Adam Hasner Hammers Obama on Social Security Threat

Former state House Majority Leader Adam Hasner, now running for the Republican nomination to take on Democratic U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson in 2012, took aim at President Barack Obama on Wednesday.

Hasner knocked Obama for mulling over freezing Social Security payments in case a federal government shutdown occurred.

"President Obama's threat yesterday to withhold Social Security payments if he doesn't get his way on raising taxes is shameful. It's a new low for Washington. And quite frankly, it's beneath the office he holds, said Hasner. "There are more than 3.7 million Floridians who depend on Social Security to make ends meet. They should not be used as pawns in the president's political games. Republicans should do everything they can to prevent this president from risking Social Security and Medicare further through unsustainable spending.

"President Obama is playing political games on one of the most critical issues of our generation, added Hasner. The Republican leadership in Washington must not. It's time to stop floating bad bargains and grand deals. The only acceptable trade-off for raising the debt limit is for the president and Democrats to accept the 'cut, cap and balance' plan. Period. The sooner our leadership says that -- and really sticks to it -- the sooner we can move beyond the petty politics of this crucial debate."