This time there was no gaffe. Vice President Biden is claiming that he “flat guarantees” that Social Security is safe.

Now that there is a full-on Obama-Biden defense of Medicare and Medicaid after Coupon Paul Ryan’s plan was embraced, then not embraced, then embraced, then not embraced, and then embraced by Willard Romney, what Biden “flat guarantees” is critical as we prepare for the eventual and inevitable Grand bargain battle.

As the following article points out, according to that “”everything is on the table” Grand Bargain “Democrats agree to cuts in Medicare and Social Security, in return for which Republicans agree to ‘tax reform’ that lowers tax rates but raises more revenue by closing loopholes.” Paul Ryan was against that. But as the article also states, Biden’s “guarantee” now “effectively takes Social Security off the table.”

Via HuffPo:

First, the president made it clear that his Medicare reforms — unlike those passed by the Republican House and advocated by Romney/Ryan — don’t cut guaranteed benefits. Instead they take on the entrenched hospital, insurance company and doctors lobbies to exact savings. This focus — initiated in Obamacare — is vital [...]

Then Joe Biden announced yesterday that the ticket would guarantee no changes in Social Security. “I guarantee you, flat guarantee you, there will be no changes in Social Security,” Biden told patrons of the Coffee Break Café in Stuart, Virginia, “I flat guarantee you.”

This is good policy. Social Security is not in deficit, and has not contributed to our debt and deficits.  [...] In contrast, both Romney and Ryan supported the Bush plan to privatize Social Security, which would have added trillions to our deficits and would devastate retirees when the stock market tanks.

If this doesn’t sharpen the choice between the candidates, I don’t know what does.