McCain: against raising taxes but not against negotiatingBy Heidi Neel

We see it every presidential election, press coverage on how the candidates will treat Social Security intensifies because likely voters--many of whom are near or at retirement--have a keen interest in the issue. This year is no exception. Both candidates are being scrutinized.

But one thing bothers me about the recent coverage of McCain. He's been attacked by both sides for saying that he opposes taxes but would leave all options on the table in any Social Security negotiations. You can find McCain's full remarks on Atlantic.com:

"I am opposed to raising taxes. Senator Obama wants to raise your taxes. He wants to raise your taxes and if any negotiation I might have when I go in my position will be that I am opposed to raising taxes, but we have to work together to save Social Security."

This isn't double talk. Anyone who's been around the Social Security issue long knows that the funding shortfalls facing Social Security will never get resolved unless Congress reaches a bi-partisan solution. McCain is one of the few politicians who will say he's against raising the payroll tax, but he's not against sitting down and talking to people who disagree with him.