John Kasich on Social Security cuts: 'Get over it'

11 photos: John Kasich's political career
Before officially taking office as governor of Ohio, Kasich talks with reporters after meeting with House and Senate Republican leaders at the U.S. Capitol on December 1, 2010. The GOP leaders talked about ways to create jobs, cut spending and repeal the health care law.
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11 photos: John Kasich's political career
Kasich, right, then a member of the U.S. House, sports "Bush" baseball caps with Texas Gov. George W. Bush on July 14, 1999. The two lawmakers held a news conference at the Ronald Reagan International Trade Center in Washington during Bush's presidential run. Kasich had previously announced that he was withdrawing from the 2000 presidential race and endorsed Bush.
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11 photos: John Kasich's political career
U.S. Rep. Kasich delivers a speech in the Watergate complex in Washington on July 9, 1999, during the College Republican National Committee 53rd Biennial Convention. Other speakers included Republican 2000 presidential hopefuls such as Gary Bauer and Elizabeth Dole.
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11 photos: John Kasich's political career
During a U.S. government shutdown, Kasich, left, and Sen. Pete Domenici, R-New Mexico, speak to reporters outside the White House on January 6, 1996.
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11 photos: John Kasich's political career
Kasich shows a videotape of President Bill Clinton speaking during a news conference on Capitol Hill on December 16, 1995. Kasich was chairman of the House Budget Committee at the time and disputed Clinton's position on the budget.
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11 photos: John Kasich's political career
Kasich, center, shows a thank you note in the form of a check to Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich, left, and Senate Majority Leader Robert Dole (right) on November 17, 1995, in Washington. They were soon engaged in bruising battles with President Bill Clinton over the federal budget.
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11 photos: John Kasich's political career
Ohio Gov. John Kasich speaks at the First in the Nation Republican Leadership Summit on April 18, 2015, in Nashua, New Hampshire. The summit was attended by all the 2016 Republican candidates as well as those eying a run for the nomination. Click through for more on the political career of Kasich:
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11 photos: John Kasich's political career
Kasich speaks during the Republican National Convention at the Tampa Bay Times Forum on August 28, 2012, in Florida.
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11 photos: John Kasich's political career
Kasich, left, and then-Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney talk with students during a roundtable discussion at Otterbein University on April 27, 2012 in Westerville, Ohio. Romney eventually won the 2012 GOP presidential nomination.
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11 photos: John Kasich's political career
Kasich, left, President Barack Obama, center, and Republican House Speaker John Boehner play the first hole of a golf game on June 18, 2011, at Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland.
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11 photos: John Kasich's political career
Kasich listens to Obama speak during a bipartisan meeting of governors hosted by the President and Vice President Joe Biden in the State Dining Room of the White House on February 28, 2010.
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11 photos: John Kasich's political career
Before officially taking office as governor of Ohio, Kasich talks with reporters after meeting with House and Senate Republican leaders at the U.S. Capitol on December 1, 2010. The GOP leaders talked about ways to create jobs, cut spending and repeal the health care law.
Hide Caption
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11 photos: John Kasich's political career
Kasich, right, then a member of the U.S. House, sports "Bush" baseball caps with Texas Gov. George W. Bush on July 14, 1999. The two lawmakers held a news conference at the Ronald Reagan International Trade Center in Washington during Bush's presidential run. Kasich had previously announced that he was withdrawing from the 2000 presidential race and endorsed Bush.
Hide Caption
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11 photos: John Kasich's political career
U.S. Rep. Kasich delivers a speech in the Watergate complex in Washington on July 9, 1999, during the College Republican National Committee 53rd Biennial Convention. Other speakers included Republican 2000 presidential hopefuls such as Gary Bauer and Elizabeth Dole.
Hide Caption
8 of 11

11 photos: John Kasich's political career
During a U.S. government shutdown, Kasich, left, and Sen. Pete Domenici, R-New Mexico, speak to reporters outside the White House on January 6, 1996.
Hide Caption
9 of 11

11 photos: John Kasich's political career
Kasich shows a videotape of President Bill Clinton speaking during a news conference on Capitol Hill on December 16, 1995. Kasich was chairman of the House Budget Committee at the time and disputed Clinton's position on the budget.
Hide Caption
10 of 11

