Jacob Lew: Another Brick in the Wall Street on the Potomac (William K. Black)

[hay rick]

25. Welcome to DU.

As an aide to Tip O'Neill, Lew was involved with the Greenspan Commission. The recommendations of that commission led to increasing the normal retirement for Social Security to 67. Recently, Lew has been characterized as a defender of "entitlements." One could argue that the increase in retirement age made in 1983 was prompted by, and actually lagged, the increase in life expectancy.

As for raising the Medicare age, the only reference to Lew's position I have seen is in this article: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/12/02/us/politics/obamas-aide-jacob-lew-is-a-low-key-power-broker.html?pagewanted=all&_r=2&

From the article:

The challenge now for Mr. Lew — and for Mr. Obama — is to forge an agreement that does not cut too deeply into the entitlement programs that Democrats cherish. Like Mr. Obama, Mr. Lew is a pragmatist; one person familiar with his thinking said he had previously expressed willingness to raise the Medicare eligibility age from 65 to 67, a move that many liberals oppose.

"One person familiar" is pretty weak tea for passing judgment. Do you have any other sources on Mr. Lew and Medicare? My current attitude toward Mr. Lew is open-minded with a dose of skepticism based on the track record of the man appointing him.