You may have read Bill Keller’s Op-Ed at the NYT today (he’s the former Executive Editor of the paper, in case you’ve forgotten). In the column he advocates cutting entitlements to solve America’s problems. Well, Mr. Pierce takes exception. Loudly.

Quoth the old boss:

At least the Republicans have a plan. The Democrats generally recoil from the subject of entitlements. Centrists like those at Third Way and the bipartisan authors of the Simpson-Bowles report endorse a menu of incremental cuts and reforms that would bring down costs without hitting the needy or snatching away the security blanket from those nearing retirement.

[snip]

I defy Bill Keller to last a week living only on those benefits available to the greedy boomers, especially after the Simpson-Bowles cargo cult — to say nothing of the zombie-eyed granny-starver Paul Ryan himself — are through with them. I defy him to make it for a day. The “we” sprinkled throughout this bag of pus is probably the most noxious thing about it. Look around, Bill. You and Mitt Romney have far more in common than do you and the overwhelming majority of your “fellow” boomers. One catastrophic illness, and many of our families die on the vine.

I think Charlie has a point. Keller spent 27 years at the New York Times, the last eight of them as Executive Editor, one of the highest ranking positions there. I’m willing to bet that he pulled down a hefty salary for those years, and I’m equally willing to bet that the paper kicked in a healthy retirement package when he left. I doubt he’s in Romney’s financial class, but he’s so far removed from two fictional residents of the same city, Ralph and Alice Kramden, that he has no clue how hard it would be to see your minimal Social Security income cut, even by as “little” as $100 a month.

Mr. Keller is a medium-sized plutocrat, I’m afraid, and he richly deserves the coals heaped upon him by Mr. Pierce.