Catfood commission member and Democratic Senator Dick Durbin has the worst possible argument in the world for cutting Social Security.
Republicans signal they intend to make their first order of business federal programs directed at specific groups. Republicans “must immediately start a conversation with the nation about the kind of entitlement changes that are necessary,” Majority Leader-elect Eric Cantor said in a statement Dec. 3....
Previous efforts by Presidents Clinton and George W. Bush to overhaul the retirement system failed.
Now, Dick Durbin of Illinois, the Senate’s No. 2 Democrat, says: “If we want to come up with something bipartisan to work on together, Social Security is a good candidate.”
Do it because it's easy since it's what the Republicans have wanted all along? That's a compelling argument. There's lots that Dems could work on with Republicans if being bipartisan was the primary factor. Repealing all of the Affordable Care Act. Or birthright citizenship. Exempting millionaires from paying taxes permanently would go over well with Republicans. As would dismantling the EPA and any number actions that would undo any of the progress that Democratic administrations have achieved.
Picking any issue to act on because it's one you think Jim DeMint might cooperate with you on it is misguided, at best. Yes, as Krugman has argued, cutting Social Security is easier than dealing with harder issues that really are deficit problems. But doing it because it's easy doesn't make it smart.