Whoever is in power, these programs are broke. No one has the massive magic wand (or wallet) required to fix them. Anyone who tells you otherwise is lying.
DITTO. No matter who is POTUS in 2012 and controls Congress in 2010 onward, the US cannot pay off their debts and obligations that exceed 58 trillion or about 4.5X GDP. Most experts think the US will use selective defaults. The US will not default on their T bills because they will need foreign buyers of T bills to payoff the ones maturing. The US gov will default on their obligations to their citizens first. If you want to collect Soc Security, deplete all your savings first, you want to be covered by Medicare deplete all your savings first. Bottom line, we will all retire in poverty unless you have huge savings or are rich.