These rich CEOs want to steal your Medicare and Social Security

Some will rob you with a 6-gun...

...and they have a good chance of getting away with it.

Remember when the Congressional Republicans threatened to shut down the government unless something was done about the deficit? They were talked off the ledge after both parties agreed on a package of tax increases and across-the-board budget cuts -- including massive reductions in defense spending.

A battalion of wealthy CEOs invaded Washington recently with a plan to take away your Medicare and Social Security -- so they can have more money, of course. They've been scurrying through the back rooms of Congress, trying to persuade YOUR elected representatives to cut Social Security benefits by nearly 10 percent over time. They also want to raise the Medicare eligibility age. Good thing insurance is so cheap for 60-year-olds.

The blogger digby notes,

...not to worry. These "grown-ups" will reluctantly agree to close a few loopholes (yeah, right) in exchange for lowering their rates which every Very Serious Person agrees is not only a great way to raise revenue but also a tremendous sacrifice for the millionaires.

Dean Baker agrees:

At a time when we have seen an unprecedented transfer of income to the top one percent, these deficit warriors are placing a top priority on snatching away a portion of Social Security checks that average $1,200 a month. Yes, the country needs this.

As the peerless Michael Hiltzik writes,

So as much as corporate CEOs and other privileged incumbents claim they're concerned about the future, it's their future they mean. 

Digby performs an invaluable service by showing how much these seven wealthy CEOs earned in 2011. in one year, they took home $110 million. Now they want to take your Social Security.

The seven moral dwarfs are:

David M. Cote J.D.
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Honeywell International Inc.
$37,842,723 annual compensation

Alexander M.(Sandy) Cutler
Executive Chairman, Chief Executive Officer, President and Chairman of Executive Committee, Eaton Corporation
$13,586,010 annual compensation

Gregg M. Sherrill
Executive Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Tenneco Inc.
$5,750,640 annual compensation

Martin L. Flanagan
Chief Executive Officer, President and Executive Director, Invesco Ltd.
$13,420,458 annual compensation

Mark T. Bertolini
Chairman, Chief Executive Officer, President, Chairman of Executive Committee and Member of Investment & Finance Committee, Aetna Inc.
$10,556,335 annual compensation

Thomas J. Quinlan III
Chief Executive Officer, President and Director, R.R. Donnelley & Sons Company
$6,059,714 annual compensation

James Dimon
Chairman, Chief Executive Officer, President and Member of Operating Committee, JPMorgan Chase & Co.
$23,105,415 annual compensation