Obama under fire for backtracking on trims to Social Security --- President Obama is under fire from Republicans for backtracking on proposed Social Security and other benefit cuts in his upcoming budget proposal. -- The White House confirmed Thursday that the president’s forthcoming budget blueprint would no longer contain what had been a central component of his long-term debt-reduction strategy. In years past, Obama had offered to trim cost-of-living increases in Social Security and other benefit programs – known as chained CPI. Not anymore. --- Liberal groups and lawmakers had been mobilizing against the proposed cuts, which reflect a different way for the government to calculate inflation. -- On Feb. 14, 16 senators wrote a letter to President Obama asking that he not go forward with the trims. -- “These are tough times for our country. With the middle class struggling and more people living in poverty than ever before, we urge you not to propose cuts in your budget to Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid benefits – cuts which would make life even more difficult for some of the most vulnerable people in America,” they wrote. -- The letter also states “Social Security has not contributed one penny to the deficit.” -- Asked about the forthcoming budget plan, White House spokesman Josh Earnest said Thursday that the general offer from Obama “remains on the table” if proposals like closing tax loopholes are also considered. -- “The president was willing to step forward and put on the table a concrete proposal. Unfortunately Republicans refused to even consider the possibility of raising some revenue by closing some loopholes that benefit only the wealthy and well connected,” Earnest said. - More, FoxNews, at: http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2014/02/20/officials-obama-drops-budget-cost-living-trims/