60 PERCENT SAY KEEPING SOCIAL SECURITY AND MEDICARE BENEFITS MORE IMPORTANT THAN DEFICIT REDUCTION

A new Pew poll finds that a full 60 percent of Americans — including 50 percent of Republicans — say it is more important to keep Social Security and Medicare benefits as they are rather than to reduce the deficit. Among Republicans, only Tea Party activists and those who make more than $75,000 a year prioritize deficit reduction over maintaining the social safety net. The poll comes as the White House signals willingness to cut benefits.