Is the proof in the polling?

Republicans, embracing a proposal to transform Medicare by House Budget Committee chairman Rep. Paul Ryan, R.-Wis., are making a high-stakes bet that Americans will grit their teeth and go along with the changes. Democrats have zeroed in on the proposal, which would replace the current system with federally subsidies for purchasing private insurance, as a ticket to winning back independent voters.

But what does the public think?

New York Times columnist Paul Krugman said in a recent column that  polls have shown that a "large majorities" of the public oppose major changes to Medicare and favor higher taxes on the wealthy.

We found no shortage of polls to back him up on this issue, which promises to play a central role in the elections ahead.