if we can get the economy moving, if we can focus on putting people back to work and stimulating the economy, then we're going to -- we're going to grow our way out of this deficit problem. and i have to tell you that any deal that cuts medicare and social security benefits, not cuts the programs or makes them more efficient but cuts those benefits should be, to most -- and is to most americans completely unacceptable. we don't need to do that. >> let me just quickly show a graph that compares the two. democrats propose their proposal, the super committee this week. it was republicans balked, republicans leaked their version. we have a graph showing -- comparing them. total deficit reduction, both coming a little over $2 trillion but medicare cuts to beneficiary cuts in the democratic version. there's a little bit of stimulus and a lot in spending cuts. the ratio of cuts to tax