The Social Security Administration will release its annual report today, projecting how long the Trust Fund will last. But the report must make assumptions about many things that could easily change. For example, Gallup polls show that over 150 million people want to come to America to work. Different immigration policies, full employment policies, maternity leave and many other factors could affect the Social Security projectins.

Today’s column by Robert Samuelson tries to tell us that Franklin Roosevelt would be appalled by the current state of the Social Security program. Of course, he produces not a single iota of evidence to support this position, although it is very clear that Samuelson doesn’t like Social Security.

I previously wrote about how the survey accompanying AARP’s “You’ve Earned a Say” listening tour does not provide members with an adequate opportunity to voice their opinions on the future of their Social Security and Medicare benefits.

If you’re an AARP member, it’s obvious why this is a problem, but if you’re not a member, consider the fact that AARP is the nation’s largest elderly advocate with over 40 million members. AARP’s insurance arm rakes in billions each year and they do quite well off kickbacks from business partners. AARP routinely meets with Washington elite, many of whom support benefit cuts, and spent $15 million on lobbying in 2011 alone – a particularly ‘light’ year for them if you look at their history.

If Conservatives get their way and the Supreme Court strikes down the individual mandate to buy health insurance, it would be a real victory for them; but in the end, the last laugh may be with actual progressives. While in this case an individual mandate was used to expand health coverage, similar individual mandates are the cornerstone for corporatist plans to unravel the public social insurance systems created by the New Deal/Great Society.

This evening, well-known Social Security opponents will meet with AARP CEO Barry Rand for a private, off-the-record ‘salon’ known as the “E Street Exchange.” Whether or not you’re an AARP member or retired, you should be deeply concerned about these events, because what AARP eventually decides to do will set the tone for debate on Social Security and Medicare going forward. We can’t wait for the outcome of the E Street Exchange to act – we need to make our voices heard right now, and demand AARP end the back-room strategy sessions to prepare the weasel words and misleading data points to advance benefit cuts.

On both sides of the debate over the social safety net, we often see the term ‘strengthening Social Security’ tossed around.

This phrase means different things to different people. As the majority of Americans support expanding benefits, to them it likely means taking a strong position against any cuts or changes that negatively impact their benefits.

But to understand what that phrase means to Wall Street, the US Chamber of Commerce and the Business Roundtable is a very different story.

The Ryan budget has appeared as a chairman’s mark. It’s a long document written in Congress-ese, but I’ve already gone over some of the main points. Here are a couple other tidbits, including why the revenue and spending caps are implausible and the automatic mechanism that requires the President to “fix” to Social Security.

The Washington Post has a first draft of history on the debt negotiations last year. It tells us mostly what we already knew: the White House was ready to sign onto a document that increased the Medicare eligibility age and instituted chained CPI, cutting Social Security cost-of-living increases. In exchange would be $800 billion in new taxes, roughly the cost of letting most of the high-end Bush tax cuts expire. Harry Reid and Nancy Pelosi reluctantly agreed to try and sell this. That basic deal is still on the table and will be relevant again.

The Huffington Post reports that AARP CEO Barry Rand is inviting outspoken safety net opponents to an “off-the-record, salon style” meeting on March 27th on the future of social security, called The E Street Exchange.

The guest list includes US Chamber of Commerce Tom Donohue, Merrill Lynch Executive Harold Ford Jr., former MI Gov. John Engler from the Business Rountable for corporate CEO’s and others who have gone on record repeatedly in favor of benefit cuts to critical programs like Social Security and Medicare.

Once again, AARP is working behind the scenes to build support for benefit cuts while masquerading about as an ardent defender of the safety net to its massive, dues-paying membership.

This is outrageous, and AARP should immediately call off the event and disavow this shameful attempt to throw its weight behind benefit cuts. Firedoglake is demanding AARP CEO Barry Rand cancel the E Street Exchange and end back-room strategy sessions with prominent social safety net opponents.

Steny Hoyer, talking to reporters, categorically denied that he ever suggested an increase in age eligibility for federal benefits. But there is documented evidence to the contrary.