AP-GfK Poll: Medicare doesn't have to be cut

[Bravo Zulu]

Nicholas Read poses for a photo at the University at Buffalo South Campus where he once taught as a graduate assistant in Buffalo, N.Y., Thursday, May 19, 2011. They're not buying it. Most Americans say they don't believe Medicare has to be cut to balance the federal budget, and ditto for Social Security, a new poll shows. "I’m pretty confident Medicare will be there, because there would be a rebellion among voters," said Read. "Republicans only got a hint of that this year. They got burned. They touched the hot stove."

Republican lawmakers don't inspire much confidence right now when it comes to dealing with retirement programs, the poll found. Democrats have the advantage as the party more trusted to do a better job handling Social Security by 52 percent to 34 percent, and Medicare by 54 percent to 33 percent. Often, but not always, major revisions have been accomplished through bipartisan compromise.

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_AP_POLL_RETIREMENT_INSECURITY?SITE=PAPIT&SECTION=BUSINESS&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT

[dkf]

1. It's not medicare...it's the health care system.

Which is even bigger as a problem.