Liberal groups mobilize for ‘fiscal cliff’ fight over Social Security, Medicare [View all]

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http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/economy/liberal-groups-mobilize-for-fiscal-cliff-fight-over-social-security-medicare/2012/11/12/b2c98f64-2cf7-11e2-89d4-040c9330702a_story.html?hpid=z2

With President Obama seeking a deal to avoid the “fiscal cliff,” liberal groups that campaigned aggressively for his reelection are mobilizing to oppose concessions they fear he could make on Medicare and Social Security.

Leaders of the nation’s labor unions and other liberal groups are planning Tuesday to press Obama at the White House to reject the kind of cuts in Medicare and Social Security that he has previously offered to make. On Thursday, left-leaning lawmakers and seniors groups plan to rally on Capitol Hill against any changes to entitlements.

Republicans are demanding entitlement changes as part of any deal to reduce the federal deficit. Top GOP lawmakers have said they could agree to raise fresh tax revenue — taking a step closer to the Democratic position that the wealthy pay more — but only if the White House accepts the type of entitlement changes that many liberals abhor.

During debt negotiations with House Speaker John A. Boehner (R-Ohio) in summer 2011, Obama tentatively agreed to increase Medicare premiums and later boost the eligibility age for the program from 65 to 67. He also was willing to modestly reduce Social Security payments by using a less-generous formula for making cost-of-living increases. After those talks collapsed, Obama did not include similar proposals in his debt-reduction plan released last fall.