Don't Bother to Ask Me.

Here, for some reason, I thought the point of having a press conference was for reporters to ask the President questions about his stand on important issues. Silly, silly me.

THE PRESIDENT: But Social Security, as well, is a big item. And I campaigned on it, as you're painfully aware, since you had to suffer through many of my speeches. I didn't duck the issue like others have done have in the past. I said this is a vital issue and we need to work together to solve it. Now, the temptation is going to be, by well-meaning people such as yourself, John, and others here, as we run up to the issue to get me to negotiate with myself in public; to say, you know, what's this mean, Mr. President, what's that mean. I'm not going to do that. I don't get to write the law. I will propose a solution at the appropriate time, but the law will be written in the halls of Congress. And I will negotiate with them, with the members of Congress, and they will want me to start playing my hand: Will you accept this? Will you not accept that? Why don't you do this hard thing? Why don't you do that? I fully recognize this is going to be a decision that requires difficult choices, John. Inherent in your question is, do I recognize that? You bet I do. Otherwise, it would have been.

And so I am -- I just want to try to condition you. I'm not doing a very good job, because the other day in the Oval when the press pool came in I was asked about this -- a series of question on -- a question on Social Security with these different aspects to it. And I said, I'm not going to negotiate with myself. And I will negotiate at the appropriate time with the law writers. And so thank you for trying. The principles I laid out in the course of the campaign, and the principles we laid out at the recent economic summit are still the principles I believe in. And that is nothing will change for those near our Social Security; payroll -- I believe you were the one who asked me about the payroll tax, if I'm not mistaken -- will not go up.

And I know there's a big definition about what that means. Well, again, I will repeat. Don't bother to ask me.

I really hope that he seemed more coherent in person than he reads in the transcript. Because, frankly, this reads like he's mentally ill. But I digress.

After telling the press not to ask him any questions about Social Security, he then went on to repeat his highly-questionable story about Social Security, ending with the astonishing:

And the question is whether or not our society has got the will necessary to adjust from a defined benefit plan to a defined contribution plan. And I believe the will will be there. But I'm under no illusions. It's going to take hard work. It's going to take hard work to convince a lot of people -- some of whom would rather not deal with the issue. Why deal with the issue unless there is a crisis? And some of whom have got preconceived notions about the benefits of what may be possible. emphasis mine

You all remember that talk during the campaign about changing Social Security from a "defined benefits" program, where you know you'll get something, to "defined contribution", where all that's clear is that you are paying in? Wasn't that what everyone was voting for in November? No? Don't you remember that time in the debates when he said that it was wrong for the government to promise to help old people financially, after they'd worked hard all their lives, and how he was going to change that? No? Me neither.

Maybe that's why it'll be "hard work to convince a lot of people." I think there are more than a few Americans with a "preconceived notion" about government helping keep us all from becoming destitute in our old age. Most probably think that not only can the United States afford it, but that it's the right thing to do. And I don't think most people think that the problem with Social Security is that it has "defined benefits".

He admits he's intending to completely replace the fundamental principle of the most popular government program in our history, but don't bother to ask him about it. Don't say, "What's that mean, Mr. President?" Because he doesn't want you to know.