Conservatives are quite fond these days of talking about judicial activism. They are quite opposed to "legislating from the bench". It is quite true that our Constitution has a deliberately clumsy separation of power to prevent any one individual or group from amassing too much power. It is also true that the judicial branch is charged with enforcing the laws, the legislative with writing the laws.
Hence my problem. Why is Congress waiting to see the President's Social Security proposal? It seems as if the Congress has abdicated its responsibility for writing laws to the Executive Branch.
First, Congress abdicated its responsibility to declare war and allowed President Bush to take us into War on false pretenses. Now they are allowing the White house not only to suggest policy, but to actually write bills.
Now, I know you will say that for decades Presidents have been active in the legislative process. But in the past it was a collaboration. Today it seems as if Congress just waits for the administration to submit a bill and then they ram it through.