Tell Sen. Durbin: Don't put Social Security on the chopping block.

On Sunday, Illinois Sen. Dick Durbin, the second most powerful Democrat in the Senate, told ABC News that he was open to putting Social Security on the table as part of a negotiation about the federal budget deficit.

It is simply absurd for Social Security to even come up in the context of the federal deficit.

Social Security is one of the greatest anti-poverty programs in our country's history and is wildly popular. In addition, despite fear-mongering to the contrary, Social Security is currently running a surplus, will be fully solvent for decades, and is prohibited by law from adding to the deficit.

It's time for Sen. Dick Durbin to stop treating Social Security like it's nothing more than a political bargaining chip.

Tell Sen. Durbin: Don't put Social Security on the chopping block.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid had it right when he declared that Social Security should be "off the table."

But on Sunday, Sen. Durbin acknowledged that he was open to a bipartisan "compromise" somewhere between Congressman Paul Ryan's crazy plan on the right (the one that among other things would destroy Medicare as we know it), and President Obama's plan (which was described as "a center-right plan" by Paul Krugman) on the left.

In other words, Sen. Durbin is actively working to find a middle ground between an ultra-right plan and a center-right plan. This from a supposedly progressive Democrat!

Social Security has been around for 75 years, and it will be around for another 75 years if people like Sen. Dick Durbin don't provide political cover to those who want to destroy the program.

Tell Sen. Durbin: Don't put Social Security on the chopping block.