A vicious rant against seniors by Alan Simpson, co-author of the 2010 federal commission on the deficit report that calls for raising the Social Security retirement age, should give pause to those embracing the so-called Simpson-Bowles plan—especially Democrats. It’s time for them to not only repudiate Simpson’s most recent tirade against seniors, but they also should reject his even more devastating attack on seniors—and their children and grandchildren—by pledging not to cut Social Security.

In a letter to the California Alliance for Retired Americans (CARA), Simpson characterized them as “a wretched group of seniors” and “greedy geezers” full of “blather and drivel,” who are “shoveling out bullshit.”

He sent the letter after the CARA demonstrated outside an event in Oakland, where he and commission co-chair Erskine Bowles pushed the commission’s scheme—one especially championed by Simpson—to raise the Social Security retirement age and make other cuts to Social Security. The pair also touted other elements of the plan such as cutting taxes for the wealthy and corporations—including eliminating U.S. taxation for offshoring American jobs.

CARA President Nan Brasmer told POLITICO:

Alan Simpson’s mean-spirited comments insult the intelligence and dedication of retiree activists who worry about their children and grandchildren’s future. Sen. Simpson sounds an awful lot like Mitt Romney and others who will use the recent Social Security Trustees report as political cover for their radical changes.

Check out media coverage from the San Francisco Chronicle, ABC, Huffington Post, FireDogLake, Houston Chronicle and The Hill.