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April 5, 2013 Few things indicate a president no longer needs to worry about running for re-election more than his willingness to ignite an intraparty firestorm. That's just what President Obama has done by saying he is willing to consider savings from safety net entitlement programs in his new budget proposal.

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April 5, 2013 Administration officials are telling news outlets that the budget the president unveils next week will include proposals he made last year during negotiations with House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio. Those include changes that could reduce increases in Social Security and Medicare spending.

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December 12, 2012 Despite his re-election and bolstered Democratic numbers in Congress, President Obama has far from a free hand to make a comprehensive deal with House Speaker John Boehner that would include cuts to entitlement programs. Strong resistance to that notion is coming from the political left — and with a warning.

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May 14, 2012 Of each dollar the federal government spends, how much goes to health care? How much goes to defense? How much goes to other programs? And how has spending changed over time?

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April 24, 2012 Taxes are set to go up for most Americans next year. That's a good thing, Simon Johnson argues.

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April 23, 2012 The release of the Social Security and Medicare reports became an opportunity for Treasury Secretary Geithner to send voters the message that Obama administration was a staunch defender of the nation's most popular entitlements even though it accepted the need for gradual changes to make the programs more sustainable.

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February 14, 2012 What was once considered a normal rate will now be considered a tax hike. Reverting to the status quo is now politically dicey. That could affect Social Security's financing over the long haul.

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December 7, 2011 There's been quite a response to an earlier NPR story on concerns that the payroll tax holiday is undermining the Social Security program — everything from genteel but firm phone calls from the White House to angry emails from the press secretary of Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid.

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September 21, 2011 Mitt Romney went full tilt against Perry in Florida, as Jeff Zeleny reported on the New York Times' The Caucus blog. And what better issue to attack Perry on than his controversial position on Social Security. For Romney to have Social Security to use against Perry in Florida was like the New England Patriots' Tom Brady passing against single coverage.

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September 13, 2011 Texas Gov. Rick Perry, the Republican presidential frontrunner, has tried to walk back his more incendiary comments about Social Security, but his opponents aren't about to let voters forget.

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• Perry Takes A Licking, Keeps Ticking
• 'Sparks Flew' At GOP Debate

April 26, 2011 Federal aid provided a record amount of the personal income Americans received in 2010, indicating how widespread the support for such spending is and how difficult politically it will be to reduce such outlays.

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