There's been a lot of shock and outrage over Alan Simpson's crude remarks on Social Security, with many on the blogs calling for his dismissal from the deficit commission. Not I.
My feeling is we should all be grateful for the invaluable service he has performed. Nothing that we on the left blogs can do could bring the deficit commission into as much disrepute as the unveiled prejudice and invective against Social Security exhibited by the co-chair.
This deficit commission has been a fraud from its inception, starting with the feigned crisis of the deficit. It's long been clear to anyone that's been paying attention that the main purpose and only likely outcome of the commission's report is to find a way to cut Social Security benefits.
Both the President and leading Congressional Democrats have signaled a willingness to support cuts in Social Security. Of course, it's always couched in the weasel words of being part of a bigger deficit-reduction package.
Does Obama aspire to be the anti-Nixon?
It was said that Nixon was able to go to China and Russia because Democratic Presidents couldn't. It's long been a wish of the right wing to dismantle Social Security, but it's too politically risky for them to try.
I have a hard time seeing this as anything but an attempt by President Obama to gain some kind of historical stature by being the Democratic President who wasn't afraid to go after the biggest entitlement program of them all.
I think this is profoundly misguided both on the policy and politics. The arguments on the policy side should be familiar to all who follow this site by now. As to the politics, I can only guess and hope. But I expect an attempt to cut Social Security benefits to unleash a firestorm of true popular opposition such as this Administration has not yet seen.
Alan Simpson's remarks have made this opposition so much easier. Unlike many bloggers, I don't want him to step down. Either disband the commission altogether, or take the whole package to the public with Simpson's smiling face on the cover.