Dear Dot,

The extreme demands from the Tea Party faction in Congress just keep on rolling in.

First they shut down our government in an attempt to strip millions of Americans of their access to affordable health care.

Now they're offering to make concessions on easing the painful sequestration cuts--but only if we make concessions on Social Security and Medicare.

That's a bad deal for the middle class.

It won’t happen as long as I have a say.

For millions of Americans Social Security means economic security.

Whether you're a senior who counts on Social Security to buy groceries, or a disabled American who counts on your monthly check--the promise of Social Security is there for you when you need it.

There is a group of Tea Party Republicans in Congress who think they can force changes to Social Security in the upcoming budget negotiations.

But Social Security is not a bargaining chip.

It is a guarantee.

And I will not stand by and let out-of-touch partisans use Social Security as another political football.

Senator Harry Reid