Obama wants to destroy Social Security

Oh boy, oh boy! I'm all geared up for years of demagoguery on America's favorite entitlement program. It looks like our President-elect is polishing up his boot to kick Grandma into the street. At least that's what The Progressive is reporting: "Obama’s pick for OMB puts Social Security in jeopardy"

President-elect Obama’s appointment of Peter Orszag to be director of the Office of Management and Budget has raised the threat level for an attack on Social Security to orange.

While Orszag has taken thoughtful positions on a number of policies, three years ago he came up with a plan for Social Security that would cut its benefits to all workers under age 55 - hitting people harder the younger they are.

The article by a professor at San Francisco State University defines cognative dissonance: on the one hand, he lauds Social Security's universality, but then holds forth that wealthier Americans should pay more into the system, presumably with no proportional benefit increase. Well, soon enough we'll see the clash between campaign rhetoric and fiscal reality.