11 photos: John Kasich's political career
Kasich, center, shows a thank you note in the form of a check to Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich, left, and Senate Majority Leader Robert Dole (right) on November 17, 1995, in Washington. They were soon engaged in bruising battles with President Bill Clinton over the federal budget.
Hide Caption
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11 photos: John Kasich's political career
Ohio Gov. John Kasich speaks at the First in the Nation Republican Leadership Summit on April 18, 2015, in Nashua, New Hampshire. The summit was attended by all the 2016 Republican candidates as well as those eying a run for the nomination. Click through for more on the political career of Kasich:
Hide Caption
1 of 11

11 photos: John Kasich's political career
Kasich speaks during the Republican National Convention at the Tampa Bay Times Forum on August 28, 2012, in Florida.
Hide Caption
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11 photos: John Kasich's political career
Kasich, left, and then-Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney talk with students during a roundtable discussion at Otterbein University on April 27, 2012 in Westerville, Ohio. Romney eventually won the 2012 GOP presidential nomination.
Hide Caption
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11 photos: John Kasich's political career
Kasich, left, President Barack Obama, center, and Republican House Speaker John Boehner play the first hole of a golf game on June 18, 2011, at Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland.
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11 photos: John Kasich's political career
Kasich listens to Obama speak during a bipartisan meeting of governors hosted by the President and Vice President Joe Biden in the State Dining Room of the White House on February 28, 2010.
Hide Caption
5 of 11

11 photos: John Kasich's political career
Before officially taking office as governor of Ohio, Kasich talks with reporters after meeting with House and Senate Republican leaders at the U.S. Capitol on December 1, 2010. The GOP leaders talked about ways to create jobs, cut spending and repeal the health care law.
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Exeter, New Hampshire (CNN)Ohio Gov. John Kasich said Friday that a New Hampshire audience member would "get over" cuts to Social Security payments as a result of his reform plan -- and the left is already pouncing on the comment.
The Republican presidential candidate was asked about entitlement reform during NH1's "Fiscal Fridays" series in Concord, New Hampshire, on Friday, and he said it was something that would have to get done.
"We can't balance a budget without entitlement reform. What are we, kidding?" Kasich said when asked about his opponents who say they won't touch entitlements.
Kasich said he was part of the effort to reform Medicare and Medicaid in the '90s, and that he also had a plan to change Social Security so that initial benefits were lowered for individuals not yet near eligibility.
He asked audience members to raise their hands if they were far from receiving Social Security, asked them if they knew yet what their initial benefit would be and then asked them if they would be bothered if it were a little lower for the good of the country.
One person said it would be a problem.
"Well, you'd get over it, and you're going to have to get over it," Kasich joked.
Within an hour, the liberal PAC American Bridge was already out with a video of the encounter, and the New Hampshire Democratic Party quickly circulated the video, saying Kasich "threatened our Granite State seniors."
Kasich did not go into full detail on what his plan would be, saying he would roll it out soon after some number crunching. But he noted that in the past, his cuts would have started with baby boomers.
He initially said young people would see "a lot" lower benefit, before correcting himself to say perhaps not "a lot," but some amount.
Later in the day Kasich dismissed the criticism as "silly" and said "difficult" bipartisan changes are necessary in order to stabilize Social Security.
Kasich told reporters that Democrats "basically allowed this program to get to a point where it could go bankrupt" and said they should focus on proposals to fix the problem.
"It's the silly season on the campaign trail and we're getting close to Halloween and they just want to scare people," Kasich said.
Kasich continued discussing entitlements throughout New Hampshire stops Friday, including a town hall meeting in Stratham.
"You're on Medicare and you want me to ignore the fact that it's going broke, you're not going to like me," he told the audience, adding later, "I'd rather have people be in a position where they're aggravated with me so I can accomplish something, than have them love me and accomplish nothing, OK. I'm not there to run a popularity contest."
CNN's Cassie Spodak contributed from Exeter, New Hampshire. CNN's Tal Kopan contributed from Washington.
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