise of Social Security is one that we must keep. We urge you to send a clear message in your State of the Union Address: Hands off our Social Security!
This call from liberals, of course, carries echoes of the public option debate, where House progressives repeatedly urged Obama to draw a sharp line on the provision, only to ultimately be ignored. And House Dems are of course in the minority now, weakening them further. But the letter is a sign that the left is going to kick up a huge amount of noise if Obama flirts with any deal that would cut Social Security, which could set back efforts by the White House to repair the rift with House progressives over the tax deal, as the White House appears to want to do.
By Greg Sargent | January 21, 2011; 3:03 PM ET
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