Social Security Should Be Left Out Of State Of The Union Address, Say Liberal Groups

By Mario Trujillo

On the eve of the President’s State of the Union address, a number of liberal groups are urging the administration to leave Social Security reform out of the speech.  

MoveOn.org members have sent in more than 170,000 messages to the White House alone, spokesperson Daniel told reporters during a conference call on Monday. 

In a video preview of the State of the Union, Obama told supporters that spending cuts need to be made in a responsible manner, but did not mention any specific programs.

“We’ve got to reform government so that it is leaner and smarter for the 21st century,” Obama said.

Some activists are arguing that cutting Social Security will not help lower the deficit. 

“Social Security contributes not a dime to the federal deficit,” said Roger Hickey of the Campaign for America’s Future. “If we get to a point 20 years down the road where Social Security does not have sufficient funds to pay all benefits, it would still not dip into the federal treasury.”