Hoagland Approached About Social Security Commissioner But Says "No"

     In the course of an article about how slowly the Trump Administration is filling government positions, the Los Angeles Times reports that William Hoagland was approached about becoming Social Security Commissioner but declined.  Hoagland didn't want the job because he really wants to cut Social Security, and apparently far more than the disability cuts proposed, but Trump didn't. That tells you something about Trump but it also tells you that Hoagland understands little about the job of Social Security Commissioner. Even if Trump wanted to really cut Social Security, it wouldn't be the job of the Social Security Commissioner to sell the plan. Social Security Commissioners stay out of campaigns to make significant changes to the Social Security Act regardless of the administration. Whenever anyone is nominated for Commissioner, Senators of both parties always demand that he or she promise to stay out of that sort of debate.