According to the latest U.S. Census Bureau, one in six people over the age of 65 lives in poverty.

A story on www.crooksandliars.com states "seniors are especially hard-hit by medical costs, despite the existence of Medicare. A study conducted by the Center for Retirement Research at Boston College showed that the average couple reaching age 65 in 2009 could expect to pay nearly $197,000 in out-of-pocket medical expenses."

"Medical care costs are rising much faster than general inflation. So are other costs, like transportation, that affect seniors and the disabled, Social Security's biggest pools of beneficiaries. That means elder poverty figures are likely to keep rising as these costs soar - and as the current cost of living adjustment for Social Security lags behind their actual living expenses."

So why are the politicians so anxious to cut social security and medicare rather than increase the tax rates for the wealthiest 1%?  To protect their own butts that's why.