E. J. Dionne’s explanation for the Democrats’ refusal to offer a Social Security plan is completely unconvincing. If Democrats don’t like the sort of proposals the president has ruled out, fine. Let them put forward whatever proposals they want. If Dionne thinks we need a big tax increase to pay for Social Security, let the Democrats offer a tax increase. Obviously, the Democrats don’t want to do that, so they keep making excuses for their silence. Instead of blaming the president’s nasty negotiating terms, liberal bloggers are trying another tack. They want to develop “a principled case for doing nothing” about Social Security.

If we don’t fix Social Security, it will be the Democrats fault. And if we can’t handle a big but fixable problem like Social Security, we haven’t got a chance of dealing with the vastly larger challenge of medical entitlements. These problems are real, and getting worse every year. If the Democrats wallow in obstructionism and denial for short term political gain, the public is going to know it. And for years to come, as the entitlement crisis plays out, the Republicans will be able to say, “We tried to fix it, but the Democrats blocked a solution.”