That's why he enacts conservative policies.

Seems to me they ought to first start with the truth - that Social Security is not part of the budget and is not a factor in the deficit - and then see how the people react to being told that instead of subjecting wages over the current ceiling ($106,800) to some portion of the tax that wages below that ceiling are subject to, the solutions being offered are to (1) reduce benefits by raising the retirement age even higher than the current age most people in labor-intensive jobs have to be in order to get full benefits, (2) index the benefits which is another way of reducing them, (3) make it a means-tested program that will make receiving benefits feel like one is receiving welfare.
But apart from that little truth problem, there's an even bigger problem: the American people have already sacrificed plenty, thanks very much, so it seems to me these kinds of concern-trolling lectures from Obama and Conrad and their ilk would best be delivered to the banks and to Wall Street and the health insurance industry, which have unabashedly screwed us again and again and again, and each time were rewarded for their actions with more and more and more of our money.

Too bad, too, that the media're all on board the freight train: Brian Williams opened last night's NBC News by saying something to the effect that when America voted on the 2nd, it was telling Washington to stop spending money -and now this report was out (no mention that it was a draft, of course), and now all that remained was figuring out the details.

What comes after "livid?"  Actual head explosion?

And adding, after reading more of what's being said in this thread, I am getting the same feeling I got when the Bush administration was marching us to war in Iraq: that they had already decided what they were going to do, and it was only a matter of making sure all the actors were reading from the same script - including the media.  For their efforts, they were rewarded with another term.

I don't know how many times people can listen to Obama - and to all those who purport to speak for him - and still think they can discern any glimmer of whatever was left of a Democratic agenda.  While we - the Dinosaur Democrats - still hold to that agenda and the platform and principles that underpin it, as long as those with the power, who represent us in all areas of government, do not, we are completely and utterly irrelevant.  Vote, don't vote - how does it even matter anymore at this level?

a hunter is stalking the woods and he feels a tap on his shoulder. he turns and a 700 pound bear slaps the gun out of his hands and says, "ok, you have two choices. I can eat you or I can f*ck you".

the hunter considers this and says "well, I guess you better f*ck me". and he does.

the hunter limps back to his car and as he is driving home he becomes more and more angry so instead of going home he goes to the gun store and gets a bigger gun and heads back to the woods. creeping through the woods Elmer Fudd style he again feels a tap on his shoulder and turns. again the bear slaps the gun from his hands and says "you know the drill."